Which file is edited to change user account and group configurations?

The file used to change user account and group configurations is typically /etc/login.defs. This file contains default settings that affect user account creation and management, such as password aging, UID and GID ranges, and the default home directory path for new users. By modifying parameters in this file, administrators can define policies that apply to user accounts created on the system.

While /etc/passwd and /etc/group are also essential files for user account management, they are primarily used to store user and group information rather than to define configuration settings. The /etc/passwd file contains details about user accounts (like usernames, user IDs, group IDs, home directories, and shells), while /etc/group holds information about groups and their members. Changes to user accounts or groups should be done with dedicated tools like useradd, usermod, or groupadd rather than by manually editing these files.

The option /etc/userconfig does not exist as a standard file in Linux systems, making it irrelevant for user account configuration tasks.

Thus, the /etc/login.defs file is indeed the correct choice for changing configurations related to user account and group management.