How do you create a hidden user?

[insanelygreat]

You know, I've been trying like crazy to create a hidden user in 10.3. I want to have an account with admin privilages that doesn't appear in the list of users in the Login window. I don't want to change from "List of users" to "Name and password" and I don't want to be logging in as root. Hidden is the key word.

Any UNIX junkies out there have any ideas?

Thanks!

- IG <-- privacy nut

 

[alex_ant]

Login Window only looks at users whose UID is above 500, so in order to do this, you need to create a user whose UID is below 500. Here is how I would do it:

1) Create a new user with admin privileges in System Preferences the same as you normally would
2) Open up NetInfo Manager and click on "users" in the left column
3) Change the uid value of the new user to something like 490.

That should do it, I think...

 

[rainman::|:|]

It's not a UNIX issue. It's a Mac issue, Login Window is the Mac program you'll need to affect. Perhaps someone here can explain if there is a method of keeping Login Window from displaying a particular name in the list. I doubt it'd be worth the trouble. I guess the question is why are you trying to do this, why not just go to "name and password"? It's not especially difficult to remember usernames...

edit: Of course alex is right, hadn't thought of that... as long as OS X doesn't mind you using a custom account number.

 

[insanelygreat]

Ha! By golly it worked! You know... I had thought it had something to do with the UID and had upped it from 502 to 503. Needless to say it was the right idea, wrong direction.

Thanks so much!

- IG

 

[insanelygreat]

Damn...

It looks like Tiger broke it! Any Mac guru's have any ideas?

Thanks!

- IG