getent(1) General Commands Manual getent(1) (NAME) getent - (Name Service Switch) (SYNOPSIS) getent [option ...] database key ... (DESCRIPTION) getent (Name Service Switch) /etc/nsswitch.conf . key . key ( (enumeration) ). database C : ahosts key sethostent(3) gethostent(3) endhostent(3) hosts . hosts(5) . key key AF_UNSPEC getaddrinfo(3) . ahostsv4 ahosts AF_INET . ahostsv6 ahosts AF_INET6 . getaddrinfo(3) AI_V4MAPPED . aliases key setaliasent(3) getaliasent(3) endaliasent(3) aliases . key key getaliasbyname(3) . ethers key key ether_aton(3) ether_hostton(3) . ethers key . group key setgrent(3) getgrent(3) endgrent(3) group . key key getgrgid(3) key getgrnam(3) . gshadow key setsgent(3) getsgent(3) endsgent(3) gshadow . key key getsgnam(3) . hosts key sethostent(3) gethostent(3) endhostent(3) hosts . key inet_pton(3) key IPv4 IPv6 key gethostbyaddr(3) gethostbyname2(3) . initgroups key key getgrouplist(3) . initgroups key . netgroup key key setnetgrent(3) getnetgrent(3) (hostname, username, domainname) . key hostname username domainname innetgr(3) netgroup . netgroup key . networks key setnetent(3) getnetent(3) endnetent(3) networks . key key getnetbyaddr(3) key getnetbyname(3) . passwd key setpwent(3) getpwent(3) endpwent(3) passwd . key key getpwuid(3) key getpwnam(3) . protocols key setprotoent(3) getprotoent(3) endprotoent(3) protocols . key key getprotobynumber(3) key getprotobyname(3) . rpc key setrpcent(3) getrpcent(3) endrpcent(3) rpc . key key getrpcbynumber(3) key getrpcbyname(3) . services key setservent(3) getservent(3) endservent(3) services . key key getservbynumber(3) key getservbyname(3) . shadow key setspent(3) getspent(3) endspent(3) shadow . key key getspnam(3) . (OPTIONS) --service service -s service . ( glibc 2.2.5 .) --service database:service -s database:service . . ( glibc 2.4 .) --no-idn -i IDN ahosts/getaddrinfo(3) ( glibc-2.13 .) --help -? . --usage . --version -V getent. (EXIT STATUS) getent : 0 . 1 database . 2 key database . 3 database . (SEE ALSO) nsswitch.conf(5) Linux man-pages 6.19 2026-02-08 getent(1)