There are four ways to create users in OS X Server 5, running on El Capitan or Yosemite. The first is using the Server app, the second is using Workgroup Manager (which barely works in OS X El Capitan and won’t install in El Capitan by default), the third is using the Users & Groups System Preference pane and the fourth is using the command line. In this article we will look at creating users in the Server app.
To do so, open the Server app and connect to your server. Then click on the Users entry in the ACCOUNTS list. The list of users is displayed, based on the directory domain(s) being browsed. A directory domain is a repository of account data, which can include local users, local network users and users in a shared directory service such as Open Directory and Active Directory.
The drop-down list allows you to see objects that are stored locally as well as on a shared directory server. Therefore, clicking All Users will show all of the accounts accessible by the system. Click on the plus sign to create a new account. At this point, if the server has been promoted to an Open Directory Master, the account will be a local network account, with no way of choosing a different location to store the account in the Server app.
When prompted, provide the following information about the new user:
- Full Name: Usually the first and last name of the user.
- Account Name: A shorter representation of that name with no spaces or special characters.
- Email address: The email address to use if the account is going over quotas, has calendar invitations sent, or used for email hosted on the server, etc.
- Password: The password the user will use to access services on the server.
- Verify: The password a second time to make sure there are no spelling errors.
- Allow user to administer this server: Optional field that grants the user administrative access to the server.
- Home Folder: Optional field that by default creates local home directories for users that use the account but that also allows you to select a directory shared using the File Sharing service as a location for home folders. Each user in OS X has a home folder, this option defines whether that folder will reside on their computer or on a central server.
- Limit Disk Usage To: Define the amount of space an account can take up on servers.
- Keywords: Keywords, or tags, for the user.
- Notes: Any notes you want to enter into the user record.
Note: Optionally, you can also drag an image onto the image shown in the New User screen if you’d like the user to have an avatar.
Once the account details are as you would like, click on the Done button. The account will then be displayed in the list of available accounts. You can still create local accounts but must do so in the Users & Groups System Preference pane, through Workgroup Manager or through the command line. If the server has not been made an Open Directory server then you would be creating local users through the Server app.
Once the account is created, highlight it and click on the cog wheel icon below the list of accounts. Here, you have the option to edit the account you just created, edit their access to services hosted on the server, configure email information and change their password.
Click Edit User. Here, you have two new features. You can add the user to groups and use the checkbox for “log in” to disable the account.
Click Cancel and then using the cog wheel menu again, click on Edit Access to Services. Here, uncheck each service that the user should not have access to. If the service isn’t running then it’s not a big deal. You can highlight multiple accounts concurrently and then use this option to disable services for users en masse.
