Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!AVELON.LERC.NASA.GOV!fsfacca
From: fsfacca@AVELON.LERC.NASA.GOV (Tony Facca)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi
Subject: Re:  Adding users under Sys. Manager
Message-ID: <9106121415.AA22938@avelon.lerc.nasa.gov>
Date: 12 Jun 91 14:15:08 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Distribution: world
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 35

> 
> We have always had problems adding users under the System Manager.
> It always provides a user ID number that already belongs to someone
> else.  If the number isn't checked, the existing user's files all
> become owned by the new user.  Is this a bug, or do we have something
> set-up incorrectly?
> 

It's more of an annoyance than a bug.

If you ask for detailed information when adding a user, then you can supply
your own ID.  The SM has no way of determining what your scheme for assigning
userids is.  I haven't seen it assign the same ID as another user on the
system, though.  I know it will check to see if an ID you assign already
exists for a different user.

Other annoyances:
	
	- no support for group ID's
	- no way to set the default home directory once and for all
	- no way to add other startup dot files to the new directory
	- no way to customize the procedure to take advantage of local
	  conventions (source code would be nice, hooks to local scripts
	  would suffice)
	- because of all the other annoyances, the add user part of the
	  tool is pretty much useless.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tony Facca   |   fsfacca@avelon.lerc.nasa.gov      |     phone: 216-433-8318
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
      You are at Witt's end.  Passages lead off in *all* directions.