net-localgroup

The Windows NET LOCALGROUP command wrapped in JavaScript

Background

Windows installs with several local groups predefined by default. Some that should be familiar are 'Administrators', 'Users', and 'Guests'. NET LOCALGROUP is a sub-command of the NET command line tool that is provided for management of local groups from a command shell. If a local group name is specified, and no change switches are used, it's roughly equivalent to using getent group <groupname> on Unix/Linux, then displaying formatted results.

Query Only

The Windows command NET LOCALGROUP also allows administrators to create, change, and delete local groups. The current version of this module does not provide an interface for that; it only retrieves information.

Efficiency

This module makes use of the NET LOCALGROUP command as a workaround where the Windows API is not otherwise accessible. If you have the build tools to install a native module properly, consider using windows-localgroups instead: it has a slightly different API, but makes the same information available, and retrieves it more efficiently.

Caveat: Privilege and Permission

If you try to use this module from an under-privileged account on a system that has been security-hardened, you may see something like the following:

The command prompt has been disabled by your administrator.

Press any key to continue . . .

... or you may see nothing, because the callback is never called. This means that the child process spawned by the module has been killed, and so you won't be able to get any results.

Install

C:\Users\myUser>npm install net-localgroup

Usage

var localgroup = require('net-localgroup')

API

localgroup.list(callback)

Fetches the list of names of all local groups defined on the local system, and passes it back through the callback function.

• callback {Function}
  • error {Error | null}
  • data {Array} array of strings, if no error

localgroup.get(groupName, callback)

Fetches information about the named local group, and passes it back through the callback function.

• groupName {String} The name of the local group
• callback {Function}
  • error {Error | null}
  • data {Object} object with the following properties, if no error:
    • name {String} Same as groupName argument
    • comment {String | null} Descriptive comment
    • members {Array} array of strings naming the members of the group (possibly none).
      Some names may be qualified by "DomainName\\AccountName" format; normal user account names will not be.

localgroup.getAll(callback)

Fetches information on all local groups defined on the local system, and passes the collected data back through the callback function.

• callback {Function}
  • error {Error | null}
  • data {Array} array of objects each with properties as described above for a get() call, if no error

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License: MIT