Why isn't OSX recognizing a blank user password?
September 16, 2005 4:22 PM Subscribe
OSX_Admin_Filter: How do I get OS X 10.4 to allow me to give a blank password to a new user?
This is trickier than it may sound: I set up three user accounts each on 10 new G5's. All of them running the same system (10.4). The first account was the admin account. There is a user name and a password on this account. I then set up two additional accounts lets call them user X and user Y. I did *not* give these accounts passwords, they are student machines and passwords are not needed.
On 8 of the 10 machines there is no problem logging in as user X or user Y. Simply click on the user icon and you are logged in, no password needed. On two of the machines you are prompted for a password (even though there is none). It seems impossible to login to these X and Y accounts because not even the admin password will work.(I can login as the admin and access the computer) I'm totally confounded. Any help appreciated.
This is trickier than it may sound: I set up three user accounts each on 10 new G5's. All of them running the same system (10.4). The first account was the admin account. There is a user name and a password on this account. I then set up two additional accounts lets call them user X and user Y. I did *not* give these accounts passwords, they are student machines and passwords are not needed.
On 8 of the 10 machines there is no problem logging in as user X or user Y. Simply click on the user icon and you are logged in, no password needed. On two of the machines you are prompted for a password (even though there is none). It seems impossible to login to these X and Y accounts because not even the admin password will work.(I can login as the admin and access the computer) I'm totally confounded. Any help appreciated.
Tiger will definitely allow a blank password. The only issue I've had is changing an existing password to a blank.
Requisite security plea: it's really not a good idea to have a blank password on a machine unless it is sitting behind a firewall, or is no on the internet, period. In general though, turn off all your sharing services, especially "personal file sharing" and "remote login".
posted by drmarcj at 9:12 PM on September 16, 2005
Requisite security plea: it's really not a good idea to have a blank password on a machine unless it is sitting behind a firewall, or is no on the internet, period. In general though, turn off all your sharing services, especially "personal file sharing" and "remote login".
posted by drmarcj at 9:12 PM on September 16, 2005
Response by poster: As noted in the "more inside" I gave blank passwords to 10 machines and only 8 of them allowed it for some reason. 2 machines do not allow blank passwords at all. In fact, if I give these separate accounts a password (say "science") they still don't accept the password.
So I guess the question could be rephrased as OSX doesn't allow me to create user accounts aside from the admin.
posted by jeremias at 12:28 AM on September 17, 2005
So I guess the question could be rephrased as OSX doesn't allow me to create user accounts aside from the admin.
posted by jeremias at 12:28 AM on September 17, 2005
jeremias, try creating two new accounts, one with a password, one without. See if you can log in to either, then report back.
Second the advice on disabling remote login and personal file sharing.
posted by onalark at 5:52 AM on September 17, 2005
Second the advice on disabling remote login and personal file sharing.
posted by onalark at 5:52 AM on September 17, 2005
Response by poster: The trail gets warmer, perhaps. Created two new accounts, one with a password, one without. OS X doesn't let me login to either of them!
This is the first install on these machines. This feels like it might be some Unix weirdness?
posted by jeremias at 6:15 AM on September 17, 2005
This is the first install on these machines. This feels like it might be some Unix weirdness?
posted by jeremias at 6:15 AM on September 17, 2005
« Older How can we meet other couples for friendship? | Where can I get my aging paperbacks preserved and... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
OS X will put a ***** in the password field making it look like it's not blank but this is just a security measure so that if people are looking over your shoulder they do not realize there is no password.
posted by dobbs at 8:53 PM on September 16, 2005