System Preferences: "Display login window as" greyed out

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System Preferences: "Display login window as" greyed out

In System Preferences/Accounts "Display login window as" is grayed out (even after I unlock the lock). "list of users" is selected but loginwindow.app only shows "name/password". It seems to be an issue with rights delegated to my directory service.
Is there any documentation available on it?

iMac, MacBook Air, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Feb 9, 2009 1:21 AM

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Answer 1

charmides Author

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Feb 9, 2009 11:30 AM in response to charmides

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1586297 is dealing with a similar problem but I have not bound to an active directory. I had bound to my open directory server but now I configured it to be a standalone server and destroyed the LDAP-Directory. "Display login window as" is still disabled.

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Answer 2

charmides Author

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Feb 11, 2009 1:48 AM in response to charmides

can somebody acknownledge that it is possible to display the list of users at the login window for a 10.5.x installation?

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Answer 3

Feb 11, 2009 5:26 AM in response to charmides

Hi

Yes I do it all the time. It's one of the management features available in an Open Directory environment. Even if you don't use Open Directory and have multiple local accounts the login window should display a list of users. You simply disable automatic log in.

I usually see the setting grayed out because the client mac has been bound to OD and that setting is a managed one.

You can simply unbind to return to normal or change the setting on the server.

Is there any documentation available on it?

Yes. From here:

http://www.apple.com/server/macosx/resources/

Specifically:

http://images.apple.com/server/macosx/docs/OpenDirectory_Admin_v10.5_3rdEd.pdf
http://images.apple.com/server/macosx/docs/UserManagementv10.5.mnl.pdf

Although the above are more suited for a server configured as Advanced.

Tony

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Answer 4

charmides Author

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Feb 11, 2009 5:43 AM in response to Antonio Rocco

thank you very much for your answer. I really distrusted my self about this weired thing. the last 4 day I studied those both manuals again and again hoping to find a solution for my problem. but to clearify: It is the SERVER MACHINE it self which I want to display the user list at login time.
I tried the preferences which shows the described behaviour. I tried the workgroup-manager with LDAP-entries. Other Login-Windows-Entries are taken but not the "Display login window as" setting.
I put the server in the standalone state (and killing my LDAP-Server). But from /Local/Defaults no entry is recognised by my box. I set the macadress explicitely in the entry for my machine.

Is there a way to log where some application looked for their preferences (for debugging reasons)?

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Answer 5

Feb 11, 2009 6:01 AM in response to charmides

Hi

I'm not sure I understand? Are you saying you want the server to present a list for all networked users or just the local administrator on itself? Why? Perhaps you're confused about what an Open Directory environment is?

System Profiler has a Managed Client list in the Software Section. You can see what applications are being managed using Workgroup Manager.

Tony

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Answer 6

Feb 11, 2009 6:06 AM in response to charmides

You can try to modify the preference file directly.

Run this in terminal:

*sudo defaults write /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow SHOWFULLNAME -bool NO*

Then logout (or restart) to see if it worked on Mac OS X Server 10.5

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Answer 7

charmides Author

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Feb 11, 2009 6:28 AM in response to Antonio Rocco

I have a small installation with only four to five client machines and five users who should be able to work on the server machine als well (may be I will use the server of an internet project at a later time). Because some of the users are under parential control, they should see wether they can login or not. if there is only a the name/password prompt they experience just a login failed and not the reason.
If I understand it right then it is possible in workgroup-manager to set that only the local users should be presented at the user list.

My System Profiler at the server machine show me "no information" on the section managed clients. I think this comes from the fact that I switched off all managed settings in workgroup manager.

But the question remains: why are the "Display login window as" options disabled at the system preferences on a server machine? Is there an installation out there where it is NOT disabled at the server machine itself?

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Answer 8

charmides Author

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Feb 11, 2009 6:38 AM in response to Justin Andrews

thank you. the mentioned default had not been set before (defaults read) but it does not bring the desired result.

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Answer 9

Feb 11, 2009 6:49 AM in response to charmides

Understood. The default for Mac OS X server is to show username/password prompt. If modifying the actual preference file didn't work, I would imagine this is impossible. I understand your scenario, but can't think of any alternatives to let the users know if they can log into the server or not (or why their authentication failed).

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Answer 10

charmides Author

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Feb 16, 2009 8:05 AM in response to charmides

Because there is no documentation on it, I think that this is erronous behaviour. no?

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Answer 11

charmides Author

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Feb 17, 2009 6:50 AM in response to charmides

is there a reason why I should not be able to switch between the "list of users" and the name/password view in the loginwindow of a Mac OS X Server?

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Answer 12

charmides Author

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Feb 28, 2009 11:55 PM in response to charmides

It is not possible to setup Mac OS X Server to show a List of Users at the login window. THIS IS AN ERROR! In Workgroup Manager you can mark the appropriate options to show the List of Users. At the System Preferences the option is disabled but shows that the List of Users will be shown at the login window.
But the loginwindow.app doesn't show it

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