# Using "adduser" as alternative for "usermod -aG"

**URL:** <https://community.learnlinux.tv/t/using-adduser-as-alternative-for-usermod-ag/602>\
**Category:** Mastering Ubuntu Server (4th Edition)\
**Created:** [June 19, 2021, 7:41pm UTC](https://community.learnlinux.tv/t/using-adduser-as-alternative-for-usermod-ag/602 "2021-06-19T19:41:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Jasdela](https://community.learnlinux.tv/user_avatar/community.learnlinux.tv/jasdela/32/208_2.png) [@Jasdela](https://community.learnlinux.tv/u/Jasdela)\
**Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 7:41pm UTC](https://community.learnlinux.tv/t/using-adduser-as-alternative-for-usermod-ag/602/1 "2021-06-19T19:41:49Z")

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Hey Jay,

In the first chapter of your book you mentioned both `useradd` and `adduser` for creating users.  
Later in that chapter you explained adding a user to a group with `usermod -aG`.

I was wondering if you are aware of the `adduser <user> <group>` variant of `adduser`?  
According to the [documentation](http://manpages.ubuntu.com/manpages/focal/man8/adduser.8.html) (see last paragraph under Description), this command also adds an existing user to an existing group, much identical to `usermod -aG`.

Perhaps it’s a good idea to mention this variant as well in your next book revision? I personally find the `adduser <user> <group>` variant a bit more pleasing to use because it prints feedback to the terminal (whereas `usermod -aG` prints nothing at all) and it’s very easy to execute after `adduser <user>` by just recalling that command and appending the group.

Let me know your thoughts, were you aware of this approach before?

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**Author:** ![BigBunny](https://community.learnlinux.tv/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/c6cbf5/32.png) [@BigBunny](https://community.learnlinux.tv/u/BigBunny)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2021, 1:18pm UTC](https://community.learnlinux.tv/t/using-adduser-as-alternative-for-usermod-ag/602/2 "2021-06-20T13:18:48Z")

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He has covered all in one or more of his videos.

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**Author:** ![jay](https://community.learnlinux.tv/user_avatar/community.learnlinux.tv/jay/32/649_2.png) [@jay](https://community.learnlinux.tv/u/jay)\
**Post date:** [June 25, 2021, 11:15pm UTC](https://community.learnlinux.tv/t/using-adduser-as-alternative-for-usermod-ag/602/3 "2021-06-25T23:15:30Z")

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Like BigBunny mentioned, both have been well-covered between the book and videos. There are always alternative methods for everything, so it’s really difficult to cover each individual possibility. But for the next revision it’s certainly a possibility.