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Specify username and password at login window System
By default, the login window presents the user with icons to click on (Select A User), and then prompts the user for their password. It can also be set to simply provide the tried-and-true Username and Password dialog boxes.

While the former is nicer (and certainly more Mac-like), the latter is required to perform the >console trick, and to logon to users who are not in the list presented.

As it turns out, it's possible to get the Username and Password prompt from the Select a User screen. Simply press and release Option-Escape, then select a user. Very useful, especially since you can easily switch to the console if you are having trouble launching Finder.

Note: This worked on a 10.2 machine we have at work, and still works on my Panther machine.

[robg adds: This hint was in the macosxhints' book, but somehow not on the site (at least, not that I can find). What's even more interesting is that there are a number of ways to do this. The book mentions using Option-Enter then clicking on a username (and this still works in Panther). In addition, I've been using (not sure why) Option-Down Arrow followed by Enter -- I think I prefer this method as it's the fewest keystrokes and doesn't require the mouse.]
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Specify username and password at login window
Authored by: helicine on Dec 05, '03 10:51:29AM

if you enable the 'root' user, you get an "other" users option in user list version of your login window which you can also use to do the ">console" trick



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Specify username and password at login window
Authored by: mattone on Dec 06, '03 08:42:00PM

when i leave my mac (running panther) at the end of the day, i select "login window" from the list of users in the corner of the screen. when i return in the morning i see the desktop window with the root user's home folder open - underneath the list of users login window. its very strange. and i don't have my root user enabled. have you seen this type of behavior?

mattone



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Specify username and password at login window
Authored by: chabig on Dec 05, '03 10:54:06AM

Rob,

I think it's down arrow to select the first user, then option-enter to get the name and password fields.



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Specify username and password at login window
Authored by: sfn on Dec 05, '03 08:04:06PM

Actually, both work.

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-sfn



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Specify username and password at login window
Authored by: chabig on Dec 05, '03 10:58:48AM

Rob,

Here is the original hint that you couldn't find...

http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20020914083721673

Chris



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Specify username and password at login window
Authored by: dahjelle on Dec 05, '03 01:19:15PM

Are you able to switch to >console via fast-user switching on Panther, too?



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Specify username and password at login window
Authored by: aranor on Dec 05, '03 02:42:11PM

Nope



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Specify username and password at login window
Authored by: White Fire on Dec 06, '03 02:23:40AM

Unfortunately not. I wonder if there is a good reason for this.

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http://www.roosteredge.com/whitefire



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Specify username and password at login window
Authored by: Dan B on Dec 06, '03 10:36:59AM

Entering >console kills the window server, which is not a good thing to do when there are applications (suspended users') using it.



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Specify username and password at login window
Authored by: dogboy on Dec 06, '03 11:42:28AM

If you press the first letter of a user name and then hit enter, that user is selected and the password box opens.



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