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A GUI tool to change the short username
Authored by: daybrother on May 28, '04 01:23:59PM

I followed this guy's directions, saving the script for repair if necessary. According to him in netinfo you change the permissions for your current admin account and then follow by trying to change the name of that same account. Of course, permission is denied and if you log out you have no admin account at all (if original was the install account). Running the script in repair mode immediately brought up the printing preferences panel and nothing else. I tried to log in as root but that was now disabled and would not enable from netinfo; terminal would not sudo. I left work, drove home got my install disk and "changed root password". Then I was able to login as root and clean up the damage. Although I have not looked at the code, I would not trust the script at all considering the directions for manual change. Just my HO.



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A GUI tool to change the short username
Authored by: DanFrakes on May 28, '04 10:30:40PM
Daybrother, I'm interpreting your comment to mean that you didn't use ChangeShortName to change your short username -- you used the manual instructions? If so, then your comments apply to the procedure on the webpage, rather than to ChangeShortName. I'll double-check those manual instructions to see if there are any mistakes that occurred when transferring them to the Web. However, I can assure you that if you'd instead used ChangeShortName the change would have been successful.

Although I have not looked at the code, I would not trust the script at all considering the directions for manual change.

As I mentioned, it's possible there's a typo in the manual instructions. However, although the manual instructions and ChangeShortName provide the same end result, ChangeShortName is FAR more thorough and safe to use. It's been tested hundreds of times by many users and even includes a number of error-checking routines.



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A GUI tool to change the short username
Authored by: daybrother on Jun 02, '04 11:10:38AM

DF:
Yes. I followed the manual instructions and when I encountered an error I used the script in "Repair" mode--it did not function as expected. Please reread my post.
I appreciate you looking into the matter; as for not using the script first: The documentation claims that the script does EVERYTHING that the manual instructions include, not, as you say now, "much more".
I now understand MY error. Perhaps YOUR error was simply in the documentation.



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A GUI tool to change the short username
Authored by: DanFrakes on Jun 02, '04 07:24:14PM
Yes. I followed the manual instructions and when I encountered an error I used the script in "Repair" mode--it did not function as expected. Please reread my post.

I was just making sure I understood you; thanks for verifying.

I appreciate you looking into the matter; as for not using the script first: The documentation claims that the script does EVERYTHING that the manual instructions include, not, as you say now, "much more".

To be clear, I don't think the documentation states that. The website simply states that ChangeShortName makes the process much easier. The ReadMe included with ChangeShortName explains the additional steps/features that ChangeShortName provides.

However, since some people aren't downloading ChangeShortName before trying to change their short username manually, I agree that it would be helpful if we state on the website that ChangeShortName offers additional benefits over the manual procedure. Thanks for the feedback.



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