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How to add a new user

 

In order to add a new user to the LINCKS system, the following steps must be taken.

Log in as user who owns the database files and go to the database directory where you want to add the user.

Edit the file passwd. This file contains each user's name, user number, and password. The format of the file is as follows:

Add the new user in the same way. Note that the password is by default encrypted. Leave the password field empty and use dbpasswd to add a new password for the new user. However, if LINCKS is installed with clear text passwords, you can add the password by editing the file. Moreover, it is a good idea having the passwd file readable only by the owner.

Edit the file groups. This file outlines the objects to which a user has read-write access. The format of the file is as follows:

which means that uid1 has read-write access to all objects created by users 1 though N (where N is the number of the last user). The asterix (*) means that this is the last uid for that user id. See figure 1.

Add the new uid (which you added to the passwd file in the previous step) to the groups file and give the new user access to as many objects created by other users as you feel is appropriate. Since security has not been an major consideration, our general practice has simply been to give each new user access to all other users' objects, thereby giving them access to all information in the database. Compare figure 1. to figure 2 for an example.

  
Figure: Group file prior to editing

  
Figure: Group file after editing

Note that both the passwd and groups as well as the optional wrgroups file should be read/writable only by the owner of the database files.

Optional
Edit the wrgroups file if you are using the write protection provided by this file. It is constructed and used in the same way as the groups file, but defines the groups to which the users have write access, in which case the groups file only defines read access.

Stop and restart the database servers (see section 4.1).

Start xlincks and log in as user lincks. Go to the lincks user object window (see figure 3) and expand the USERS field. You will now get the List of Users window where all users in the database are listed (see figure 5).

  
Figure: LINCKS system root window

  
Figure: LINCKS list of users

Click once at the first user id (in our example, lincks) and then type meta-l meta-i to create a new user template. (see figure 5).

 


:  Modified LINCKS list of users

Substitute user for userid (`tom', for example) and substitute the item empty: root with the user's name (`Tom Barth', for example). Store everything.

Expand on the user's full name (i.e. `Tom Barth') which will create a new user object window titled Tom Barth. This object is a copy of the default user object and has to be filled in. Expand an old user name field (i.e. David Partain) and you will get a user object window titled David Partain. You will use this user window to access and link text objects to the new user object window.

Go to the Tom Barth window and replace the first <<gpdname>> with the GPD name text and move the mouse cursor out of the window (to save the object). You will now get a field, <<links>>, just below text. You can now link in various things at the <<links>> position that will automatically be retrieved from the database when Tom Barth logs in. All users should have the `Help!' and `Simon Says...' links, so first link these from an old user to the new by first clicking the left mouse button on the item in the old (i.e. `Help') followed by the item <<links>> in the new, then push the ``Add Link'' button in the command menu. The field <<links>> will be replaced by `Help!'. Repeat the procedure for `Simon Says...'. It should look something like figure 7.

Click once on the item text in the Tom Barth window and meta-l meta-i. This will create two new items, gpdname and <<links>> above text.

Replace gpdname with user and link in the Tom Barth item to where it says <<links>>. You can add the link to any item called Tom Barth, no matter which window, since they all refer to the same object. This should give you figure 7.

  
Figure: Setting `text' in user object

  
Figure: Setting `user' in user object

Fill in the empty slot <<gpdmap>> at the bottom of the window with something like `Tom's GPD map'. This will be where Tom can store his own GPD's. The completed user object should look like figure 8.

 


:  The complete user object

Store everything, and you're done. Exit and log in as the new user to verify that all went ok.



next up previous contents index
Next: Problems you might Up: Normal Administration Tasks Previous: How to Change



Martin Sjolin
Sat May 27 00:36:55 MET DST 1995