KO! is a simple, user-friendly login system whereby only 'registered users' can gain access to your mac. It can handle various levels of security, from transparent logging of startups, to access blocking.
IMPORTANT:
KO! is designed to keep people out. There are no back doors, and if you forget the password you will have serious problems trying to get back into your computer. There is no simple removal procedure if you don't have the password. I would therefore suggest that you use a password that is simple to remember, or write it down somewhere, until you are sure you can remember it. This sounds really obvious, but you wouldn't believe how many people fall into that trap...
How it works:
There are two parts to the KO! system. The first part is the 'Administrator' program.(the one with the control panel icon), and another program which executes on startup. Since both parts are programs, they are incapable of causing 'INIT' conflicts, and they don't slow down your system at all since the startup program quits after launching the finder.
Normally, every time your mac starts up, the file called 'Finder' is launched. KO! swaps this with it's own startup program and hides the original. In this way, every time you turn on the computer, the replacement program is launched, which determines whether to launch the Finder or shutdown. After launching the Finder it quits, and will stay inactive until the next startup.
To change the KO! settings, you need to open the control panel. If you have set an administrator, you will be asked to enter their password when you open it. The administrator is the person who wants to control access, usually the owner of the machine. From the main panel, you can turn the protection on or off, create/destroy/alter registered users, allow/deny access to guests, and change the administrator. The layout has been designed to be fairly logical, and should be pretty self-explanatory.
Logging:
Every time a user turns the computer on, and logs in, or trys to log in, a note is made of the user who logged in, when they logged in, and whether they managed to. You can view the logs by going into the 'File' menu and selecting the Logs option. Here you can view them in detail, remove or clear them.
Folders:
When you log in with a username, the folder with that username is opened. If you replace the folder with a file, for example an alias to a program or communal folder, that will be opened instead. You will find the folders are all stored within the system folder under “System / Preferences / KO! Users /”. An easy way to open them is to open the control panel, click on the user in the list and select the 'Open Folder' option from the user menu.
Removal:
If you decide that you want to remove protection for some reason, or if an update becomes available that you want to install, you can't just trash the file called finder, or you won't be able to startup your machine. To completely clean your system of KO!, follow the steps below:
1: Open the KO! control panel and turn it off.
2: Move the KO! control panel to the wastebasket.
3: Open the preferences folder, and move the file 'KO! Prefs' and the folder 'KO! Users' to the wastebasket.
4: Select 'Empty Wastebasket' from the 'Special' menu.
Tips:
You don't need to keep the control panel in the system folder. It is the most logical place for it, but it can live on any disk, in any folder and the performance won't be altered. This 'feature' lets you place it on a floppy disk, which you can hide somewhere safe.
Shareware:
This is the complete version. It is shareware, however, and has a trial period of 30 startups. After this time, you will not be able to disable guest access, ie, anyone can startup your mac. If you find yourself using KO! a lot, then I hope you will consider sending the shareware fee of just £5. Benefits include removal of all crippling routines, support and latest updates via eMail.
Send any bug reports, suggestions, comments or the shareware fee to:
Stuart Snaddon,
4 Holmhils Gardens,
Cambuslang,
Glasgow.
Scotland.
or E-Mail me at:
snaddosg@dcs.gla.ac.uk,
the latest version will be available from my web pages at:
http://www.gla.ac.uk/Clubs/WebSoc/~9404524s
Credits:
GroupBox CDEF and 3DButtons CDEF
Written by James G. Stout.
Infinity Windoid WDEF
Written by Troy Gaul.
Disclaimer:
This software is licensed on an “as is” basis. The author provides no warranty of any sort. The user of this software assumes complete responsibility for any direct or indirect damages due to use or misuse of this software.
