new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/liboctave/oct-group.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,228 @@
+/*
+
+Copyright (C) 1996, 1997 John W. Eaton
+
+This file is part of Octave.
+
+Octave is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
+under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the
+Free Software Foundation; either version 2, or (at your option) any
+later version.
+
+Octave is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
+for more details.
+
+You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+along with Octave; see the file COPYING.  If not, write to the Free
+Software Foundation, 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA  02111-1307, USA.
+
+*/
+
+#ifdef HAVE_CONFIG_H
+#include <config.h>
+#endif
+
+#ifdef HAVE_SYS_TYPES_H
+#include <sys/types.h>
+#endif
+
+#ifdef HAVE_GRP_H
+#include <grp.h>
+#endif
+
+#include "lo-error.h"
+#include "oct-group.h"
+#include "str-vec.h"
+
+#define NOT_SUPPORTED(nm) \
+  nm ## ": not supported on this system"
+
+string
+octave_group::name (void) const
+{
+  if (! ok ())
+    gripe_invalid ();
+
+  return gr_name;
+}
+
+string
+octave_group::passwd (void) const
+{
+  if (! ok ())
+    gripe_invalid ();
+
+  return gr_passwd;
+}
+
+gid_t
+octave_group::gid (void) const
+{
+  if (! ok ())
+    gripe_invalid ();
+
+  return gr_gid;
+}
+
+string_vector
+octave_group::mem (void) const
+{
+  if (! ok ())
+    gripe_invalid ();
+
+  return gr_mem;
+}
+
+octave_group
+octave_group::getgrent (void)
+{
+  string msg;
+  return getgrent (msg);
+}
+
+octave_group
+octave_group::getgrent (string& msg)
+{
+#if defined (HAVE_GETGRENT)
+  msg = string ();
+  return octave_group (::getgrent (), msg);
+#else
+  msg = NOT_SUPPORTED ("getgrent");
+  return octave_group ();
+#endif
+}
+
+octave_group
+octave_group::getgrgid (gid_t gid)
+{
+  string msg;
+  return getgrgid (gid, msg);
+}
+
+octave_group
+octave_group::getgrgid (gid_t gid, string& msg)
+{
+#if defined (HAVE_GETGRGID)
+  msg = string ();
+  return octave_group (::getgrgid (gid), msg);
+#else
+  msg = NOT_SUPPORTED ("getgruid");
+  return octave_group ();
+#endif
+}
+
+octave_group
+octave_group::getgrnam (const string& nm)
+{
+  string msg;
+  return getgrnam (msg);
+}
+
+octave_group
+octave_group::getgrnam (const string& nm, string& msg)
+{
+#if defined (HAVE_GETGRNAM)
+  msg = string ();
+  return octave_group (::getgrnam (nm.c_str ()), msg);
+#else
+  msg = NOT_SUPPORTED ("getgrnam");
+  return octave_group ();
+#endif
+}
+
+int
+octave_group::setgrent (void)
+{
+  string msg;
+  return setgrent (msg);
+}
+
+int
+octave_group::setgrent (string& msg)
+{
+#if defined (HAVE_SETGRENT)
+  msg = string ();
+  ::setgrent ();
+  return 0;
+#else
+  msg = NOT_SUPPORTED ("setgrent");
+  return -1;
+#endif
+}
+
+int
+octave_group::endgrent (void)
+{
+  string msg;
+  return endgrent (msg);
+}
+
+int
+octave_group::endgrent (string& msg)
+{
+#if defined (HAVE_ENDGRENT)
+  msg = string ();
+  ::endgrent ();
+  return 0;
+#else
+  msg = NOT_SUPPORTED ("endgrent");
+  return -1;
+#endif
+}
+
+octave_group::octave_group (void *p, string& msg)
+  : gr_name (), gr_passwd (), gr_gid (0), gr_mem (), valid (false)
+{
+#if defined (HAVE_GRP_H)
+  msg = string ();
+
+  if (p)
+    {
+      struct group *gr = static_cast<struct group *> (p);
+
+      gr_name = gr->gr_name;
+
+#if defined (HAVE_GR_PASSWD)
+      gr_passwd = gr->gr_passwd;
+#endif
+
+      // XXX FIXME XXX -- maybe there should be a string_vector
+      // constructor that takes a NULL terminated list of C
+      // strings.
+
+      const char * const *tmp = gr->gr_mem;
+
+      int k = 0;
+      while (*tmp++)
+	k++;
+
+      if (k > 0)
+	{
+	  tmp = gr->gr_mem;
+
+	  gr_mem.resize (k);
+
+	  for (int i = 0; i < k; i++)
+	    gr_mem[i] = tmp[i];
+	}
+
+      valid = true;
+    }
+#else
+  msg = NOT_SUPPORTED ("group functions");
+#endif
+}
+
+void
+octave_group::gripe_invalid (void) const
+{
+  (*current_liboctave_error_handler) ("invalid group object");
+}
+
+/*
+;;; Local Variables: ***
+;;; mode: C++ ***
+;;; End: ***
+*/