[ale] User Private Group -- what are the benefits?

[James Sumners]

In almost every Linux distribution I have used, Arch Linux being the
only exception I can think of off the top of my head, when a new user
added, then a group of the same name is created as that user's primary
group (if one isn't specified). I've always just accepted this as "the
way it's done," and never researched it. We've recently moved from
Solaris to RHEL as the OS for our database server. Our DBA has
inquired about why user's have their own group on the RHEL system when
they did not on the Solaris system. I don't have an answer other than
"that's just the way it is" and I don't like that.

I've been doing some searching for documentation on this, but haven't
been able to find anything. So, do any of you guys have some insights
as to why this is (typically) done on Linux systems?

-- 
James Sumners
http://james.roomfullofmirrors.com/

"All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts
pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it
is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become
drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted."

Missionaria Protectiva, Text QIV (decto)
CH:D 59