MAC OS X tiger help for a Windows technician

[Dan Shoop]

At 4:38 PM -0400 6/13/07, Karl Kuehn wrote:
>On Jun 13, 2007, at 4:02 PM, Dan Shoop wrote:
>
>>>On the other machine I need to be able to give administrator rights to a
>>>new user. If the user does not know the old employees account details is
>>>there a way to access a default ( if there is one on MACS) account on
>>>the machine so I can edit the users rights?
>>
>>Enable root, and login as root. Read the docs for how to do this.
>
>	I am going to advise against this. It is not good practice to 
>enable or to log in as root. You can get everything done by simply 
>checking the "Allow user to administer this computer" checkbox in 
>System Preferences->Accounts. You have have the credentials of a 
>administrative user to do this (unless you know your way around 
>single user mode and nicl... I do not recommend that unless you 
>really know what you are doing).

And since he can't do that since he doesn't have access to an admin 
account how do you propose he get that done?



As for this "never login as root or have root enabled" myth, get over 
it. If you're too feeble as a sysadmin to work in a root environent 
find another job. One where you ask about fries.

If you're concerned that someone other than you will guess your root 
password and login then you need to find someone else who be your 
security manager b/c you clearly have no clue. You can have root 
enabled, just like it is on millions of systems worldwide, and still 
be secure. Well, may you can't but the real sysadmins and security 
managers can.
-- 

-dhan

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dan Shoop                                                   AIM: iWiring
Systems & Networks Architect                      http://www.ustsvs.com/
shoop at iwiring.net                                http://www.iwiring.net/
1-714-363-1174