Terminal command that will let me access old username files...

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Level 1

26 points

Terminal command that will let me access old username files...

... including files saved by timemachine? I've had a lot of computer problems, first wiped the drive. It was a chore getting old folders like "desktop" and "downloads" to open for me with my new username and for some reason I wasn't permitted by the system to use the OLD username. I had to go to every folder and every item in every folder and reset permissions.

Now, it seems, I need a new drive. Which means I have to do all those things AGAIN! Plus re-install software.

Is there a terminal command that will let me access old timemachine drives (plural) with (unfortunately) multiple usernames?

Please don't lecture me! I know I've been hopelessly stupid and inefficient. I promise to do better. At least I DID back up.

Posted on Nov 2, 2012 10:45 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

disguise

Level 2

452 points

Nov 2, 2012 11:38 AM in response to nowsthetime

"sudo" comes to mind

in Terminal type and hit return

man sudo

I'm thinking "sudo -u username ls ~username"

where "username" is whatever OLD user you have.

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Answer 2

baltwo

Level 9

62,362 points

Nov 2, 2012 1:12 PM in response to nowsthetime

Become more efficient, using something like Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper! to make a bootable backup/clone of your current boot volume. Then, restoration is independent and testable without depending on Apple's one-trick pony known as Time Machine.

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Answer 3

nowsthetime Author

Level 1

26 points

Nov 2, 2012 2:53 PM in response to disguise

Thank you thank you but I don't understand. Which parts do I type? Not "I'm thinking?" or do i type that too?

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Answer 4

nowsthetime Author

Level 1

26 points

Nov 2, 2012 2:55 PM in response to disguise

So the username with the tilde is the new user name?

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Answer 5

disguise

Level 2

452 points

Nov 2, 2012 3:18 PM in response to nowsthetime

what you type is

man sudo

I presented an example, which when executed will run as "username" and display the contents of their home directory - the meaning of "ls ~username"

I suspect that this is going over your head.

double-click Applications -> Utilities -> Terminal

type and hit enter

/bin/csh

This command starts the C-Shell command line interpreter. The ~ (tilde) character is translated by the C-Shell as the users home directory. For example, "ls ~" will display the contents of my home directory (folder) which is /Users/disguise

You man want to read up on C-Shell and UNIX commands.

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Answer 6

baltwo

Level 9

62,362 points

Nov 2, 2012 3:43 PM in response to disguise

FWIW, bash is the default Unix shell for Mac OS X and OS X, so no need to confuse things running csh or other shells.😉

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Answer 7

nowsthetime Author

Level 1

26 points

Nov 3, 2012 12:14 PM in response to nowsthetime

Yes, I am in over my head, and this last post confused me even more 😢 Fortunately, at this point my computer has crashed again and the hard drive has been replaced, and this time I set it up as the user I have been all along instead of as a new user. So I used a mix of backups to get up and running. Now if I can just get carbonite going again... P.S. I do plan to study how to do terminal commands. I've used some in the past which were terrifically useful.

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