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.