Local accounts are stored in plain text files, one line per entry, with fields separated by colons. Reading these files fluently lets you verify any user or group task in seconds and spot mistakes such as a wrong shell or a missing group member. You should inspect them freely but change them with the proper tools (useradd, usermod, chage, groupmod) or, if you must edit by hand, with vipw and vigr, which lock the files safely.
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