getpwent

getpwent

• Retrieves the next line from the /etc/passwd file (or its equivalent coming from some server somewhere). Returns null at the end of the file. The return value in list context is:
  
  

  ($name,$passwd,$uid,$gid,$quota,$comment,$gcos,$dir,$shell)
  

  
  
  Some machines may use the quota and comment fields for other purposes, but the remaining fields will always be the same. To set up a hash for translating login names to uids, do this:
  
  

  while (($name, $passwd, $uid) = getpwent) {
   $uid{$name} = $uid;
  }
  

  
  
  In scalar context, getpwent returns only the username.