How to Different programs for different users

L0bit0 · 10-14-2012, 06:25 AM

Hi

I have diferent users configured on my computer. One of then I use it for my mail work, and I have created other on just for plex player.

I have tried to delete any application from login items except plex.

The problem is that I still have some application running for this user, like iStat and LittleSnitch. I did not find the way to do not load this application just for this user.

I found this old post talking about something similar, and one of the recommendations was exactly to use different users to load different programs on start, but in my case I can not find the way to avoid this app.

I also found some articles where all this programs are loaded into system files, but I wont like to modify this manually. Not sure if exits a way to customize or a third part application to configure different users.

Any idea?

Thanks in advance.

ricede · 10-14-2012, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L0bit0


	I found this

As Hal Itosis mentioned in that thread - one way is to Safe Boot. This stops all 3rd party extensions etc from loading. ( That includes Little Snitch )

Here are two apple threads that explain Safe Boot

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1455

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1564

L0bit0 · 10-14-2012, 03:25 PM

If understand fine, safe boot will afect to al my logins, I want to have this only for this "plex" user, not for all all them. Also if I use this option, I will need to log off for all other user just to start "plex" user, what also do not work forme.

Just to try to give some background about what I want. I usually have a user started, where I work and where I want to have all programs working. Just some times I started my "plex" user to see some media ( tv shows, films...)
I have a Mac mini connected to my computer, this is what I want to have this user as cleaner as possible, to allow any other member of the family to use it.

Hope this helps to understand my issue.

Thanks

benwiggy · 10-15-2012, 02:03 AM

Can I ask for a bit more information about exactly what you want; and why the usual behaviour isn't good enough?
Why do you need a separate user account to run a media player?

Quote:


	I have a Mac mini connected to my computer, this is what I want to have this user as cleaner as possible, to allow any other member of the family to use it.

So you have a MacMini AND another computer. What is the other computer? What version of OS X do they each run? Which one has the user accounts you are talking about?
Is the MacMini running as a file server?
Can you not give each family member their own user account?

iStat and Little Snitch probably load from the System level, rather than user level. It might be possible to load them at a user level, in which case you could only have them installed on the user accounts that need them.

ricede · 10-15-2012, 03:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benwiggy


	iStat and Little Snitch probably load from the System level, rather than user level. It might be possible to load them at a user level, in which case you could only have them installed on the user accounts that need them.

Unfortunately there is no way to install little snitch for just one user.

Sometimes its necessary on macs to set up a new user a/c just to see if a problem manifests there as well. The problem is that , if installed in the main a/c, little snitch opens immediately and wants to set up rules for all the apps that want to phone home. Last time i did it i had to close over 20 windows before i could get on with what i needed to do. PITA.

benwiggy · 10-15-2012, 04:07 AM

To my way of thinking, Little Snitch is a diagnostic tool that you might run to determine what is going on, but not something you would have on all the time every day. Most of the time it seems to scare people with reports of benign or harmless activity. But I digress.

L0bit0 · 10-15-2012, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benwiggy


	Can I ask for a bit more information about exactly what you want; and why the usual behaviour isn't good enough? Why do you need a separate user account to run a media player? So you have a MacMini AND another computer. What is the other computer? What version of OS X do they each run? Which one has the user accounts you are talking about? Is the MacMini running as a file server? Can you not give each family member their own user account?

No, I only have one computer, with two accounts, one where I would like to have all this programs running, and other (plex account) where I do not want it running.

Also add that I use Littsnitch as firewall, so I need to have it open on my main account. Same with iStat, it gives me really good graphs about memory, cpu… but based on your response it seems that there is no way to control applications launched for different users right?

DeltaMac · 10-15-2012, 10:40 AM

Have you upgraded to Little Snitch version 3?
That looks like it may configure the way you want - much more than older versions..

Or, you need to decide if you really need the other user actually running? It really doesn't take a long time to log out, then log back in to a different user.

Or, maybe it would be a more effective use of your overall system resources, if you use only one user for everything.

L0bit0 · 10-15-2012, 12:58 PM

I do not have the latest version of little snitch, I will try.

Anyway i want to configure some other applications, I used little snitch and iStat menu as an example since are the common ones, so my questions is basically how to configure what is launched for an specific user.

I have no issues to login with a different user, in fact this is exactly what I need, have a user without all this application. What is estrange for me is that there is no a way to configure applications launched on a user login.

ricede · 10-15-2012, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benwiggy


	Why do you need a separate user account to run a media player?

You didn't answer this question. It would be interesting to know why you need a separate a/c to run just one program. Logistically it doesn't seem to make any sense.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeltaMac


	Have you upgraded to Little Snitch version 3? That looks like it may configure the way you want - much more than older versions

I shall certainly look into this myself. Thanks for that heads-up.

morespace54 · 10-15-2012, 02:36 PM

ASAIK, Little Snitch work at System Level (as mentioned earlier). I don't know for iStat but for LS, my guess is that the only way not to have it on your second user would be to uninstall it for all users... Which is not an option, if I understand correctly.

Best you could do is tell LS to start in "Silent mode" by default and I don't even know if that is feasible (or if it would stick) - see with v3.

But out-of-the-blue, why is having LS on your second user a problem? Couldn't you just spend a few minutes setting rules while being connected as your second user (and let LS do his business)? Using Plex on a LAN with LS shouldn't be a problem. Or if it is, you should tell Obdev about it.

hayne · 10-15-2012, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by L0bit0


	What is estrange for me is that there is no a way to configure applications launched on a user login.

Perhaps what you don't understand is that when you login from the OS login window, the system has already started up.
And some utilities like LittleSnitch operate by changing the way the system works (intercepting network communications in the case of LittleSnitch) so they are configured at the system level.

L0bit0 · 10-16-2012, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ricede


	You didn't answer this question. It would be interesting to know why you need a separate a/c to run just one program. Logistically it doesn't seem to make any sense.

I need a this plex user just to login, start plex (configured to start automatically) and start to see media. Some other people of my family will use this, and are not technically, so some of the screens sounds like chinese for him. Additionally I do this and control plex with a remote, so no keyboard and mouse are present.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hayne


	Perhaps what you don't understand is that when you login from the OS login window, the system has already started up. And some utilities like LittleSnitch operate by changing the way the system works (intercepting network communications in the case of LittleSnitch) so they are configured at the system level.

I understand, but what I do not know is, for example, why IStatMenu, that is a monitor tool need to be executed are system level, or why rules created on my main user are not configured on my plex user, and same with log me in and other tools. But only LittleSnitch and iStat show me messages in frot of plex and are impacting me…

What is clear for me now is that I can not do what I want, at least I have this confirmation. I will try to do what morespace54 told me and at least minimice this.

Thank all for your help here.

mclbruce · 10-17-2012, 12:02 AM

If you have the storage space, you could set up two different systems. For example, clone your current system to an external drive, and set up the clone for plex by removing istatmenu, LittleSnitch, etc from that disk. Then you'd have to switch back and forth with Startup Disk instead of logging out and in.

10-14-2012, 06:25 AM	#1
L0bit0 Prospect Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 10	How to Different programs for different users Hi I have diferent users configured on my computer. One of then I use it for my mail work, and I have created other on just for plex player. I have tried to delete any application from login items except plex. The problem is that I still have some application running for this user, like iStat and LittleSnitch. I did not find the way to do not load this application just for this user. I found this old post talking about something similar, and one of the recommendations was exactly to use different users to load different programs on start, but in my case I can not find the way to avoid this app. I also found some articles where all this programs are loaded into system files, but I wont like to modify this manually. Not sure if exits a way to customize or a third part application to configure different users. Any idea? Thanks in advance.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes	Rate This Thread
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode	Rate This Thread:

10-14-2012, 03:25 PM	#3
L0bit0 Prospect Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 10	If understand fine, safe boot will afect to al my logins, I want to have this only for this "plex" user, not for all all them. Also if I use this option, I will need to log off for all other user just to start "plex" user, what also do not work forme. Just to try to give some background about what I want. I usually have a user started, where I work and where I want to have all programs working. Just some times I started my "plex" user to see some media ( tv shows, films...) I have a Mac mini connected to my computer, this is what I want to have this user as cleaner as possible, to allow any other member of the family to use it. Hope this helps to understand my issue. Thanks

10-15-2012, 04:07 AM	#6
benwiggy League Commissioner Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 5,040	To my way of thinking, Little Snitch is a diagnostic tool that you might run to determine what is going on, but not something you would have on all the time every day. Most of the time it seems to scare people with reports of benign or harmless activity. But I digress.

10-15-2012, 10:40 AM	#8
DeltaMac League Commissioner Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,956	Have you upgraded to Little Snitch version 3? That looks like it may configure the way you want - much more than older versions.. Or, you need to decide if you really need the other user actually running? It really doesn't take a long time to log out, then log back in to a different user. Or, maybe it would be a more effective use of your overall system resources, if you use only one user for everything.

10-15-2012, 12:58 PM	#9
L0bit0 Prospect Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 10	I do not have the latest version of little snitch, I will try. Anyway i want to configure some other applications, I used little snitch and iStat menu as an example since are the common ones, so my questions is basically how to configure what is launched for an specific user. I have no issues to login with a different user, in fact this is exactly what I need, have a user without all this application. What is estrange for me is that there is no a way to configure applications launched on a user login.

10-15-2012, 02:36 PM	#11
morespace54 Triple-A Player Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 127	ASAIK, Little Snitch work at System Level (as mentioned earlier). I don't know for iStat but for LS, my guess is that the only way not to have it on your second user would be to uninstall it for all users... Which is not an option, if I understand correctly. Best you could do is tell LS to start in "Silent mode" by default and I don't even know if that is feasible (or if it would stick) - see with v3. But out-of-the-blue, why is having LS on your second user a problem? Couldn't you just spend a few minutes setting rules while being connected as your second user (and let LS do his business)? Using Plex on a LAN with LS shouldn't be a problem. Or if it is, you should tell Obdev about it.

10-17-2012, 12:02 AM	#14
mclbruce Hall of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 3,870	If you have the storage space, you could set up two different systems. For example, clone your current system to an external drive, and set up the clone for plex by removing istatmenu, LittleSnitch, etc from that disk. Then you'd have to switch back and forth with Startup Disk instead of logging out and in.