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Changing Terminal login name
#21657 04/20/12 03:02 AM
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From the Apple Store, I recently bought a refurbished mid-2011 Mac Mini running System 10.7.3. In order to transfer everything over from my four-year-old Mac Mini, Apple Support had me create a new account with a slightly different username on the new computer. (As it turned out, I wasn't able to use Migration Assistant because on four tries in a row it kept stopping the 70-gig transfer with 20 minutes remaining, so I used Time Machine and an external drive and finally got everything moved from the old computer to the new one.)

The old computer has the same username as the one I use where I often telnet to, and the account on new computer has the same name but with my middle initial added to it. I need to be able to telnet using my original username and can't figure out a way to do this with Terminal. All I've learned so far is that opening Terminal and then clicking on its icon in the dock while holding down the Control key brings up more options, but I still can't get it to change my log in name and remember it.

Apple Support offers no support for Terminal, and suggested that I consider following these instructions: How to change user account name or home directory name

All I'm trying to do here is set Terminal to log in with my old username. Is this really not possible without renaming my home directory?

Re: Changing Terminal login name
Dave #21658 04/20/12 04:19 AM
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Have you tried looking on the man pages for telnet in the Terminal? It may provide you with options for opening a telnet session using an alternative name from the command line.....the way to view that would be to type:

man telnet

I seem to recall having to use just that function for a NAS that I was trying to modify in Linux a LOOOooooonnnnnnggggg time ago.

Try typing this in the Terminal:

telnet your_correct_login_name@the_relevant_IP_address

.....let us know.


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Re: Changing Terminal login name
MacManiac #21681 04/23/12 06:39 PM
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I cannot get anywhere because every time I open Terminal I am automatically taken to my site's host, logged in under a modified and nonexistent user name, and asked for a password.

Thanks for the suggestion. I wasn't able to type it in, but by copying and pasting in the man telnet command I learned this:

-K Specifies no automatic login to the remote system

I don't know how to activate this command because anything I type is entered as a password.

Re: Changing Terminal login name
Dave #21685 04/24/12 12:16 AM
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Please excuse me if this seems too obvious, but I am not sure I understand the exact and complete series of events happening here. When you control+click on the running Terminal icon in the Dock one of the options is "New Remote Connection". When you select this option and choose "Remote Login (Telnet)",
  1. have you tried selecting the remote server and clicking the minus (-) button under the server list to delete the automatic connection?
  2. Have you tried changing the User at the bottom of the New Remote Connection window?


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

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Re: Changing Terminal login name
joemikeb #21687 04/24/12 03:56 AM
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Originally Posted By: joemikeb
Please excuse me if this seems too obvious, but I am not sure I understand the exact and complete series of events happening here. When you control+click on the running Terminal icon in the Dock one of the options is "New Remote Connection". When you select this option and choose "Remote Login (Telnet)",
  1. have you tried selecting the remote server and clicking the minus (-) button under the server list to delete the automatic connection?
  2. Have you tried changing the User at the bottom of the New Remote Connection window?


1. No, I wouldn't delete it because Terminal is taking me to the place I need to telnet to. It's just logging me on with the wrong name.
2. Yes. For some unknown reason I am unable to enter anything into the box beside "User". To the right of that it says "No options" and I can't select or change anything there.

Re: Changing Terminal login name
Dave #21689 04/24/12 12:38 PM
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I don't know if this will work or not, and I don't have a convenient way to test it here, but have you tried adding a NEW Telnet connection to the same target machine but changing to the desired user name when you create that connection?


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Changing Terminal login name
joemikeb #21690 04/24/12 05:18 PM
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Yes, that's what I've been trying to do. I've also downloaded and installed two other telnet programs: MacTerm, which I gave up on and deleted, and iTerm2, which is still installed. I've tried setting them up and have been unable to get anything to connect me under my old name. Now I'm at the point where I'm offering to pay someone to phone me and walk me through this.

Re: Changing Terminal login name
Dave #21696 04/24/12 10:10 PM
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Back to square one, if I may: Why not just change your user name?


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Re: Changing Terminal login name
artie505 #21699 04/24/12 11:34 PM
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Thanks for the ideas so far.

Changing the user name on my new computer isn't out of the question, but I was warned that the procedure can be risky and should only be done in extreme circumstances.

Changing my user name with my ISP would involve opening a new account with them, doing away with the email address I've used since 1996, and getting a new one.

I suppose I could still telnet to my ISP and update my website by moving my cable modem, monitor, keyboard, and mouse back to the old Mac Mini, but I shouldn't have to.

Re: Changing Terminal login name
Dave #21700 04/25/12 01:41 AM
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> Changing the user name on my new computer isn't out of the question, but I was warned that the procedure can be risky and should only be done in extreme circumstances.

"Extreme" is no longer as appropriate a term as it once was, particularly since OS X now supports changing user names (as per your link).

The procedure described in the Apple doc isn't at all complicated, but just be certain to follow the instructions to the letter and don't try to do anything extraneous while you're logged in as root.

Also, be certain that you're both fully and 100% backed up before you start.

All in all, changing your user name appears to be your best option.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Changing Terminal login name
artie505 #21701 04/25/12 02:09 AM
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Thanks. I'll look into changing it.

Re: Changing Terminal login name
Dave #21785 05/02/12 07:12 PM
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sounds like you need to change your short username. you can change that independent of your home folder name. your home is normally your short name, but control-clicking your account in count prefs will open additional options including changing your short name.

doing so can be disruptive to some apps. it should properly update directory services but apps that store things using your short name may lose settings or information.

you should reboot after changing your short name.


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Re: Changing Terminal login name
Virtual1 #21792 05/04/12 08:55 PM
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I actually just did this on my new computer, which had migrated my information from my old computer into the short name "tacit2" rather than "tacit."

The only negative effects I had were that Dropbox lost its link to my Dropbox folder (I had to relink it) and Snapz Pro lost its registration (I had to type my serial number again). Other than that, everything worked fine.


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Re: Changing Terminal login name
tacit #22011 05/16/12 05:43 PM
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Once again, I appreciate all the help and suggestions.

Part of the problem here was that I don't know what I'm doing and am concerned about making things worse than they are.

It's been over a month since I've been able to update my website. For now I've given up on being able to log in to my site's host with Terminal. Nothing I've tried worked. I downloaded iTerm2 (a Mac OS Terminal replacement), couldn't get it to work for me, sent an email to its developer offering to pay for help, waited two weeks, got no reply, and deleted the application. (I also dragged Terminal out of the dock.)

I've been using Fetch to FTP photos to my site for about ten years, and since it still automatically connects and logs on as it should, I thought it could provide at least part of a solution. Yesterday I bought the latest upgrade because it allows you to open any of your files with any of your applications. I then opened one of my site's index.html files in TextEdit, but it was displayed as a web page, and I need to see and edit the source code. I then used Fetch to download my entire 70-meg web_docs directory, but when I opened an index.html file with TextEdit (and being scolded with ""index.html" is a web application downloaded from the Internet. Are you sure you want to open it? Wouldn't it be better if you just walked the dog?"), it was still displayed as a web page. I then did some searching and found out how to fix that, thanks to this brief and very helpful article: How To Edit HTML with TextEdit.

I might actually be on the home stretch, since it looks like I will be able to easily edit anything I want and reinstall it with Fetch, without having to work in a cold, dark Unix shell.

Or I could always just walk the dog.

Re: Changing Terminal login name
Dave #22012 05/16/12 07:05 PM
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In a related development, now I'd like to know what I have to change in order to be sure that whenever I open a new file in TextEdit I won't see this:

The file “index.html” is locked because you haven’t made any changes to it recently.

If you want to make changes to this document, click Unlock. To keep the file unchanged and work with a copy, click Duplicate.

Re: Changing Terminal login name
Dave #22013 05/16/12 08:11 PM
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The best suggestion I can make is for you to start a new thread, with an appropriate title, for the issue.

You're more likely to get better response that way.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Changing Terminal login name
Dave #22019 05/17/12 04:37 PM
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Earlier I mentioned the annoying notification when I opened an index.html file with TextEdit "index.html" is a web application downloaded from the Internet. Are you sure you want to open it?"

A search turned up the way to eliminate this: Turn Off File Download “Quarantining”

It works!

Re: Changing Terminal login name
Dave #22026 05/18/12 02:01 AM
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That "you haven't made changes to it recently" message is part of Lion's automatic backup/versioning thing. You can just hit "unlock."

I have found that TextEdit is rather a horrible editor for editing HTML. The awesome and free TextWrangler is a much better tool for editing HTML documents:

http://www.barebones.com/products/textwrangler/download.html


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Re: Changing Terminal login name
tacit #22035 05/19/12 03:29 PM
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Originally Posted By: tacit
That "you haven't made changes to it recently" message is part of Lion's automatic backup/versioning thing. You can just hit "unlock."

Having created well over a hundred text files, I don't understand the reasoning behind designing a computer that would force you to unlock every one of them without providing an "unlock all" option.

Originally Posted By: tacit
I have found that TextEdit is rather a horrible editor for editing HTML. The awesome and free TextWrangler is a much better tool for editing HTML documents:

http://www.barebones.com/products/textwrangler/download.html

I had thought TextEdit was ideal for me since I happen to be a rather horrible writer, but thanks for the suggestion. I've downloaded TextWrangler and am using it now. You're right - it's a lot better for doing HTML.

I still need to choose and install a different telnet client that would be easy to set up to log on somewhere after you've specified your login name, ignoring the login name for the computer.

Re: Changing Terminal login name
Dave #22036 05/19/12 06:19 PM
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You might take a look at JellifiSSH or one of the other telnet managers in the App Store


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Changing Terminal login name
joemikeb #22037 05/19/12 08:00 PM
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Originally Posted By: joemikeb
You might take a look at JellifiSSH or one of the other telnet managers in the App Store

Thanks. If you don't mind, I'm going to use this as example of why I hate changing things on my computers.

I found JellyfiSSH at http://www.m-works.co.nz/jellyfissh.php which has a link to the iTunes store page at JellyfiSSH By MWorks. There's a link on that page marked Open Mac App Store to buy and download apps.

When I clicked on it the first time, instead of it opening, I got a notification saying that I needed to specify what application to open the link with. Since I'm using a browser to go somewhere else with the browser, I specified it to open in Firefox and clicked it again. As soon as I did, new blank tabs started opening up at the rate of several a second. Hundreds of them. Holding down Control+W wasn't closing them quickly enough to catch up, so with no way to get back to where I was, I quit Firefox, opened it again, went to History > Restore Previous Session, and immediately began closing the endless stream of blank tabs. Right now there are hundreds of them open, pointing to macappstore://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jellyfissh/id416399476?mt=12&ign-msr=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.m-works.co.nz%2Fjellyfissh.php

I'm going to restart Firefox before it crashes.

I've opened the http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/jellyfissh/id416399476?mt=12 page in Safari, and the incorrectly-configured link mentioned above opened in App Store, which I dragged out of the dock and forgot about as soon as I started this new computer for the first time.

Re: Changing Terminal login name
Dave #22038 05/19/12 09:50 PM
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Originally Posted By: Dave
Having created well over a hundred text files, I don't understand the reasoning behind designing a computer that would force you to unlock every one of them without providing an "unlock all" option.


I kind of understand their reasoning. The Time Machine versioning in Lion keeps a copy of every version of a file that you save in a gigantic SQL database, so you can go backwards through different versions of the file, even if you've saved over top of it.

Which is cool and all, but time and space consuming.

So what Apple's engineers have chosen to do is to put a marker on files that have not changed in a certain space of time, basically telling Time machine "don't keep making backups of this file over and over again, it hasn't changed." When you open a file that has that flag set, it is telling you "This file is flagged to be skipped by Time Machine; do you want to be able to make changes and tell Time Machine to start taking snapshots of it again?" You wouldn't want to have an "unlock all" because it would defeat the purpose; Time Machine would start making snapshots of all the files again, even if they hadn't changed.

Now, having said all that, I can say that's the REASON it works the way it does, but I don't AGREE with it. I think that the design, from a human interface perspective, is flawed.

What I would have done, if it were me, is to set the flag telling Time Machine to skip over making snapshots of the file, but then transparently and invisibly removed the flag as soon as the user hit "save" on that file, without asking the user "Do you want to unlock this file?" I do not believe that having the user manually click the "unlock" button actually serves any particularly compelling reason.


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Re: Changing Terminal login name
Dave #22039 05/19/12 09:57 PM
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Originally Posted By: Dave
Apple Support ... suggested that I consider following these instructions:
How to change user account name or home directory name

I've just done this procedure while on the phone with a very helpful Apple Support employee. Now, once I figure out how to get my Terminal settings back to where they were before I started changing them, things will be completely back to normal.

Re: Changing Terminal login name
tacit #22054 05/22/12 01:55 AM
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Originally Posted By: tacit
So what Apple's engineers have chosen to do is to put a marker on files that have not changed in a certain space of time, basically telling Time machine "don't keep making backups of this file over and over again, it hasn't changed." When you open a file that has that flag set, it is telling you "This file is flagged to be skipped by Time Machine; do you want to be able to make changes and tell Time Machine to start taking snapshots of it again?"

Not really. Time Machine doesn't need any help telling which files have changed.

This is Lion's auto-save feature. The Lion metaphor for documents is "what you see on the screen is what's on disk." Normally, if you make any change to a file, no matter how minor, that change is (almost) immediately saved to disk.

The canonical example is that if you are looking at a spreadsheet and decide to send it as an attachment in an email message, what gets attached and sent is the version you're looking at, not the one you last saved. Or if it's an iCloud-savvy app, and you make a change, the change propagates in near real time into the cloud.

One problem with most implementations of auto-save is that unintended changes can get auto-saved, wiping out the version you really meant to be final. Lion's versioning feature works hand-in-hand with auto-save to ameliorate this problem. Any version you explicitly save gets kept forever, irrespective of any later auto-saves. Auto-saves, on the other hand, get pruned in much the same way that Time Machine snapshots get pruned. It's a different mechanism, but parts of the pruning algorithm share the same description: "Hourly watchamacallits are kept for 24 hours. Daily watchamacallits are kept for 30 days. Weekly watchamacallits are kept forever (disk space permitting." The only difference is whether a "watchamacallit" is a Time Machine snapshot or an auto-saved version. (Which, I repeat, are not the same thing. Lion's auto-save and versions work just fine even if you aren't using Time Machine. Time Machine works just fine without Lion.)

The significance of having a file go "locked" is that it temporary disables auto-save. That means that inconsequential changes (such as scrolling or moving the insertion point) don't get auto-saved, nor do larger but unintentional changes without asking you first. (The old way, without auto-save, it takes an explicit user interaction to modify the file: the user has to say "Save". The new way, if the file hasn't been modified in a while, it takes an explicit user interaction to say "this change is not unintentional": the user has to say "Unlock".) Unlocking a file turns auto-save back on, which in turn enables changes again (because it doesn't make sense to make a change that can't be saved).

The only connection with Time Machine is that an auto-save would modify the file, and Time Machine would notice the modification and back up the file again.

It's not that locking the file tells Time Machine "this file hasn't changed". Time Machine can figure that out all on its own, with no hints from anyone. Rather, locking the file tells the application "stop changing this file (for the time being)".

Oh, well, I guess there is one other connection with Time Machine. The "when to auto-lock" interval is set in Time Machine's preference pane, but I think that's just that the setting had to be somewhere and someone decided that adding it to TM's prefpane made more sense than creating a whole separate preference pane, or squeezing it into the already overloaded "General".


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