# Explain Staff group



## yandso (Oct 16, 2006)

I am new to Unix and OS X server.  I have seen that if you assign a user to more than  one group the user must select one on log in.  However if one of the groups is Staff they do not have to choose.  What is the Staff group and can you create other groups like it?


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## pedz (Oct 16, 2006)

yandso said:


> I am new to Unix and OS X server.  I have seen that if you assign a user to more than  one group the user must select one on log in.  However if one of the groups is Staff they do not have to choose.  What is the Staff group and can you create other groups like it?



You may know something I don't but I have never seen you need to choose a group.  If Apple has done that, they really screwed things up.

There should be nothing special about any group.

At what point are you asked to pick a group?


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## yandso (Oct 16, 2006)

Your reply comes at a very good time.  I have just answered my own question.  
In workgroup manager if you assign a user to more than one group with a group number that is automatically assigned lets say in the 1000 range.  When that user attempts to log in they will be asked to choose which group they want  to log into.  However if one of the groups Id number is (as far as I have tested) below 50, they will not be asked to choose a group and will get the benifits of belonging to both groups.  If you look the default group that every new user is put into "staff" is ID number 20.  I have just confirmed that you can create a group with a number under 50 and it will not ask you to choose between your groups, however I do not yet know if there are any adverse effects to doing this.


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## pedz (Oct 16, 2006)

Weird.  Does it ask the user each time they log in or just the first time?


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## yandso (Oct 16, 2006)

If the groups that they are assigned to are above 50 then they must choose which group they want every time.


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## macworks (Oct 16, 2006)

I think you're confusing groups with share points. When you log into a Mac OS X server and you belong to more than one group, it doesn't matter. What matters is the shared folders called "share points" that have groups assigned to them for access.

So when you connect to the server, the server knows what groups you belong to and doesn't really care. What it cares about is what folders on the server are shared so it's asking you what share point or share points you want to mount up on your computer.


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## yandso (Oct 16, 2006)

Thanks for that clarification.

OK so I see where you are comming from with the multiple groups as long as there is no share point.  But as soon as you belong to even one group that has a share point it now makes you choose one.  Why not just connect you to the folders for the groups you are a part of instead of making you choose just one?  It really does not seem to make much sense to me.  I would love some clarification.


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## macworks (Oct 16, 2006)

Well you don't have to choose just one. You can choose any number of them or even all of them. You simply hold down the COMMAND (apple) key and click on multiples to select the ones you want mounted.

See image: 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





For easier access to the various share points in the future, drag their icons from the desktop to the Dock -- note that you have to place it the side of the divider that the trash icon is on. Everything on the other side is for Applications only.


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## yandso (Oct 16, 2006)

I don't think we are talking about the same thing.  When I say that I can only choose one.  When I put in my username and password I then get sent to a screen which puts all the groups I belong to in a vertical list,  I have tried to select more than one however it will not let me do so.  Just to be safe I went back and tried to do it while holding control, option and even the apple key.  No luck.


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## macworks (Oct 16, 2006)

Again are you selecting groups or share points?

I just don't see why or how you would be choosing groups. I've never seen this and I've been administrator for several Mac OS X servers for several years now.


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## yandso (Oct 16, 2006)

Personally I don't really see how this is working myself.  I am not the one who set up the servers so maybe they did something out of the ordinary.  In workgroup manager I have made myself a member of several groups.  Group1 is a group called test it's group ID is 21 and it has no group folder, Group2 is IMS with a group ID is 1030 also no group folder, next is Group3 named FirthGrade GID is 1047 and it does have a group folder.  Group4 is called Herald GID 1042 also has a group folder.  Now if I belong to just IMS and test I have no problem thus supporting what you have said, also if I add the Herald or FifthGrade groups seperatly no problem.  As soon as they are both there together I am forced to choose which one I want to use.  The real interesting part is on the list of accounts to pick it only shows the two with group folders, no Test or IMS, but if I add another group called graphics that has no group folder it is added to the list of accounts I can choose.


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## macworks (Oct 16, 2006)

Ahh I see. Well then the solution would probably be to stop using "Group Folders" and replace them with share points. I'm not really sure what benefit you're getting from the multitude of group folders. But then again, I've never used group folders.


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## yandso (Oct 16, 2006)

OK I finally get it.  I was not aware that there was really much diference between share points and group folders.  The only real bonus they get from using them is that you can have the folder automounted on the doc when they log in.  Which I am sure can be accomplished in another way.  Thanks very much for your help and patience with this.


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