FBB::User(3bobcat)

📦
version 6.15.01 · 7 versions
, in ubuntu stonking

💖 FBB::User 💖 — the /etc/passwd tea on your current user

ok so bestie, this is page 3bobcat in the manual, and it's literally all about the FBB::User class. no cap.

✨ NAME ✨

FBB::User — hands you the /etc/passwd info of the current user. that's it, that's the whole job 🫶

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

#include <bobcat/user>
Linking option: -lbobcat

like, that's how you pull it into your code, periodt 💅

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

so basically this class goes and fetches the info about the current user out of what's sitting in /etc/passwd. and the way it does that is lowkey simple — it's just a cute lil wrapper class hanging around the getpwent(3) function. nothing complicated, just vibes 🌸

✨ NAMESPACE ✨

FBB

every single constructor, member, operator and manipulator mentioned on this page lives in the FBB namespace. all of them. no strays 💜

✨ INHERITS FROM ✨

-

aka nothing. it inherits from absolutely no one, it's independent, it's got main character energy 👑

✨ CONSTRUCTORS ✨

  • User() — the default constructor figures out the current user's data. ⚠️ heads up though: if the current user's name can't be found in /etc/passwd, this constructor throws an Exception because it couldn't finish properly. 😭
  • User(size_t uid) — this one goes and gets the data of the user whose user-id is uid. and if that data can't be found? boom, an Exception gets thrown. no data, no peace 💀
  • User(std::string const &name) — same deal but for the user whose user-name is name. can't find it? Exception, thrown, bye 🙈

oh and btw, copy and move constructors (plus their assignment operators) are all available too. you're covered bestie 🎀

✨ MEMBER FUNCTIONS ✨

  • size_t eGroupid() const — returns the user's effective group-id. effective, not the regular one, iykyk.
  • size_t eUserid() const — returns the user's effective user-id. again, effective > regular here.
  • size_t groupid() const — returns the user's group-id. the plain one. the regular one. 💅
  • std::string homedir() const — returns the user's home directory, and yes it includes a trailing / at the end. don't say I didn't warn you 🏠
  • bool inGroup(size_t gid, bool useEffective = true) const — returns true if the current user is a member of group gid, otherwise you get false back. and if useEffective is set to true, the user's effective group id gets checked too — and fun fact, true is the default function argument, so it's doing that by default unless you say otherwise ✨
  • std::string name() const — returns the user's user-name. that's their login name bestie 🪪
  • std::string password() const — returns the user's encrypted password. BUT 👀 go read the BUGS section below before you get too excited, fr fr.
  • std::string realname() const — returns the user's real name, the one that's listed in the gecos field of /etc/passwd 🌸
  • std::string shell() const — returns the user's shell. the lil home of their terminal 🐚
  • size_t userid() const — returns the user's user-id. the classic. the icon. 🔥

✨ EXAMPLE ✨

here's a whole lil program showing it off, adorbs:

#include <bobcat/user>
#include <iostream>

using namespace std;
using namespace FBB;

int main()
{
    User  user;

    cout << "\n"
        "name       : " << user.name()      << "\n" <<
        "password   : " << user.password()  << "\n" <<
        "user id    : " << user.userid()    << "\n" <<
        "group id   : " << user.groupid()   << "\n" <<
        "real name  : " << user.realname()  << "\n" <<
        "home dir   : " << user.homedir()   << "\n" <<
        "shell      : " << user.shell()     << "\n" << endl;
}

✨ FILES ✨

  • bobcat/user — this is the file that defines the class interface 💖

✨ SEE ALSO ✨

bobcat(7), getpwent(3)

go read those too bestie, they're in the friend group 🌈

✨ BUGS ✨

ok so real talk, there are two things you need to know and they're not great:

  • if the user is a member of multiple groups, then groupid() only ever returns the single group id that's listed in /etc/passwd. just the one. sorry 💀
  • and if shadow passwording is being used, then the string that password() gives you will probably not contain the encrypted password. like, it just won't. don't count on it 😭

✨ BOBCAT PROJECT FILES ✨

and the Debian Bobcat project files:

  • libbobcat6 — the debian package containing the shared library, plus the changelog and copyright note 🎀
  • libbobcat-dev — the debian package containing the static library, headers, manual pages, and developer info 🫶

✨ BOBCAT ✨

fun fact: Bobcat is an acronym of Brokken’s Own Base Classes And Templates. iconic name origin ngl 👑

this is free software, distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL). free as in freedom, slay 💜

✨ AUTHOR ✨

Frank B. Brokken (f.b.brokken@rug.nl). the legend themselves 🙌

and that's the whole page bestie!! this was libbobcat-dev_6.15.01 from 2005-2026, and yes i'm still on my FBB::User(3bobcat) era ✨💅 go forth and read /etc/passwd responsibly 🎀🦋

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