Keychain - Multiple Users - Single Mac

Question

Level 1

8 points

Keychain - Multiple Users - Single Mac

My wife and I share a single G4 867ppc (10.4.6) and I want to have two individual accounts, mine as the administrator. I've set them up and each time I test hers (from Safari) I get a Keychain login request.

I obviously don't understand how to correctly use keychains and how to set them up so each user isn't bothered by continual requests to login.

Can anyone either help or point me at a good paper on keychains and multiple user accounts?

Thanks.

G4 867 PPC Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Posted on Apr 24, 2006 8:46 AM

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Answer 1

Apr 24, 2006 9:10 AM in response to BruceS

If I understand your question it seems to me the system is operating as it should. In order for her to use her account, or for you to use her account for that matter would entail that she or you log in to it. To do otherwise would compromise the security of the system.

What you can do is use fast user switching to make the process quicker.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.4/en/mh1787.html

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Answer 2

BruceS Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 24, 2006 9:19 AM in response to Al Van Malsen

The system is behaving as expected but what I want to have happen is for her to be asked only at login for her password, not each time she access an application.

Sorry if I didn't make myself clear. I agree that the passwords are necessary to keep security tight but I believe she should only be asked once, at the start of her session, for her password.

If I login as her and create a login keychain with her current password will that solve the problem? If I do that will her login keychain be stored in her own library and does that get searched first to resolve a password request?

bruce

If I understand your question it seems to me the
system is operating as it should. In order for her to
use her account, or for you to use her account for
that matter would entail that she or you log in to
it. To do otherwise would compromise the security of
the system.

What you can do is use fast user switching to make
the process quicker.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.4/
en/mh1787.html

G4 867 PPC Mac OS X (10.4.2)

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Answer 3

Dr. Smoke

Level 9

56,586 points

Apr 24, 2006 9:52 AM in response to BruceS

Hi, Bruce.

You wrote:

" I've set them up and each time I test hers (from Safari) I get a Keychain login request."

See part "B" of my recent post here. Read any reference therein to "your account" as "her account." 😉

Good luck!

😉 Dr. Smoke
Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X

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Answer 4

Apr 24, 2006 9:33 AM in response to BruceS

You don't need to do anything with the keychain, it operates without any user intervention. The system should only ask her one time to log in on each application. Once she does that and assuming the keychain is operating properly it should remember her and not ask for password again to use the application at a later date. However, if she uses an application for the first time, it will ask if she has never used the application before. The keychain will then store that information in her account.

The keychain stores information for each user separately so that there is one for her and one for you. As she opens apps and uses them the required information should be stored so that she won't be asked again. Same is true for any password protected sites she may visit using Safari. (or the browser of your choice). It may ask the first time, but it should remember after that.

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Answer 5

Chris CA

Level 10

82,513 points

Apr 24, 2006 9:44 AM in response to BruceS

I believe you can set the prefs for the keychain to open for everything at login and/or for each app using it.

Open Keychain Access, located in /Applications/Utilities.
Click Show Keychains if the Keychains list is not open.

Select the keychain for the account and see how it is set up.

Also, run Keychain First Aid.

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Answer 6

BruceS Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 24, 2006 9:39 AM in response to Al Van Malsen

Thanks Al for the information. I suspect that her original keychain is mucked up. If I delete it then will it get recreated with each access to an application?

bruce

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