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durija

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 16, 2008
260
0
Seattle
I want to be able to login to two user accounts at the same time, so essentially using two screens, one for reach account. It is so I can access the same game online as two diferent users at the same time. Is this possible?
 

brand

macrumors 601
Oct 3, 2006
4,390
456
127.0.0.1
OS X is most certainly a multi-user OS. However, I don't think you can run two different user accounts at the same time. I could be wrong though.

Did I say that OS X could not have multiple user accounts? No I didn't. On a true multi-user OS you would be able to have multiple users logged in and working at the same time. Sure you can have multiple users SSH into OS X but they don't have a GUI environment to work in. So for what the OP wants OS X is not a multi-user OS.

Wikipedia - Multi-user
 

AppleNewton

macrumors 68000
Apr 3, 2007
1,697
84
1 Finite Place
Well specifically speaking, No. One user using the OS and resources at once.

However, when doing remote VNC work and testing various VNC clients on my macs, i was able to sign into Account1 via the remote computer then, on the client end computer Fast-User-Switch to a different Account2 and still access and run applications on Account1 while Account2 was accessing programs and using the system too.

Not sure how exactly that works, but i guess its possible in a remote environment.
 

QuarterSwede

macrumors G3
Oct 1, 2005
9,778
2,026
Colorado Springs, CO
Did I say that OS X could not have multiple user accounts? No I didn't. On a true multi-user OS you would be able to have multiple users logged in and working at the same time. Sure you can have multiple users SSH into OS X but they don't have a GUI environment to work in. So for what the OP wants OS X is not a multi-user OS.

Wikipedia - Multi-user
Ahh, wasn't aware that a term existed for that.
 

durija

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 16, 2008
260
0
Seattle
Simultaneous users

Can this be done? Have two users on screen at the same time, and alternate easily between the two?

No, having a VM with Windows will not cut it.

Switching users will not cut it.

I really want both users on screen at the same time. I know it's probably not possible, but I have to ask.
 

robbieduncan

Moderator emeritus
Jul 24, 2002
25,611
893
Harrogate
No. OSX cannot support two simultaneous windowed users. It can happily support multi-user command line access over ssh...
 

durija

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 16, 2008
260
0
Seattle
Okay, I just had another idea. I have VMWare Fusion. What about installing OS X in a VM? Could I run two instances, therefore two accounts that way?
 

robbieduncan

Moderator emeritus
Jul 24, 2002
25,611
893
Harrogate
You can only run the server version of OSX in a virtualisation application. What, exactly, is wrong with fast user switching?

Edit to add: you need a separate license for every extra copy of OSX Server you run in virtualisation as well.
 

durija

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 16, 2008
260
0
Seattle
The trick is that I want to play a game of sorts as two users at the same time. Fast user switching is not fast enough. I (greedily) want it to be almost instantaneous.
 

brand

macrumors 601
Oct 3, 2006
4,390
456
127.0.0.1
You asked this same question a week ago in this forum and was told no. Why wast your time and everyone elses asking the same question again?
 

durija

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 16, 2008
260
0
Seattle
Sometimes asking a question differently, or approaching it yourself differently will yield a better or diferrent result. But ultimately you are correct. I've think I've exhausted all the options and will consider this closed. I'm sorry for taking up your time.
 

robbieduncan

Moderator emeritus
Jul 24, 2002
25,611
893
Harrogate
Whilst you can't run two copies of the whole environment at once you can start a windowed process as another user. I'm pretty sure this didn't work in 10.4, but I just tried it and it works.

Open the terminal and type su <otherusername> (and the hit return). You will be asked for the password of the other user. You can the start the application as that user. Remember you have to start the executable, not the .app wrapper. So to start TextEdit you would type /Applications/TextEdit.app/Contents/MacOS/TextEdit

I have confirmed this works to start TextEdit as my admin user account from my normal account. Interestingly your preference for Graphite or Blue buttons gets respected: my normal user has graphite, my admin user blue. This resulted in TextEdit running with blue buttons on a graphite OSX :)
 

durija

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 16, 2008
260
0
Seattle
Whilst you can't run two copies of the whole environment at once you can start a windowed process as another user. I'm pretty sure this didn't work in 10.4, but I just tried it and it works.

That might do it. I'm a complete novice at Terminal, so it might take a little while for me to test this. I know I have to launch a different instance of the app under each user (as I do now with fast user switching—a different copy of the app in each user's folder).

Thanks for the idea. I love it when people think outside the box.
 

durija

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 16, 2008
260
0
Seattle
update

It worked! It was a little tricky to figure out the path, but there I was with two windows, one on each monitor with a different instance of the game on each. Another issue resolved.
 

gnasher729

Suspended
Nov 25, 2005
17,980
5,565
Mac OS X is not a multi-user operating system.

Makes me wonder... So what is that menu doing on my screen with my name on the top, followed by my wife's name? And what is going on if I choose my wife's name in that menu and suddenly I have all different applications running, and when I choose my name it is back to my applications? And these applications are most definitely running; I have on occasion been burning a DVD, left the computer alone, and my wife started using it on her account. The DVD burning application kept on running quite happily.
 
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