changing hostname

[bld]

Hello,
I just bought my first mac os x. Its an ibook G4.. hence I have no expirience with mac. I would love to change my hostname but, I dont know how to do it, can someone help me?

And a second quick question, how do I activate the root account? Cause I cant understand if I am a user or root, I cant see files like the shadowed passwords, but everything else seems to be fine. It did not ask me for a root password from the start, is there any way to become root here?

Thanks.

 

[bobw]

Do you mean you want to change your main User Name?

To turn on Root, open NetInfo Manager in your Utilities folder and go to the security Menu and Enable root.

 

[symphonix]

Hi BLD and Welcome.

Firstly, to set your hostname, go into System Preferences --> Sharing and set it there.

As for the root accounts, the default account you setup when you first install Mac OS X has administrator priviliges, and as such you can use "sudo" or "su" to use root privileges.
You can also activate the root logon, though it isn't recommended. To do so, you would enter "sudo passwd root" into the terminal to set a root password. That said, there is NO NEED for a root logon. Any root tasks can be carried out by using "sudo".

 

[bld]

Hi BLD and Welcome.

Firstly, to set your hostname, go into System Preferences --> Sharing and set it there.

As for the root accounts, the default account you setup when you first install Mac OS X has administrator priviliges, and as such you can use "sudo" or "su" to use root privileges.
You can also activate the root logon, though it isn't recommended. To do so, you would enter "sudo passwd root" into the terminal to set a root password. That said, there is NO NEED for a root logon. Any root tasks can be carried out by using "sudo".

Hello,

I notice that my user is in the "admin" group. Is it secure to do everything as "user" ? Should I use GUI's instead of the terminal window to start up services like sshd for example, or add new users? I am not very familiar with windows either, I dont like them much. I use a Linux flavor called gentoo and I am emerged to its train of thought, thats why I am trying to understand how OS X works.

 

[Captain Code]

It's fine and easier to start SSH and add new users from the System Preferences. One click to start SSH under the proper user name. It won't start as the logged in user that started it.

User accounts are stored in NetInfo and adding a new user with the System Preferences also creates the home folder and all the Preferences/Library folders that are needed.

You can activate the root account in NetInfo Manager but there's no reason to ever log in to the GUI as the root account. You can do everything in the Terminal with su or sudo.