Bug in OS X User Creation!
Snit
1) Open System Preferences
2) Click Accounts
3) Click the Add User (+) bottom
4) Name the user "John Smith"
5) Give the user the short name "jsmith"
6) Create another user
7) Name the user "Joan Smith"
8) Give the short name "jsmith"
But there is a bug... of you name the first user "jsmith" and the second
user "JSMITH" or any other combo with the same letters but not the same
capitalization, it lets you do so... and both users end up with the same
Home folder!
Big bug... anyone else ever run into it?
I know that Tim has been talking about a similar bug, but one that he will
not discuss publicly. He has mentioned that if one does not run into his
"bug" that it means "you don't have full access to your system". The bug I
found does not happen even when you have full access to the machine,
assuming you do not name the two users the same (except case).
Comments? Anyone know if this has been fixed in 10.4?
--
If A = B and B = C, then A = C, except where void or prohibited by law.
Roy Santoro, Psycho Proverb Zone (http://snipurl.com/BurdenOfProof)
Adam Ruth
> Creating users in OS X is easy:
>
> 1) Open System Preferences
> 2) Click Accounts
> 3) Click the Add User (+) bottom
> 4) Name the user "John Smith"
> 5) Give the user the short name "jsmith"
> 6) Create another user
> 7) Name the user "Joan Smith"
> 8) Give the short name "jsmith"
>
> But there is a bug... of you name the first user "jsmith" and the second
> user "JSMITH" or any other combo with the same letters but not the same
> capitalization, it lets you do so... and both users end up with the same
> Home folder!
>
> Big bug... anyone else ever run into it?
>
> I know that Tim has been talking about a similar bug, but one that he will
> not discuss publicly. He has mentioned that if one does not run into his
> "bug" that it means "you don't have full access to your system". The bug I
> found does not happen even when you have full access to the machine,
> assuming you do not name the two users the same (except case).
>
> Comments? Anyone know if this has been fixed in 10.4?
>
>
>
I wonder if that would happen with the case-sensitive file system in OS
X server. Probably not. I guess that's what happens with tools ported
from an OS that expects case sensitivity. They really should fix that bug.
Adam Ruth
Snit
on 12/28/04 9:56 PM:
Yes... and it appears not to be the only one. Tim claims he has one that is
based on Unix and happens by default if you have complete control of your
machine (maybe he means root access?)... this one is based on case
sensitivity and does not happen unless you give two users the same name
(except for case).
If Tim is right and there are multiple bugs, then that is quite bad. I am
hoping he is either incorrect (or lying)... in which case there is one
bug... and that is bad enough!
--
Look, this is silly. It's not an argument, it's an armor plated walrus with
walnut paneling and an all leather interior.
Wally
----------
In article <BDF76EDA.19185%SN...@CABLE0NE.NET.INVALID>, Snit
<SN...@CABLE0NE.NET.INVALID> wrote:
> Creating users in OS X is easy:
>
> 1) Open System Preferences
> 2) Click Accounts
> 3) Click the Add User (+) bottom
> 4) Name the user "John Smith"
> 5) Give the user the short name "jsmith"
> 6) Create another user
> 7) Name the user "Joan Smith"
> 8) Give the short name "jsmith"
>
> But there is a bug... of you name the first user "jsmith" and the second
> user "JSMITH" or any other combo with the same letters but not the same
> capitalization, it lets you do so... and both users end up with the same
> Home folder!
>
> Big bug... anyone else ever run into it?
>
> I know that Tim has been talking about a similar bug, but one that he will
> not discuss publicly. He has mentioned that if one does not run into his
> "bug" that it means "you don't have full access to your system". The bug I
> found does not happen even when you have full access to the machine,
> assuming you do not name the two users the same (except case).
>
> Comments? Anyone know if this has been fixed in 10.4?
Has anyone managed to duplicate this 'bug'? I have tried as per your
instructions in this post, and on 10.2.8 it does not happen as advertised!
What I did...
1) Open System Preferences...ok
2) Click Accounts...ok
3) Click the New User...ok
4) Name the user "jsmith"...ok
5) The OS supplies the short name "jsmith"...ok
6) Create another user...ok
7) Name the user "JSMITH"...ok
8) The OS supplies short name "jsmith1" try and remove the '1' and then the
error msg appears!
Leave it as it is and in the Accounts panel I have 2 new accounts...
1) jsmith
2) JSMITH
And in the Users folder I have 2 new accounts...
1) jsmith
2) jsmith1
I haven't tried on 10.3.7 yet!
I realize this relates only to this 'bug' and not to Tim's method which is
not in question!
Wally
----------
In article <xYtAd.7654099$6p.12...@news.easynews.com>, "Wally"
<wa...@wally.world.net> wrote:
Now I have, with the same result as 10.2.8.
Snit
xYtAd.7654099$6p.12...@news.easynews.com on 12/29/04 1:32 AM:
At this step, give the short name of "JSMITH".
> Leave it as it is and in the Accounts panel I have 2 new accounts...
> 1) jsmith
> 2) JSMITH
>
> And in the Users folder I have 2 new accounts...
> 1) jsmith
> 2) jsmith1
>
> I haven't tried on 10.3.7 yet!
>
> I realize this relates only to this 'bug' and not to Tim's method which is
> not in question!
Tim has not even said what bug he is in reference to, though from the hints
he has listed, this does not seem to be it.
Wally
----------
In article <BDF80D71.19234%SN...@CABLE0NE.NET.INVALID>, Snit
<SN...@CABLE0NE.NET.INVALID> wrote:
That was interesting! I tried as you suggested but whether with the shift
key depressed or by using the caps Lock no way could I type uppercase for
the short name it still came out as lower case, I finally resorted to cut n
paste this was accepted but as soon as I clicked 'OK' I was informed that
"JSMITH" was invalid choose another name......
Snit
Hmmm... I wonder what the difference is? Yours seems to work the way it
should work... and mine clearly has a bug... here is a screen shot of the
upper case name:
http://myweb.cableone.net/snit/csma/userbug/
If you mouse over the image you will see the lower case name - so if you see
the lower case name, you will know why. :)
>
>>> Leave it as it is and in the Accounts panel I have 2 new accounts...
>>> 1) jsmith
>>> 2) JSMITH
>>>
>>> And in the Users folder I have 2 new accounts...
>>> 1) jsmith
>>> 2) jsmith1
>>>
>>> I haven't tried on 10.3.7 yet!
>>>
>>> I realize this relates only to this 'bug' and not to Tim's method which is
>>> not in question!
I would love to know what Tim's method is. I have only tried this on
10.3.7... so I have no idea what it does in other versions.
>>
>> Tim has not even said what bug he is in reference to, though from the hints
>> he has listed, this does not seem to be it.
--
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Feel free to ask for the recipe.