Windows PowerShell Get-LocalUser equivalent in Linux
Lists user accounts known through local files and configured identity services.
PowerShell Get-LocalUser
getent passwd
getent passwd
getent passwd
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "PowerShell Get-LocalUser" is used to list local and directory users. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "getent passwd". Lists user accounts known through local files and configured identity services. This reference is grouped under PowerShell Equivalents → Users & Groups.
Windows → Linux context
What changes when you use this on Linux?
Equivalent task, different tool
Windows PowerShell Get-LocalUser maps to getent passwd for this task. Treat this as a workflow mapping rather than a character-for-character syntax translation.
Portable across the compared distros
The Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch rows use the same command in this mapping. Package availability or defaults can still vary, so check the installed tool version when an option behaves differently.
For the broader concept behind this mapping, read PowerShell vs Bash.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
List local and directory users
Lists user accounts known through local files and configured identity services.
getent passwd
List known user accounts
getent passwd kris
Look up one user
cut -d: -f1 /etc/passwd
List local usernames only
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
getent passwd
getent passwd kris
cut -d: -f1 /etc/passwd
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
getent passwd # list known users
getent passwd kris # look up one account
cut -d: -f1 /etc/passwd # list local usernamesReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
getent passwd | List known user accounts |
getent passwd kris | Look up one user |
cut -d: -f1 /etc/passwd | List local usernames only |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "getent passwd" for this mapping. The command syntax shown here is portable across the three rows, although installed versions and system defaults can still vary.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | getent passwd |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | getent passwd |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | getent passwd |
Same command on this distribution. |
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