Maybe this will stop the OT stuff: maybe it'll only make it worse!
>> Well that still doesn't explain how to create a group....
I've inserted a chunk of a "nervous nelly" step-by-step set of instructions
I wrote a while ago on a macfixit_forum thread below this message. niutil is
probably preferable to the netinfo manager route proposed below if you're
going to be doing a lot of this sort of thing, but the latter gets the job
done with relative ease and reasonable transparency.
You might want to back up your netinfo local databases before changing
anything: the files you want (contra the man pages in osx) are in
/var/db/netinfo/ In particular, you need to back up the local.nidb
directory. To do this you can use something like the following:
% cd /var/db/netinfo
% sudo tcsh
root# mkdir ~/nidbbup
root# tar cpf - local.nidb | (cd ~/nidbbup/; tar xpf -)
root# exit
The above ensures that permissions and ownership are properly preserved.
(Obviously the whole directory structure is going to be owned by root, which
might at least make you hum and haaa for a while before flushing it!).
Hmmm, time to finish: this was supposed to be a cut and paste job.
Corrections/clarifications/suggestions_for_improvement/connections_with_perl
welcomed with open arms. In particular, I can't find much on single user
mode in osx: is having a netinfo backup in your home directory going to be
helpful? Is there a more helpful/readily_accessible place to throw it?
Cheers,
Paul
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When netinfo manager opens you should either see, or be able to navigate to
the "groups" directory, which is where the current group info is stored.
(Note that changing /etc/group won't change anything except in (for example)
single user mode, because netinfo hasn't been started in such situations.)
Click on groups and choose "New subdirectory" from the Directory menu. If
it's greyed out you'll have to authenticate via the usual lock in the bottom
left hand corner. Now double click where it says "new_directory" (the
"value" associated with the name "property") and change it to your new group
name. Now add in values for the passwd property (this is almost always "*"
as noone seems to use group passwords), the gid property, and the members
property. The entries in the Directory menu allow you to do all this. If the
required entries are greyed out make sure that you're cursor is focused in
the "properties/values" area of the netinfo manager window.
If you want to check the format of such an entry just look at an existing
one in the groups directory. (You might be asked if you wish to save changes
when you try to change to an existing entry from the one you're in the
process of adding; do as you will!).
One "gotcha" that I just noticed: the changes you make don't take effect
within the current "terminal" invocation. You really do need to quit
"terminal" and restart it to see your new group definitions. I was getting
strange output in which typing "id" would produce different output from "id
pmccann" (my username) in the terminal session. Seems that terminal caches
that data.
Anyway, as per the above: **tread carefully**. Netinfo manager is powerful
and hence (justifiably) scary. The "delete directory" button in particular
just radiates destructive potential. You're prompted when you try and delete
a directory, but the confirmation message doesn't echo which directory is
going to be deleted. Yech!
Hopefully the above will get you started. I think I've washed my hands
enough!
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