unknown user account

Hi, I've not seen it, but is OSX Server involved anywhere?

http://www.firebirdsql.org/devel/doc/papers/html/paper-fb-macosx.html

Well, somebody had to have installed it.

This from the PPC ReadMe...

The Firebird install process will create a new user: firebird. This is for added security. Please don't delete this user unless you know what you are doing. The installer installs the Firebird framework in /Library/Frameworks. The default installs one super-user database user: "sysdba", password "masterkey". You should change that password using gsec according to the documentation.

All the standard command line executables are installed in /Library/Frameworks/Firebird.framework/Resources/bin. If you are interested in helping with the Firebird Project please contact us via the Firebird website at www.firebirdsql.org.

Please note that every MacOS X user you want to have access to your database MUST have read/write permissions on the .fdb file.

The release notes can be found in the doc directory Generic documentation for Firebird can be found on the IBPhoenix web site at www.ibphoenix.com, as well as at the Firebird website. There is also a yahoo group named "ib-support" if you have any problems with Firebird.

I'd look in these folders for Firebird...

/System/Library/StartupItems

/Library/StartupItems

Wow strange. I just found this on one of my systems.

I just installed a new 500 GB 7200RPM drive into my MacBook Pro. I then installed and patched Snow Leopard.

I then connected the old drive via USB and fired up Migration Assistant. It shows the user "firebird." And beneath the name in small type it says "This user's data doesn't need to be transferred."

Real weird I've never seen that user before.

I administer Mac OS X Servers daily so maybe there's something to that.

I do have a firebird folder in Library/StartupItems. Strange I never spotted that before either. I do look in there from time to time. Last time was probably a few months ago. The items in Library/StartupItems/firebird are dated May 24, 2010. Maybe a lightbulb will light up for me some day.

The thing that's even more strange is I run my primary user account as a non-administrator account. Nothing would get installed into System/Library/StartupItems without me granting it permission. Either that or I installed it when I was logged into a local administrator account.

I'm a tinkerer so it isn't exactly impossible for me to have installed it

With this build I'm installing all my apps and everything from scratch. I was only migrating my local administrator account because I just plain like it the way I have it set up. My primary account on this computer is a Portable Home Directory (I do use Portable Home Folders hosted on OS X servers). And that was the last thing I am going to bring into this build.

Maybe I'll see something along the way.

I also have one of those kits that lets me install laptop hard drives into a Mac Pro. First chance I get I'll install my old drive into one of my Mac Pros, boot it, and see if I can figure anything out.

And here it is back already! It's listed under Accounts/Groups. My local admin account is the only member.

I've installed CS5 Design Premium, Remote Desktop, and Onyx.

I also joined my OpenDirectory domain.

I have on-line at the moment a Mac Pro with 10.6.4 that doesn't have this firebird user group. Remote Desktop and Onyx are the two apps from above that I have not installed on that box.

Maybe I'll see something along the way.

do think that's the key, I've yet to really see something that could install itself without your help! ;)_

I have seen unsubstantiated rumors of such, but have to doubt the veracity at the moment. 🙂

I have seen the same thing yesterday. I installed 4 new computers at work and they all had a firebird user.

I have learned that this is the software behind this
http://www.firebirdsql.org

But I have no idea how it ended up in our computers. I do all the computer maintenance at our office and I sure know I never installed this. Even if it's a legit software it feels like it snuck in here like a trojan almost. Like it's been distributed inside something else.

Is Ruby on Rails installed?

/Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.5.sdk/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions /1.8/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/activerecord-1.15.3/lib/active record/connection_adapters/firebirdadapter.rb
/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/doc /activerecord-1.15.3/rdoc/classes/ActiveRecord/ConnectionAdapters/FirebirdAdapte r.html
/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/doc /activerecord-1.15.3/rdoc/files/lib/active record/connection_adapters/firebird_adapterrb.html
/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/doc /activerecord-1.15.3/ri/ActiveRecord/ConnectionAdapters/FirebirdAdapter/cdesc-Fi rebirdAdapter.yaml
/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/doc /activerecord-1.15.3/ri/ActiveRecord/ConnectionAdapters/FirebirdColumn/cdesc-Fir ebirdColumn.yaml
/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/doc /activerecord-1.15.6/rdoc/classes/ActiveRecord/ConnectionAdapters/FirebirdAdapte r.html
/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/doc /activerecord-1.15.6/rdoc/files/lib/active record/connection_adapters/firebird_adapterrb.html
/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/doc /activerecord-1.15.6/ri/ActiveRecord/ConnectionAdapters/FirebirdAdapter/cdesc-Fi rebirdAdapter.yaml
/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/doc /activerecord-1.15.6/ri/ActiveRecord/ConnectionAdapters/FirebirdColumn/cdesc-Fir ebirdColumn.yaml
/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gem s/activerecord-1.15.3/lib/active record/connection_adapters/firebirdadapter.rb
/System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gem s/activerecord-1.15.6/lib/active record/connection_adapters/firebirdadapter.rb

Yes I have the Ruby files here.

I am trying to figure out what I install on all computers here. We have a Xerox printer with a Fiery rip and I install the Fiery Command Workstation software.

I found this thread "Removing CWS5 from Intel Mac"
http://fieryforums.efi.com/showthread.php?p=2105

They mention there that a Firebird.framework" folder should be removed.

Are you guys using Command Workstation?

I can not find any documentation about Firebird being included in their software. The only place I could see it mentioned was that uninstall information.

I am a web developer and also maintain the Macs at our office. I try new things all the time so my machine can have all sorts of junk. But the photographer only use Mail, Safari and Photoshop. So when I saw that he also has the firebird user I tried to figure out the common denominator and that is the printer. So I think CWS is the root but I cant be 100% sure of course.

I could see two different behaviours when I cloned our Macs to new hardware. One computer said that I could ignore the firebird user and it was empty (no subfolders). The rest of the computers did not say this and they showed some sub folders under the firebird account.

I dont mind that Fiery use open source technology for their needs but this looks like a bug in their software and if so they should address this.

If you have contact with them over the phone please show them this page. It would be very interesting to know their take on this.

Images
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/231879/mac/migration.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/231879/mac/after_migration.jpg