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Simple network - two machines - sharing user accounts?
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drissa
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Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: UK
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May 26, 2009, 10:30 AM
 
Hi

We run an educational project with various iMacs. We'd like to link two of them, which I could do with a crossover ethernet cable.

However, we're quite keen to start using seperate user accounts for our students. How could they access these from either computer? I assume we need some kind of remote/shared storage?

Thanks
     
Big Mac
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Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Los Angeles
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May 26, 2009, 02:02 PM
 
Theoretically, you should be able to just change the location of the user folder in the Accounts pane to the user folder located on the other Mac. To do that, right click (or control click) the name of the account in the Account pane and select Advanced Options. You'll see among other fields the path to the account. The system should theoretically let you just change it over even though it's a network location.
( Last edited by Big Mac; May 26, 2009 at 02:14 PM. )

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." TJ
     
larkost
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Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: San Jose, Ca
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May 26, 2009, 05:09 PM
 
Can you give a bit more detail? What exactly are you looking for.

And in general it is probably more trouble than it is worth to setup network accounts for two computers. However, "external" accounts (plug in a HD and they are available) might work out for your usage.
     
drissa  (op)
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May 27, 2009, 02:24 PM
 
We run a small arts project with up to 12 students at any one time. Most use the computers and an account for each would be useful - separate libraries, privacy, archiving, etc. But students use which ever machine free, so all machines (or, in this example, just our two main ones) would need to access each account.

If it's not possible in a straightforward/cheap way, we'd probably find a work around.

Thanks
     
larkost
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May 27, 2009, 02:55 PM
 
It is probably not worth all of the effort to establish, unless you want a real tour through the lower-levels of DirectoryServices. I can think how I would do it, but it would not be worth the effort for just two computers.
     
   
 
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