---
name: "minsysusers"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "sysuser-helper"
version: "1.6.0"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/minsysusers"
---

# minsysusers(8)

minimalistic sysusers.d conf files parser

## NAME

minsysusers - minimalistic sysusers.d conf files parser

## SYNOPSIS

**/usr/sbin/minsysusers \[--root=/path\] file.conf \[ file2.conf ... \]**

## DESCRIPTION

**minsysusers** takes declaratives conf files as input and creates system users and group according to [sysusers.d(5)](/sysusers.d/5.md) specifications. To create users and groups useradd, groupadd and usermod are used under the hood.

Conf files are searched in **/etc/sysusers.d/** and **/usr/lib/sysusers.d/**; files in /etc overrides files with the same name in /usr.

At least one conf file must be given on the command line and the file must exists in at least one searched path.

## OPTIONS

- **--root=/path/to/root**

  takes a path to a root as argument; root must exists. Users and groups will be created inside of the given root; config files given on the command line will be searched inside root. This option can be specified only once for each minsysusers invocation.

## DIFFERENCES WITH SYSTEMD-SYSUSERS

conf files in **/run/sysusers.d/** and **/usr/local/lib/sysusers.d/** are ignored, only **/etc/sysusers.d/** and **/usr/lib/sysusers.d/** are valid path for conf files.

It's not possible to have minsysusers parse all available conf files at once; even if more than one file is given on the command line, it processes each file and calls useradd, groupadd and usermod before processing the next one.

 Minsysusers supports a very small subset of command line options compared to systemd-sysusers; **--root**\
  can be given only once, all other options such as **--image** **--replace** **--dry-run** **--inline** **--cat-config** **--tldr** **--no-pager** **--help** **--version** are not supported.

## SYSUSERS.D: IMPLEMENTATION DETAILS

Specifiers as described in [**sysusers.d**(5)](/sysusers.d/5.md) are not supported.

Types **u,** **g,** **m,** **r** are supported; conffile's lines are grouped by type and processed in the following order: r, g, u and m. As a consequence, the order or lines in a conffile does not matter, except for r type (see below).

Ranges in **r** lines are passed to useradd, usermod using **-K** thus overriding **SYS\_UID\_** and **SYS\_GID\_** key values in **/etc/login.defs.** When multiple r lines are given, the range from the first one is used, ranges from remaining r lines are discarded. When a **UID** is specified in **ID** field, and the **UID** is free, it takes precedence over the range given with r line.

For **u** lines the default home is **/** and the default shell is **/sbin/nologin .** Both home and shell field must start with **/ ,** be empty or set to **- .**

Gecos field value, if given, must be within double quotes; empty or **-** gecos is valid.

When **u!** is used, the account is locked with **usermod -L .**

For **ID** field, special values **65535** and **4294967295** are reserved and thus not valid. The **ID** field can be specified in various form:

for **u** lines, the following entries are considered valid

**500**

**500:600**

**500:groupname**

**-:groupname**

**-:600**

**/path/to/file**

**/path/to/dir**

When a path is given if a system group for path's **GID** is not found, the system group is automatically created. For all other **ID** entries where a **groupname** or a **GID** is specified, the corresponding system group must already exists (it's ok to create it explicitly with a g line in the same conf file).

for **g** lines, the following entries are considered valid

**500**

**/path/to/file**

**/path/to/dir**

when a path is given, the path's **GID** is used to create the system group; the **UID** of the path is irrelevant.

for **m** lines it must be a **groupname;**

for **r** lines it must be either a single number or a **min-max** numeric range.

## FILES

**/etc/sysusers.d/**

**/usr/lib/sysusers.d/**

**/etc/login.defs**

## SEE ALSO

[**sysusers.d**(5)](/sysusers.d/5.md)

## AUTHOR

Lorenzo Puliti \<plorenzo@disroot.org\>