Search code examples
bashchowngroupname

BASH chown command not executing from script: illegal group name


I execute the script below as root within MAC OS X terminal. The piped command runs successfully, but the script fails at the chown command with the following error:

chown: Domain Users: illegal group name

Why?

See script below:

#!/bin/bash

echo Enter username
read Name
echo Enter number
read NUM

sudo -s "(cd /Users/$NAME && tar c .) | (cd /Users/$NUM && tar xf -)"
sudo chown -R $NUM:"Domain Users" /Users/$NUM
sudo chmod g+rwx /Users/$NUM

Solution

  • "Domain Users" is an Active Directory group, hence one must be connected to the domain in order to CHOWN against a specified user within this group and take ownership of the resources specified. I was working remotely this day and was not connected via our VPN, hence not connected to our domain and thus unable to CHOWN against this Active Directory group "Domain Users".