Author Topic: Multiple Users: Login without password  (Read 2872 times)

Offline Spartacus

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Multiple Users: Login without password
« on: July 16, 2006, 09:56:26 AM »
Hi all. smile.gif

I have to users on my PowerMac. What I would like is, that on the login screen, there's no password request. There's nothing to hide, just different settings, so I find it unneccessary to check for the password.

Is there a way to disable the password check on login?

Thanks! smile.gif
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Offline kps

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Multiple Users: Login without password
« Reply #1 on: July 16, 2006, 11:16:50 AM »
If I understand you correctly, you just want to click the user name in the login screen and go directly to their respective desktop?

Not sure that's possible without some serious hacking of the system, but it's an interesting question. I'm sure Apple still uses kerberos to authenticate through several other  processes like login, rlogin, slogin and also loginwindow.app.

Offline krissel

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Multiple Users: Login without password
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2006, 07:15:11 AM »
Probably the best you can do is auto login for the user who is most active and then the other person can use the fast user switch.


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Offline gunug

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Multiple Users: Login without password
« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2006, 08:59:44 AM »
Either my machine is broken or I'm not understanding the problem!  I went into Accounts on a G4 AGP running 10.4.7 and changed the password of each user to blank and while the system gave me an attitude about it, I hit okay and it went ahead and did it.  Now I can login on any of the 3 accounts I had on this without a password by just clicking on the icon/avatar/or whatever you call it.

Speaking of AVATAR's I wondered what your avatar meant?
« Last Edit: July 18, 2006, 09:11:26 AM by gunug »
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Offline kelly

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Multiple Users: Login without password
« Reply #4 on: July 18, 2006, 09:07:06 AM »
Hi Spartacus. Haven't seen you in a while. smile.gif

Have you Posted since we moved the Forum?

Pretty fast isn't it? smile.gif
kelly
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Offline Spartacus

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Multiple Users: Login without password
« Reply #5 on: July 19, 2006, 09:07:47 AM »
QUOTE(kps @ Jul 16 2006, 06:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
If I understand you correctly, you just want to click the user name in the login screen and go directly to their respective desktop?


That's how I would like it the be. If it's needs hacking the system, it won't be worth the hassle.


gunug, I would like to keep the password for software installation, So that wouldn't be the way I would like it to have.



Hey kelly. How are you doing?
The board is blasting fast. Great! smile.gif
Power Macintosh G5 (Late 2004), 1.8 GHz, 1GB RAM, DVD/CD-RW combo, ATI Radeon 9600XT
w. Lacie electron blue IV 19-inch CRT display
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Offline sandyman

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Multiple Users: Login without password
« Reply #6 on: July 19, 2006, 09:15:43 AM »
As a matter of principle I always insist on passwords. Once you start going down the no password route it's a slippery slope. Let's face it, it ain't that hard to type it in  is it? smile.gif

Offline gunug

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Multiple Users: Login without password
« Reply #7 on: July 19, 2006, 09:45:56 AM »
Yep, I'd be willing to bet there was a Unix system-level way of doing this; Unix guys eat this stuff up.  Unfortunately I'm not that good myself.
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Offline kps

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Multiple Users: Login without password
« Reply #8 on: July 20, 2006, 08:08:15 AM »
Did a little digging out of curiosity...

Doesn't appear to be a simple thing as there are too many variables, too many processes involved and a lot of 'loose ends' to tie off.

A large number of processes require proper authorization, so bypassing some of that may create issues. Apple also ties a lot of it in through 'KeyChain' which I never quite understood in any great depth.

Even if you manage to somehow hack the system, because it no longer works as intended, third party apps or future system updates may not work as they're tied into the standard, unmodified security model.

Some reading below...actually too much reading, it'll make your head spin  wink.gif :

Overview

OS X security info

What happens at login

http://developer.apple.com/technotes/tn2005/tn2083.html

keychain

Offline gunug

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Multiple Users: Login without password
« Reply #9 on: July 20, 2006, 08:24:41 AM »
Does anyone recall an article about disabling/uninstalling Keychain when you first setup a OS X system so as to allow you to choose another Unix scheme for password control?  I used to get these Unix listserv/newsletters and I think they stopped coming last year.
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Offline kps

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Multiple Users: Login without password
« Reply #10 on: July 20, 2006, 11:20:20 PM »
Yeah, I remember something to that effect with some early versions. I also recall that possibly you had to install on a UFS formated drive as well. Haven't really persued it.

Perhaps that's still possible with the server version.?