Create a multiuser text-only networked OS X system

Jul 16, '03 10:46:00AM

Contributed by: endocet

So you want to boot into a non graphical, multi-user Mac OS X command line interface, eh?

The single-user command line is where we'll start, but first we need to create a script to make our single-user darwin into the multi-user darwin system that we are after. So we'll make a copy of /private/etc/rc, and rename it to something like /private/etc/rc.mu. Next, open this new file in your favorite text editor and scroll all the way to the second to last line that says:

SystemStarter -g ${VerboseFlag} ${SafeBoot}
This is the only line we will edit. We want a text boot, so we will remove the -g (graphical boot) flag, to make the line look like this:
SystemStarter ${VerboseFlag} ${SafeBoot}
Now its time to reboot your system while holding Command-S to boot to a single user, root system. Once you get to the prompt, type sh /private/etc/rc.mu and watch all the pretty startup text fly by. This brings up everything a normal Mac OS X startup would, except for bringing up Aqua.

Once everything is done scrolling, you'll be brought back to the prompt. At this point NetInfo has been brought up, so you can log into your normal user. To do this type login at the prompt, type your user name and password when asked to do so, and ... poooof! There ya go, you've got a multi-user, text-only networked system at your disposal.

[robg adds: I have not tested this one...]

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