---
title: About the group Resource
platform: os
---

# group

Use the `group` InSpec audit resource to test groups on the system.

<br>

## Availability

### Installation

This resource is distributed along with InSpec itself. You can use it automatically.

### Version

This resource first became available in v1.0.0 of InSpec.

## Syntax

A `group` resource block declares a group, and then the details to be tested, such as if the group is a local group, the group identifier, or if the group exists:

    describe group('group_name') do
      it { should exist }
      its('gid') { should eq 0 }
    end

where

* `'group_name'` must specify the name of a group on the system
* `exist` and `'gid'` are valid matchers for this resource

<br>

## Examples

The following examples show how to use this InSpec audit resource.

### Test the group identifier for the root group

    describe group('root') do
      it { should exist }
      its('gid') { should eq 0 }
    end

<br>

## Matchers

For a full list of available matchers, please visit our [matchers page](https://www.inspec.io/docs/reference/matchers/).

### be_local

The `be_local` matcher tests if the group is a local group:

    it { should be_local }

### exist

The `exist` matcher tests if the named user exists:

    it { should exist }

### gid

The `gid` matcher tests the named group identifier:

    its('gid') { should eq 1234 }