Setup for Only One User

shanebryant

Registered
So is there any way to set up OSX to just understand that there is only one person going to be using it and do away with all the passwords, administrator stuff, user mumbo-jumbo, and just simplify my OSX experience?
 
Please clarify. You need to have an administrator account so that you can install updates. That account can be your user ID. You can have it auto login as your ID. The password is so that updates are not installed with out an administrators permissions.
 
I am the only user of my computer. I want to do away with having to enter passwords when I want to install something or change things.

An added bonus would be if I could do away with the whole "MY Name" folder and all that as well, so that I could have everything streamlined like it was in OS9. Am I making sense?
 
yes you are making sense.

there isn't a way to get rid of passwords as far as i'm aware of. i'm not sure you would want to either.
the passwords and administrator feature are needed because of the way unix file permissions work, and in order to modify the os or anything important you'll have to supply that password.

it would probably be easy to write some sort of program that automatically enters a specific user name and password (not sure if keychain can do this?). but as for simply disabling it, i don't think it's possible.
 
"everything streamlined like it was in OS9"

hahahhahah.

It can't be done. I think you should just stay with OS9.
 
Also the fact that you have to enter passwords when you install things is a big protection against viruses and trojans. When you streamline a system that way you also streamline it for the bad guys.

-Eric
 
Thanks for the info all. This was kinda the answer I expected, but hey, can't hurt to ask! If anyone thinks of anything or a little prograqm that will do this for me, lemme know!
 
I'm a single-user with a desktop machine & dialup connection, but I felt like a CIA employee in my own home with all this password fluff.
Some exdellent soul posted this somewhere a while back - it suits my purposes perfectly:

"Tired of Logging In? Many people have complained about having to provide their passwords to installers in Mac OS X. I'll happily enter a password instead of being forced to reboot, as in Mac OS 9, but the frequent password prompts are annoying. Luckily, you can turn them into reminders by making your password blank. You can't do this with the Change Password button in Jaguar's new My Account preference pane (where it claims your password must be at least four characters long), but you can do it by editing your user in the Accounts preference pane (it used to be called Users). Once you've set your password to blank, you can dismiss password dialogs merely by pressing Return. Needless to say, a blank password is a huge gaping security hole with razor sharp edges, so consider yourself forewarned. I wouldn't recommend doing this on a machine that's always accessible from the Internet, and I'd reset a password on a laptop before leaving home in case it was stolen."
 
I had a linux box hacked over dialup some years ago, so don't just assume that you are safe on dialup. They can hit you fast!

If you do this make sure that you have all incoming connections firewalled off.

-Eric
 
Thanks - I run Netbarrier, and am occasionally subjected to "Ping Flooding" when on the web. Whoever's out there goes on the permanent stoplist.
For those of us initially drawn to the Mac by its ease of use passwords are a big step backwards. After 7 months with a blank password I've had no problems with software update. With a little work it's possible to configure OS X to be very user-friendly. I believe the OS should work for us users, not vice-versa.
 
Originally posted by porcuperson
With a little work it's possible to configure OS X to be very user-friendly. I believe the OS should work for us users, not vice-versa.

I agree and I am doubly bitter because I have been on the internet since before it was ruined by the riffraff. I even remember getting the first "green card lottery" spam. I sent back a large gif (64k I believe) to express my dislike of the practice ;)

But times change I moved to the city and now I lock my doors at night.

-Eric
 
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