ReadMe for Enable ident and Disable ident AppleScripts for Mac OS X GM

31 March, 2001

  
These AppleScript applications enable ident , or disable ident, for the user who needs 
ident enabled to use Internet Relay Chat and do so without using the Terminal.

Some IRC networks like DalNet require ident to be enabled to chat.  They do this 
to make their chat networks safer.

The Enable ident script enables the 'identd' program which provides the 'ident' service.


Basic instructions
------------------

    1. Enable the root user
    2. Log in as the root user
    3. Run either script
    4. Restart your computer
    5. Disable the root user



Detailed instructions
---------------------

1. Enable the root user

-   Launch the NetInfo Manager application from the Finder.  
  NetInfo Manager is in the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder.

-   Authenticate by selecting from the menu bar: 
  Domain > Security > Authenticate...  It will ask for a "Unix administrator's 
  name and password" even though it's Mac OS X.  The name and password for 
  this are the name and password of the 'administrator' used when initially 
  installing Mac OS X.

-   Enable the root user from the menu bar:  
  Domain > Security > Enable Root User.  You will be asked to create a password 
  for root.  Choose one that will be difficult for anyone to guess.  Using a 
  combination of letters and numbers and making it at least 8 characters long
  is a good idea.

-   Deauthenticate by selecting from the menu bar: 
  Domain > Security > Deauthenticate.

-   Quit NetInfo Manager.



2. Log in as the root user

-   Logging out:
  Log out from the Apple menu.  This is logging out of the normal 
  administration account.  This will quit all running applications.

-   Logging in as root:
  Username is 'root' (without the quotes), password is the passwor set in step 1.



3. Run Enable ident

    Double-click on the Enable ident application and follow the instructions.



4. Restart the computer

-   Restart the computer by selecting 'Restart' from the Apple menu. 

    When it starts up again ident will be enabled.

-   Log into your computer using your normal Administration account,
 i.e. the one originally set up when Mac OS X was installed, not as root.  The account
 used to log in will be shown as the identity on IRC.  If it is root it will most likely 
 make the user a target of various attacks.  In fact, it is best to disable the root 
 user with the NetInfo Manager after enabling or disabling ident (see step 5).



5. Disable the root user

    This is very similar to enabling the root user.

-   Launch the NetInfo Manager application from the Finder.  
  NetInfo Manager is in the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder.

-   Authenticate by selecting from the menu bar:
  Domain > Security > Authenticate...  It will ask for a "Unix administrator's 
  name and password" again.  These are the adminstrator's name and password 
  again, not what was chosen for root.

-   Disable the root user from the menu bar:
  Domain > Security > Disable Root User.

-   Deauthenticate by selecting from the menu bar: 
  Domain > Security > Deauthenticate.

-   Quit NetInfo Manager.



Notes
--------

  The script will not modify anything if the configuration file is missing 
or if the line of text as supplied by Apple is missing from it.

  Error # -5000 "Network file permission error" will occur if the user is not 
logged in as root.  This is normal.  Go back and log in as root.


--------

Thanks to the ops and regulars of DalNet's #Macintosh for helping to make this 
as usable as possible.

This is freeware.  Please redistribute the whole package intact.  Use it if you 
like it; don't blame me if you don't like it.  Spread it around.  Enjoy the 
sunshine.  Call your mother.

Written by Mosquito.  mosquito@netmug.org

This is the first version.