Add 2nd user w/o printer access?

[dcains]

Hi Group:

Here's the situation. Wireless network thru Time Capsule, wireless printer, 2 macbooks, Snow Leopard 10.6.4. I'm the only listed user and admin on both systems (same user name, same home directory name, same password). I'd like to add a second account to one of the macbooks, and here's a list of what I'd like to do specifically with the second account:

1) different account name, auto login, no password. (this I have been able to do)

2) Same desktop, file and program access as the original account, no changes to existing email setup, etc. (this I do not know how to do) With the new account I setup, the desktop is completely different, and no email accounts are setup. I want everything to be the same (except #3 listed below).

3) No printing access, which is the whole point of creating this second account. I already have tried turning off print sharing, deleted all print drivers, printer plist, etc., but the darn printer keeps reinstalling (after clicking "last printer used" in the print dialog box, and software update asks to download and reinstall the missing drivers). If I can accomplish task #2, I'm guessing I can restrict printing simply with parental controls. right?

I would appreciate suggestions on how to accomplish the above. Tried searching for quite a bit, and couldn't find this situation. Thanks in advance.

Dean

 

[Mal]

Hi Group:

Here's the situation. Wireless network thru Time Capsule, wireless printer, 2 macbooks, Snow Leopard 10.6.4. I'm the only listed user and admin on both systems (same user name, same home directory name, same password). I'd like to add a second account to one of the macbooks, and here's a list of what I'd like to do specifically with the second account:

1) different account name, auto login, no password. (this I have been able to do)

Up to this point, no problem. Obviously, you already know how to create a second account.

2) Same desktop, file and program access as the original account, no changes to existing email setup, etc. (this I do not know how to do) With the new account I setup, the desktop is completely different, and no email accounts are setup. I want everything to be the same (except #3 listed below).

Not gonna be able to pull this one off in a really good way. User files are stored separately, intentionally. While you can give the other user access, you very likely will run into problems with permissions on files that are created after the creation of the second account. Is there a particular reason you want it this way? Perhaps there's a better way…

3) No printing access, which is the whole point of creating this second account. I already have tried turning off print sharing, deleted all print drivers, printer plist, etc., but the darn printer keeps reinstalling (after clicking "last printer used" in the print dialog box, and software update asks to download and reinstall the missing drivers). If I can accomplish task #2, I'm guessing I can restrict printing simply with parental controls. right?

Yes and no. Parental controls has a checkbox for "Can administer printers", so if you had no printers installed on the computer and unchecked that box, then that user wouldn't be able to add one back in. However, printer drivers are not installed on a per-user basis. Thus, you won't be able to print with either, or you'll be able to print with both. I'm not aware of any way to restrict printing, just administration.

jW

 

[dcains]

Thanks. Really, I just want to restrict printing because the kids' friends print as much as they please on my color laser, leaving no toner/paper for me. I've asked for this to stop, but it's just not going to, and I don't want to restrict access to the computer for everything else.

Any other ideas you can think of, other than getting a PC (I recall spending a few days once setting up a wireless printer on a PC)? I had hoped turning off print sharing would work - why is that switch even there if it effectively does nothing?

So, if I keep myself as the admin/main account with a password, then add the second account to the kids' macbook (auto login, no password), with parental controls set to no printing, I won't be able to print on the my macbook, either, from my own account? I'm not sure if that's what your saying.

 

[Mal]

No, I'm saying there is no option to disallow printing. Just to disallow print management (as in adding and removing printers). Since the list of printers carries over across accounts, though, that doesn't help the problem you're experiencing.

If I were you, I might just not allow them access to the computer at all if they can't respect your request for them not to print stuff off your printer. I think that if they've been warned not to do it, it might be time to bring the other foot down.

jW

 

[dcains]

Yeah, I should probably just take their macbook away for a while, but they're good kids and they don't screw around with anything else.


SOLVED - see next post

 

[dcains]

Hah!, found the solution. Adding a second account as an administrator is the first step. Then logoff the first account and login to that new second account. From there, change the original account to managed, delete the printer, and use parental controls to not allow administration of printers. Finally, set the system to auto login to the original account. Everything will appear and work the same as before, but no printer can be installed. No password on the original account, but the new administrator account does have a password.


Thanks again for your insights, and you definitely pushed me to think about this from a different direction.