Snow Leopard and removing some default group ids

[seandavi]

I am using 10.6.4 on a mac pro workstation in a heterogeneous computer cluster. I am an admin on the machine and with that distinction comes a boatload of group memberships. Interestingly, the software that we use for batch processing on the cluster (Sun Grid Engine) does not play nicely with this situation because there are too many group ids. So, I would like to remove some of the less interesting group ids.

It seems that the groups are in a hierarchy and to remove enough groups, I have to remove the admin group. This is not ideal, as then I am unable to admin my machine. How can I remove some of these more obscure groups (everything beginning with an "_"):

% id
uid=10005(sdavis) gid=513(Domain Users) groups=513(Domain Users),404(com.apple.sharepoint.group.3),403(com.apple.sharepoint.group.2),100(_lpoperator),98(_lpadmin),81(_appserveradm),79(_appserverusr),62(netaccounts),12(everyone),10011(scratch),10010(tarray),10008(public),10005(www),10003(analysis),10001(solexa),402(com.apple.sharepoint.group.1)

Thanks,
Sean

 

[Hal Itosis]

Interestingly, the software that we use for batch processing on the cluster (Sun Grid Engine) does not play nicely with this situation because there are too many group ids.

That is "interesting". What all seems to be the problem, exactly? (too many ids for what?)

So, I would like to remove some of the less interesting group ids.

It seems that the groups are in a hierarchy and to remove enough groups, I have to remove the admin group. This is not ideal, as then I am unable to admin my machine. How can I remove some of these more obscure groups (everything beginning with an "_")

Removing a user's membership from those default (Apple-designed) groups sounds like a good way to screw things up. I would discourage such action.