Enabling "Other User" in 10.2/10.3
 

Does anyone know how to get the 'Other User' option back in the list of users for the login window. My iBook, which I enabled that feature in 10.1 still carries it over in 10.3 after the upgrade. But I did a clean install on my Powerbook, and there is no option for it in system preferences anymore. Any ideas on how to get it back?

Typically, the 'Other User' is root. Re-enabling root in NetInfo Manager should bring the 'Other User' back to the login window.

I liked logging in as >console (and then myself) -- still an option?

You can no longer get to the shell by logging in as >console. I suppose this makes sense due to the fast user switching. What would happen if you have users in the background and then you log into the shell?

So anyway, you can't do it anymore. Mac help says the way to get to the shell now is to boot to single user mode (which now fully starts system services, by the way, to bring you to a root shell prompt) or by going to the terminal and using "sudo shutdown now," which of course is not nice to the other users who may be logged in.

And actually, sudo shutdown now doesn't work for me. I don't know why.

Chris

hmm, i can get a shell via login [ >console ] after a fresh boot.

after a user login/logout, it hangs in a /usr/libexec/getty process.

not sure it's not doable. others?

Maybe you can get a shell with >console when no other users are logged in. That might be the key. I'll have to play with it some more.

Chris

OK, now I know. If nobody is logged in, then you can still go to a shell with >console. But if users are logged in from a GUI and switched out, then you can't log into >console. The screen turns blue for a moment and then the login window reappears.

Chris

hmm, gives me a clue to why that scenario doesn't work here...

this install was created by 10.2 ditto /Users to a fresh partition, then install 10.3 on it (and bail initial setup at earliest opp)

the result has a crippled initial user id 501, perhaps??

the netinfo record is, uh, lacking

developing...

mT, I did an Archive & Install installation, and I can jump in and out of >console, and log in and out, without problems.

My shell is tcsh, configured using the stuff in /usr/share/tcsh/examples/ and a few inconsequential aliases and keybindings. No other environment setup has been done.

Thoughts?

Hi Chris!
The actual commands I was using recently (on a Knoppix box) were
for a halt, and for a reboot. Might help you...

Leo

Is single user mode no longer root? Sudo isn't necessary if it's still root.

Single user mode better still be root, since it doesn't open the NetInfo database... ;)

yellow, as I understand it:

Single user mode is still root.

The sudo was used to do a reboot to single user mode.

My 2 €:
Seems pretty contorted, to have to switch to single user mode
just to be able to access a window-less environment.
Not to mention the risk you're taking as the power user you now are...

Leo

What I'm saying is that sudo isn't necessary, since in single user mode you're already root.

I have a Powerbook and because it's portable, I always enable the open firmware password because without it, my data has some small measure of protection in case I lose the machine.

Anyway, Mac help says there are two ways to get to single-user mode:

1) reboot with cmd-S
2) from a terminal, type sudo shutdown now

With the OF password, #1 can't be done. However, I was not able to do #2 either.

Note: I don't want 'shutdown -h now' which shuts down the machine. And I don't want 'shutdown -r now' which reboots the machine. Neither of those options will get me to single user mode.

I'll try again, but perhaps I had multiple logins again. If I get down to one account, then 'sudo shutdown now' might work.

Chris

But you wouldn't be in single user mode, when you used that. You'd be in OS X using the terminal, which would get you to single user mode. No?

"sudo shutdown now" won't ever work, there has to be flags used with it.
As noted previously, -h will halt, or shutdown completely. -r will reboot. There is no flag for going into single user mode that I can detect. And you can use shutdown in single user mode, in case you don't want to reboot your machine, you can just shut it down. In that instance, sudo is not needed. However, from the terminal if you want to shut your machine down, the 'shutdown' command requires sudo (or root) access.

So I'm curious where chabig got 'sudo shutdown now' from the terminal would send you to single user mode.

Justinp--exactly right.

Yellow--that's what I get too. But Mac Help says "sudo shutdown now."

Open Mac Help and search for "starting up in console mode."

Chris

I found it, but it's incorrect:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=125085

Try it for yourself..

I have the same experience.

Yes. I wonder what the correct syntax is.

Chris

I'd say: Mac Help, shutup now! :p
Perhaps by pressing Cmd-S at the moment of reboot?
I'm assuming he's using 'sudo shutdown -r now', since shutdown must know what to do.

About options for shutdown:
I found out by looking at the man page for it on a SCO Unix box,
that it has an optional su argument :
and also:P.S. yellow, congrats on reaching Hall of Fame status! :cool:

Leo

Thanks! 2500 pieces of bad advice and counting! :)

I know for a fact that you can use the terminal to drop into single user mode, from the GUI environment. I've done it.

And I'm 98% sure I did it with sudo shutdown now in 10.2.8 (I got the hint off of this site, actually.)

I can't verify until I get home, though.

EDIT: OK, I don't know if it was single user mode, but it was a similar screen, it was that or >console, or some equivalent.

OK, I just tried it on 10.2.8 and it worked. It dumped you into single user mode. However, it doesn't work for Panther, so you'll have to stick to cmd-s on boot.

There must be a way in Panther...perhaps one of those other command line options.

Chris

Hi Chris!
Checked them here (no access to a Mac at the moment).

Could not find how to set runlevels upon reboot, though.
Perhaps a combination of tools would do the trick (sync, reboot, etc.)

Though e.g. SCO Unix can indicate a run level for init to be applied upon reboot (1, s or S for single user),
this apparently is absent from OS X...

Leo

Mac OS X 10.3: Starting Up in Console Mode

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=125085

Press the Command and S keys together as the computer starts up.


You can also enter Console mode from within the Terminal application. If you are in Terminal, type:

sudo shutdown now

To switch back to the Mac OS X interface, type reboot and press the Return key. The computer restarts and you see the login dialog or the Mac desktop, depending on your login preferences.

That kbase article is incorrect for 10.3. Try it yourself. That works for Jaguar, but not for Panther. It seems that 'shudown' in the CLI assumes 'shutdown -o'. The man page doesn't mention -o.

yellow,

You are absolutely right...and in my Hall of Fame now... :)

Should have read the whole thread... :D

Sao, any idea what the o flag is all about? I only assume that it's the default flag because of:

yellow% sudo shutdown now
Password:
shutdown: -o requires -h or -r
usage: shutdown [-] [-h | -p | -r | -k] [-o [-n]] time [warning-message ...]

But there's no mention in the man pages.. unless there's more then one shutdown?

http://www.svbug.com/cgi-bin/man.cgi?comd=8+shutdown

the manpage is out of rev with the dingus, and the dingus may be hobbled on OSX, re: runlevels

shots in the dark...

I wonder if the reason that 'shutdown now' doesn't work in Panther has anything to do with journaling being on.

I remember there was a bug also with 'sudo shutdown -h time' in 10.2.8