How to add new user accounts to the BVG machines

The unix workstations that belong to the Machine Listening Group (a/k/a BVG or BHG) use the 'Yellow Pages'/'Network Information Services' mechanism to distribute a central user/password database across the four SGIs, two Alphas and four DECstations. This page takes you through the steps necessary for adding a new user account, including updating this database.

Creating a new user account

  1. It will make things more convenient when accessing files from different machines if the new user has the same user id number on the BVG machines as on media lab. If the new user is to have accounts on both media-lab and BVG, get syspro to create the new account on media-lab first, then find the user id there, probably with rsh media-lab grep <username> /etc/passwd.

  2. If the user will only have an account on BVG and not on media-lab, you need to choose a new user id number. It would be nice to avoid conflicts with media-lab user accounts. I've been using large numbers (like 31800's) for Barry's class members; other random guests might be well served by low numbers (like 10000).
    Note: The DecStations are unable to handle uids greater than 32000. Play accordingly

  3. The master YP/NIS server machine is KEW.MEDIA.MIT.EDU. Thus, to add to the central password file you must operate as root on there. Login to KEW, then sudo emacs /etc/passwd.yp , the master password file.

  4. Add the new passwd entry line. This should be a direct clone of the line returned by the grep in step 1, or by analogy with the other lines in the file.

  5. However, make a new home directory (the second-to-last field). In general, real people have their homes as /ti/u/<user> , urops on /ti/urop/<user> (which is actually on /ut) and students of Barry's class go into /ti/class/<user> (also on /ut).

  6. Update the YP databases: on KEW, cd /usr/etc/yp; sudo ./ypmake passwd

  7. Now you have to create the new home directory (the one you nominated in (5)). The default new user directory should have some basic files such as .chsrc, .login, .plan etc. The easiest way to do all this at once is (for a new user directory in /ti/u):

    cd /ti/u
    sudo /bin/cp -r proto <user>
    sudo chown -R <user> <user>/

     The /ti/u/proto is a prototype user directory which will need occasional updating.

  8. Check that it all worked by fingering the user. That user should be known, and should have the prototype plan: "[your plan here]".
That should be it.

DAn Ellis <dpwe@media.mit.edu>
MIT Media Lab Perceptual Computing