One of the squeamish things about OS X is that it ’s a true multi - user operating organization . you may easy create extra users for various uses . Even if you ’re the only exploiter of your Mac , you might want to have more than one user . It ’s a very respectable thought , for instance , to produce a troubleshooting or examination invoice , which can be utile when diagnosing organization issues ( keep your testing account barren of your main invoice ’s login detail , third party druthers panels , and so forth ) .
you may also create accounts that are configured for various manipulation — a gaming account statement with lower screen resolution and no inauguration item , a graphics account that ’s configure to motorcar - launch Photoshop , Illustrator , and similar programs . And obviously , if you partake in your Mac with other family members , you may make accounts for everyone , allowing each person to have their very own workspace .
While this is all well and respectable , it does lead to one problem — the never - ending login windowpane . With a few add together history , the formally corking - and - crop login windowpane gain a scrolling interior window , reduce both its functionality and , in my impression , its artistic :
As you’re able to see , I would have to do some scroll to pick through the various story in the login windowpane . And by and large speaking , I apply most of those accounts only rarely . Would n’t it be great if you could hide those news report you only access now and again ? If you ’re running osmium X 10.4 , you’re able to easy do just that . ( It was possible to hide users from the login windowpane in pre-10.4 systems , but it ’s not for the deliquium of core , as it involves change the organisation ’s UID for the accounts to be hidden . )
concealment accounts in 10.4 is much simpler — it takes but a nimble slip to Terminal and one command . To do this , all you need to sleep with the poor name of each explanation you wish to enshroud , as check in the Accounts System Preferences panel . Open Terminal and type this bidding :
In the above exemplar , account1,account2 , andaccount3represent the short names of three account to be hidden . you may shroud as many accounts as you wish ; just branch each short name with a blank . Once you press Return , the hidden users are created .
If you then logout and view the login screen , you ’ll notice two modification . First , the substance abuser you hid wo n’t show any more , and second , there ’s a new entry for Other :
The Other first appearance is used to enter the accounting you ’ve obscure — opt it , and you ’ll see entering box for username and password . There ’s a second benefit ( or some may view it as a downside ) to this magic : hidden accounts also do n’t show in the Fast User Switching menu ( unless those users are lumber in ) .
Unhiding accounts
If you do n’t have the Developer Tools installed , your good bet is to simple remove all the hidden user — it ’s more or less complex to edit the plist filing cabinet immediately . In Terminal , enter this command :
By condition no names , you ’ll reset and empty the hidden user lean . Next clip you return to the login window , you ’ll see all your accounts again .
While I appreciate that Apple has made concealing users much simpler in 10.4 , I ’m hoping 10.5 postulate it one step further : there should only be a “ obliterate exploiter in login window ” checkbox in the Accounts System Preferences panel .
