# Can't add user to group wheel



## zachnap (Feb 17, 2012)

Hello, I'm new to freeBSD. I am trying to add a user to group wheel. I have entered the following code:

```
pw user mod [I]username[/I] -G wheel
```

I enter this command and I get no error message, it just goes to a new command line. Then I type:


```
groups [I]username[/I]
```

and all I get is _username_, it does not list wheel as a group for that user.


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## monkeyboy (Feb 17, 2012)

looks to me like it is supposed to be:
`# pw usermod username -G wheel`

but I never use that thing... what's wrong with
`# vi /etc/group`

you are root when trying, right?


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## zachnap (Feb 17, 2012)

Never mind... I finally figured-out that my file system was read-only. I had no idea why I was getting this response when trying to use vi and view and other things. 

I just used the command:


```
mount -u /
```

and that apparently changes the file system to read-write. Then I modified the user grouplist and added wheel.


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## zachnap (Feb 17, 2012)

monkeyboy said:
			
		

> looks to me like it is supposed to be:
> 
> pw usermod username -G wheel
> 
> ...


It doesn't matter whether "usermod" or "user mod" - its the same thing.

I couldn't use vi before since the file system was set to read-only. I am root, single-user.

Thanks for the reply though.


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## SirDice (Feb 17, 2012)

If you boot in single user mode only the root (/) filesystem is mounted. Read-only.

To get some functionality you need to remember these (you're going to use them often):

```
fsck -p         # if you have errors fsck -y might be a better idea
mount -u /      # re-mounts root read-write
mount -t ufs -a # mounts all UFS filesystems
swapon -a       # turns on swap/virtual memory
adjkerntz -i    # adjusts for the timezone
```

After that the system is in a reasonable state to edit things.


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## zachnap (Feb 17, 2012)

SirDice said:
			
		

> If you boot in single user mode only the root (/) filesystem is mounted. Read-only.
> 
> To get some functionality you need to remember these (you're going to use them often):
> 
> ...


Thanks. I don't know what all that stuff means yet but hopefully I will at some point.


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