I am trying to modify a user account by adding several groups.

I use the correct command:

usermod -G middle,middle1,middle2 epanagio

Where middle, middle 1 and middle2 are valid group names and epanagio is a valid ID.

I receive the following error:
usermod: unknown group middle
usermod: unknown group middle1
usermod: unknown group middle2

For testing purposes I try to create the group middle and (correctly) I get the error that the group exists. I look in the User and Groups window and the groups are defined and have users in them already.

I am trying to allow read access to a folder for the middle groups and rwx access to the user.

Thanks,

Evan P.

Hmm..

Just out of curiosity, what does

grep middle /etc/group

give you?

If you're more interested in joining your user to those groups than in figuring out what's wrong with usermod, try editing /etc/group by hand. Just add espanagio to the comma-seperated list in the last field of each group's line.

I tried grep middle /etc/group and I got a long list of IDs and their associated group names.

The first two group data follows (I added the = )

===========================================================
middle:x:502:jchampli,cmelton,chunter,a9893,a9878,a9845,a9820,a9808,a9793,a9784,
a9778,a9776,a9770,a9764,a9762,a9760,a9759,a9757,a9756,a9755,a9748,a9732,a9729,a9
728,a9726,a9721,a9712,a9711,a9708,a9692,a9688,a9670,a9669,a9665,a9660,a9659,a964
4,a9643,a9639,a9637,a9632,a9611,a9605,a9603,a9600,a9598,a9584,a9578,a9575,a9569,
a9562,a9558,a9547,a9546,a9545,a9543,a9542,a9539,a9537,a9535,a9534,a9533,a9532,a9
531,a9530,a9529,a9528,a9527,a9525,a9524,a9522,a9520,a9519,a9517,a9511,a9509,a950
8,a9507,a9506,a9503,a9499,a9498,a9497,a9495,a9494,a9493,a9492,a9491,a9490,a9489,
a9488,a9487,a9485,a9484,a9481,a9479,a9475,a9474,a9472,a9471,a9470,a9145,a9116,a9
090,a9034,a9030,a9014,a8988,a8984,a8943,a8941,a8937,a8932,a8915,a8912,a8910,a890
9,a8901,a8894,a8893,a8887,a8874,a8850,a8797,a8789,a8766,a8764,a8758,a8757,a8750,
a8748,a8719,a8714,a8708,a8698,a8693,a8685,a8673,a8671,a8670,a8669,a8661,a8659,a8
656,a8647,a8644,a8631,a8629,a8626,a8612,a8610,a8597,a8593,a8583,a8580,a8561,a853
0,a8523,a8519,a8502,a8495,a8492,a8480,a8426,a8425,a8421,a8420,a8419,a8418,a8385,
a8368,a8367,a8361,a8303,a8296,a8275,a8273,a8269,a8186,a8168,a8162,a8145,a8125,a8
109,a8002,a7988,a7857,a7849,a7848,a7836,a7816,a7754,a7711,a7689,a7612,a7608,a760
6,a7597,a7532,a7483,a6637,a16794,a16790,a16786

===========================================================
middle1:x:506:a9958,a9957,a9931,a9913,a9893,a9878,a9845,a9820,a9808,a9793,a9784,
a9778,a9776,a9770,a9764,a9762,a9760,a9759,a9757,a9756,a9755,a9748,a9732,a9729,a9
728,a9726,a9721,a9712,a9711,a9708,a9692,a9688,a9670,a9669,a9665,a9660,a9659,a964
4,a9643,a9639,a9637,a9632,a9611,a9605,a9603,a9600,a9598,a9584,a9578,a9575,a9569,
a9562,a9558,a9547,a9546,a9545,a9543,a9542,a9539,a9537,a9535,a9534,a9533,a9532,a9
531,a9530,a9529,a9528,a9527,a9525,a9524,a9522,a9520,a9519,a9517,a9511,a9509,a950
8,a9507,a9506,a9503,a9499,a9498,a9497,a9495,a9494,a9493,a9492,a9491,a9490,a9489,
a9488,a9487,a9485,a9484,a9481,a9479,a9475,a9474,a9472,a9471,a9470,jchampli,cmelt
on,chunter
===========================================================

I wonder if usermod has issues if there's a large number of users joined to a group... If you want to expderiment, back up /etc/group, remove a bunch of the members and see if usermod works for adding your user then. If it does, please file a bug report (including the membership list you pasted here) at bugzilla.redhat.com.

Once again, if your main concern is just getting the user added, add the usernamed to the end of those comma-seperated lists by hand and you're set.

--Brad