[X-Unix] Backdoor method to add users

[William H. Magill]

On 23 Feb, 2004, at 09:01, Mike Jezierski wrote:
> We, being the cheapskates we are, intend to run OS X Client as a 
> server OS. We don't see the point in spend loads of dosh on a "server" 
> OS when you don't get any additional benefit other than a lighter 
> checkbook. If Apple put a user limit in Mac OS X without telling us, I 
> would consider that an Extremely Bad Move (R) ...

You are confused. ... Stop and think about what you are trying to do.

A Hummer and a VW beetle are both forms of transportation. You can 
"mod" the Beetle by dropping a Porsche engine in it and sticking 
snorkel manifolds on it so you can drive it across the same 4 foot deep 
stream that you drive the Hummer across... However, the experience and 
effort required is not quite the same.

There is NO limit on the number of users (i.e. userids) in OS X Client 
(or Server.) The fact that a GUI (an application program) does not 
support more than X characters in a field has nothing to do with the 
functionality of the Operating System.

Similarly, you are buying what is CLEARLY marketed as a Single (or 
Family) User system and attempting to pretend it is a general-purpose, 
multi-user, time-sharing, Unix system.  Remember, that is YOUR 
definition of OS X Client, not Apple's.

As for the difference between OS X Client and Server, one would guess 
that "your problem" is clearly one! OS X Server has no trouble using 
the GUI to support many hundreds of users. THAT is the difference 
between Client and Server -- the GUI interfaces (application programs) 
to the various server functions and the fact that Server automatically 
includes certain packages which you have to build from source if you 
want to install them on the Client.

Additionally, Server is actually TESTED in environments with hundreds 
of users, Client is not. You have obviously encountered the results of 
that lack of testing.

If your company is such a cheapskate, and sees no Value Added by Apple 
for either Client or Server, then why are they even looking at Apple, 
they should be running some variant of Linux on a junked PC box... its 
Free! (That is what the Linux marketing tells us, isn't it?) 
[Management can't tell the difference between beer and speech.]


>> On 21 Feb, 2004, at 16:02, luke wrote:
>>> On Friday, February 20, 2004, at 11:59  AM, Mike Jezierski wrote:
>>>> We have an OS X 10.3.2 box (DP 450 G4) and it has 99 users accounts 
>>>> set up on it. I am not aware of any hard limit on OS X on number of 
>>>> users.
>>>>
>>>> When we click + to add a user, nothing happens. We removed a user, 
>>>> and tried to add another, and still nothing happens.
>>>
>>> almost sounds like a licensing limit...
>>>
>>> eg: OS X client will only allow 99 users, but OS X server allows 
>>> unlimited?
>>
>> That is probably the "limit" of a 2 character field in the GUI. ... 
>> i.e. a "feature."
>> (Some would call it a "bug.")
>>
>> Remember, OS X Client, is really intended as a single user system, so 
>> "nobody" would ever need more than a two digit field's worth of 
>> users. ... any more than they would ever need more than 640K of 
>> memory. :)
>>
>> OS X Server has a license limit of 10 users or "unlimited." However, 
>> I don't believe that is based on the number of userids  existing, but 
>> rather on the number of logins -- Don't know, never worked with the 
>> license limited version.
>>
T.T.F.N.
William H. Magill
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