Mac OS X Unleashed

Mac OS X Unleashed

By John Ray and William C. Ray

User Account Creation

In this section, we will touch on some of the basics involved in user account creation. We will look at some ways we can customize user account creation in Chapter 23, "File and Resource Sharing," and we will look at user management in detail in Chapter 24, "User Management."

Introduction to Multi-User Systems

OS X is a Unix-based operating system. As such, it is a multi-user operating system; that is, everyone who uses the machine may do so by having an account on the machine. A user can use his account on the machine either at the console or via remote access—if you should choose to enable remote access, which we will discuss in further detail in Chapter 26, "Remote Access and Administration."

A particularly nice feature of a multi-user system is that multiple users can use the machine at the same time. While each user is using the system, it seems to each user as if he is the only user on the system.

Each user has a home directory, where he stores his files. In OS X, the users' home directories are located in the /Users directory. Figure 11.1 shows the /Users directory on a sample OS X client.

11fig01.jpg

Figure 11.1 You can get to the /Users directory by double-clicking your OS X drive and opening the Users folder.

Note

Although the text of this book often shows directories using their full pathname (such as /Users), the Mac OS X Finder shows only the name of the directory at the end of the path. In the case of /Users, this would simply be Users. The shortening of pathnames isn't critical, but to successfully interact with the system, it's important to understand how the Mac OS X directory structure looks and works.

When a user logs in to the system, the default area where he is logged in is his home directory. Hence, the use of the house as an icon in the Finder window toolbar. Additionally, you see the same icon in Figure 11.1 among the user directories. Users can still see most areas on the machine, although they might not necessarily be able to see all of another user's files. In a multi-user system, users can set permissions on their files to allow different types of access. Even if other users can see your files, they can't modify them unless you have set permissions to allow them to do so. For example, Figure 11.2 shows how the home directory for user miwa looks to another user. A number of folders have a white minus in a red circle on them. Directories so marked are not viewable by this user. The other files and directories, however, can be viewed by this user.

11fig02.jpg

Figure 11.2 Depending on how the owner grants permissions on his files and directories, other users might not be able to view them at all.

Adding a New User

When you installed OS X, you were asked to provide your name and a short name that could be used as your login name. During the installation process, you created an account. Specifically, you created an administrator account. Adding another user account is much like creating the original administrator account that you created at installation time.

Because it can be used to modify the machine settings or install software, the administrator account is actually a rather powerful account. When you add a new user, you have the choice of adding a regular user or adding one with administrator capabilities. Although it is helpful to have more than one user with administrator capabilities, do not give administrator access to every user account that you create. Otherwise, every user on the machine will be able to modify your system.

You create a new user account using the Users pane in the System section of the System Preferences as follows:

  1. Open the Users pane in the System Preferences.
  2. Click on the make changes lock icon, if it is set not to allow changes, and enter your administrator username and password. Click on New User, which brings up a New User window. The New User window has an Identity tab, and a Password tab with fields that you complete. The Identity tab of the New Users window, shown in Figure 11.3, has the following fields:
    • Name— This is where you enter your user's name. In OS X, this is a name that the user can use to log in to the machine.
    • Short Name— The short name is the username; that is, the name of the account. This is also a name that the user can use to log in to the machine. This name can be up to eight characters in length, must have no spaces, and be in lowercase. This name is used by some of the network services.
    • Login Picture— Select a picture that can be displayed with this user's name in the user listing at login time. Either select one from the available selection in the Identity tab, or choose a custom picture elsewhere on your machine.
    11fig03.jpg

    Figure 11.3 Complete the fields under the Identity tab when creating a new Mac OS X user account.

The Password tab of the New Users window, shown in Figure 11.4, has the following fields:

11fig04.jpg

Figure 11.4 Also complete the fields under the Password tab when creating a new Mac OS X user account.

  1. Click on Save.

You are returned to the Users pane, which now lists your new user by name. You have created a new user. In Chapter 23, you will see how to create a specific user called software, with a specific user ID and group ID.

You can also edit user information, such as the password, by using the Users pane of System Preferences. Just select the user account that needs to be edited, and click Edit User, which brings up an already completed window identical to that for a new user.

To delete a user account, simply select the account to be deleted, and click the Delete User button. A sheet then appears, asking you to confirm the action and to select an administrator account that should store the old user account data. The Users pane does not allow you to delete the original administrator user account.

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