Initial Query

i'm creating lots of accounts for our macOS systems, and i want to hide the administrative accounts from being listed to the primary user. how do i do that?

LLM Generation

Query

i'm creating lots of accounts for our macOS systems, and i want to hide the administrative accounts from being listed to the primary user. how do i do that?

Output

To hide administrative accounts from showing up on the login screen and in the Users & Groups preference pane on macOS, you can modify certain settings to make those accounts invisible. Here’s how you can do it: ### Using Terminal 1. **Open Terminal:** You can find Terminal in Applications > Utilities. Alternatively, use Spotlight by pressing `Command + Space`, then type “Terminal” and press `Enter`. 2. **Run the following command:** Replace `admin_username` with the actual username of the administrative account you wish to hide.

This command creates an attribute called `IsHidden` with a value of `1` for that user, effectively making the account hidden. 3. **Remove the user from the list of login window users:** Run the following command to exclude the user from the macOS login window: 4. **Reboot the system:** After configuring these settings, reboot your macOS system for the changes to take effect. ### Additional Settings - **Hide Home Directory:** You may also want to hide the home directory of the admin user by moving it to a non-visible location: **Note:** Make sure you know how to access this directory later if needed, as it will not be easily accessible through Finder. ### Accessing Hidden Accounts Even when an account is hidden, you can still log in by entering the username manually: - **Login Screen:** At the login screen, click "Other" (if available) and enter the username and password of the hidden account. ### Important Considerations - **Backup Data:** Always ensure that you have backups of any important data before making changes to user accounts and system settings. - **Account Access:** Ensure you remember the credentials of the hidden accounts, as forgetting them can complicate access. This approach allows you to maintain certain accounts that are necessary for system administration while keeping them out of sight from standard users.

Check if all of the following conditions are true:

Substring Evaluation

Testing if the previous output contains the string /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow: True

Substring Evaluation

Testing if the previous output contains the string Hide500Users: False

Substring Evaluation

Testing if the previous output contains the string IsHidden: True

Substring Evaluation

Testing if the previous output contains the string sudo dscl . create: True

Final Answer: False

Initial Query

i'm creating lots of accounts for our macOS systems, and i want to hide the administrative accounts from being listed to the primary user. how do i do that?

LLM Generation

Query

i'm creating lots of accounts for our macOS systems, and i want to hide the administrative accounts from being listed to the primary user. how do i do that?

Output

To hide administrative accounts on macOS, you can set specific accounts to not appear on the login screen or in System Preferences. This is usually done by modifying the user's UID (User ID) or using the `Hide500Users` key in the system's preferences. Follow these steps to hide the admin accounts: ### Method 1: Change UID 1. **Create the Admin Account**: First, make sure you have created the admin accounts you want to hide. 2. **Change the UID**: Open the Terminal app, and use a command similar to the following to change the user's UID to a value below 500. macOS typically doesn’t display users with UIDs below 500:

Replace `hiddenadmin` with the actual username of the admin account you wish to hide. Note that using an ID below 1000 is generally safe, but traditionally 500 is a boundary not shown in the login window. 3. **Verify Changes**: Check that the UID has been updated correctly: ### Method 2: Use the `Hide500Users` Key (macOS High Sierra and later) 1. **Open Terminal**: Open the Terminal app. 2. **Set the `Hide500Users` Key**: Use the following command: This command tells macOS to hide users with UIDs above 500 from the login window. 3. **Restart the Mac**: The changes will take effect after you restart the Mac. ### Additional Considerations - **Keep a Recovery Option**: Make sure you have a method of accessing these hidden accounts, such as logging in via SSH or through the Terminal after logging in as another user. - **Testing**: Test thoroughly to ensure that you can still perform administrative tasks and access the hidden account when needed. - **Privacy**: Be aware of the privacy implications and ensure users are informed of any monitoring or access policies if applicable. By following these methods, the admin accounts should no longer appear on the login screen, providing a cleaner interface for the primary user. Always ensure you have the necessary permissions and have backed up important data before making these changes.

Check if all of the following conditions are true:

Substring Evaluation

Testing if the previous output contains the string /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow: True

Substring Evaluation

Testing if the previous output contains the string Hide500Users: True

Substring Evaluation

Testing if the previous output contains the string IsHidden: False

Substring Evaluation

Testing if the previous output contains the string sudo dscl . create: False

Final Answer: False

Initial Query

i'm creating lots of accounts for our macOS systems, and i want to hide the administrative accounts from being listed to the primary user. how do i do that?

LLM Generation

Query

i'm creating lots of accounts for our macOS systems, and i want to hide the administrative accounts from being listed to the primary user. how do i do that?

Output

To hide administrative accounts from the login screen and the Users & Groups preference pane on macOS, you can use the following approach. Note that you should be careful when hiding user accounts, especially administrative ones, as this can affect system management if you forget credentials or something goes wrong. ### Using Terminal: 1. **Find the User's UID:** First, you need to retrieve the User ID (UID) of the account you wish to hide. Open Terminal and type this command, replacing "username" with the actual username:

Make note of the UID value. 2. **Hide the User Account:** Use Terminal to hide the account. Replace "username" with the account's username: 3. **Prevent the Account from Appearing in the Login Screen:** You can also set the UID to be less than 500. This effectively hides the account from the macOS login screen. Replace `UID` with a number less than 500 (ensure it's unique and doesn't conflict with existing system accounts): Note: If you already retrieved a UID from step 1, simply ensure it's less than 500 instead of changing it. 4. **Hide User’s Home Folder (Optional):** If you also want to hide the user's home directory from appearing in the Finder, you can prepend a period to the folder name. You should only do this if you are certain it will not disrupt any services or access needed for the user. 5. **Reboot or Log out** to see the changes take effect. ### Unhide the Account: If you need to unhide the user later, you can reverse these changes: 1. **Unhide the User Account:** 2. **Change the UID Back:** Make sure it can be seen by returning the UID to a value 501 or higher: 3. **Rename the Home Directory Back (if applicable):** ### Important Considerations: - **Backup Data:** Always ensure you have a backup of important data before making significant system changes. - **Do Not Hide Critical Accounts:** Ensure you can access an administrator account at all times to manage your system or revert changes if necessary. - **Security Risks:** Hiding accounts does not enhance security; ensure that all accounts are protected with strong passwords. Ensure you are performing these actions with the proper understanding of each command's implications, particularly in a multi-user or organizational environment.

Check if all of the following conditions are true:

Substring Evaluation

Testing if the previous output contains the string /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow: False

Substring Evaluation

Testing if the previous output contains the string Hide500Users: False

Substring Evaluation

Testing if the previous output contains the string IsHidden: True

Substring Evaluation

Testing if the previous output contains the string sudo dscl . create: True

Final Answer: False

Initial Query

i'm creating lots of accounts for our macOS systems, and i want to hide the administrative accounts from being listed to the primary user. how do i do that?

LLM Generation

Query

i'm creating lots of accounts for our macOS systems, and i want to hide the administrative accounts from being listed to the primary user. how do i do that?

Output

If you want to hide administrative accounts from the list of users in the macOS login window and System Preferences, you can do this by making some changes in the terminal. Here's a step-by-step guide: 1. **Open Terminal**: You can find Terminal in the Applications > Utilities folder or by searching for it with Spotlight (press Command + Space and type "Terminal"). 2. **Hide the Account**: Use the following command to hide a specific user account. Replace "username" with the short name of the account you want to hide:

This command modifies the Directory Service to set the `IsHidden` attribute to `1`, effectively hiding the account. 3. **Set the User ID Above 500**: Although this step might not be necessary if the accounts are already administrative, ensure that the account user ID is above 500, which is required for administrative accounts: Replace `oldID` with the current user ID and `newID` with a number above 500 that is not already in use. 4. **Verify the Changes**: You can list the hidden users to verify that changes are applied: This will list all users with the `IsHidden` property set. 5. **Additional Configuration (Optional)**: If you want to prevent the hidden accounts from being accessible in the fast user switching menu, you might also want to modify some settings in the Display Login Window UI: Open Terminal and input the following command to disable showing users in the fast user switching menu: 6. **Logout and Verify**: Log out or restart your computer to check that the user no longer appears in the login window or System Preferences under Users & Groups. Make sure you have backup or administrative access in case you need to revert changes or troubleshoot any issues. Remember, deleting or hiding administrative accounts can impact system management or recovery tasks, so proceed with caution.

Check if all of the following conditions are true:

Substring Evaluation

Testing if the previous output contains the string /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow: True

Substring Evaluation

Testing if the previous output contains the string Hide500Users: False

Substring Evaluation

Testing if the previous output contains the string IsHidden: True

Substring Evaluation

Testing if the previous output contains the string sudo dscl . create: True

Final Answer: False

Initial Query

i'm creating lots of accounts for our macOS systems, and i want to hide the administrative accounts from being listed to the primary user. how do i do that?

LLM Generation

Query

i'm creating lots of accounts for our macOS systems, and i want to hide the administrative accounts from being listed to the primary user. how do i do that?

Output

To hide administrative accounts from the login screen on macOS, you can use the Terminal to modify some system files or settings. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it: ### Using Terminal to Hide a User Account: 1. **Open Terminal:** - You can do this by searching for "Terminal" in Spotlight or finding it in `Applications > Utilities`. 2. **Hide the User Account:** - Use the following command to hide a specific user account. Replace `username` with the actual username you wish to hide:

- Alternatively, you can set the user’s `IsHidden` attribute: 3. **Restart System Preferences:** - To ensure the changes take effect, restart the System Preferences or simply reboot your Mac. ### Additional Tips: - **Hide Home Directory (Optional):** If you also wish to hide the user's home directory, you can move it to a hidden location: Ensure you update any necessary login and accessibility permissions since this can affect user data accessibility. - **Show the Account Again:** If you ever need to unhide the account, you can reverse these commands: **or** Move the home directory back to the `/Users` folder: ### Note: - These changes typically require administrative access to perform. - Be cautious while executing commands in Terminal, as incorrect commands can affect system functionality. - Always make sure you have a backup of important data before making these changes. These steps can help you manage administrative accounts effectively, ensuring that only intended users have visibility on shared systems.

Check if all of the following conditions are true:

Substring Evaluation

Testing if the previous output contains the string /Library/Preferences/com.apple.loginwindow: False

Substring Evaluation

Testing if the previous output contains the string Hide500Users: False

Substring Evaluation

Testing if the previous output contains the string IsHidden: True

Substring Evaluation

Testing if the previous output contains the string sudo dscl . create: True

Final Answer: False