Managing users and groups is a fundamental aspect of system administration, ensuring that the right people have the appropriate access to resources. On macOS, this process is streamlined through both graphical interfaces and command-line tools. This article will guide you through the essential steps to manage users and groups on macOS, highlighting the importance of these tasks for system security and organization.

Examples:

Creating a New User via System Preferences

1. Open System Preferences.
2. Click on Users & Groups.
3. Click the lock icon and enter an administrator name and password.
4. Click the + button below the list of users.
5. Fill in the new user's details, such as Full Name, Account Name, Password, and Verify.
6. Click Create User.

Creating a New User via Terminal

You can also create a new user account using the Terminal. This is particularly useful for scripting or remote management.

sudo sysadminctl -addUser newusername -fullName "New User" -password "userpassword"

Creating a New Group via Terminal

To create a new group, use the dseditgroup command:

sudo dseditgroup -o create newgroup

Adding a User to a Group

To add a user to a group, you can use the following command:

sudo dseditgroup -o edit -a newusername -t user newgroup

Listing Users and Groups

To list all users on the system:

dscl . list /Users

To list all groups on the system:

dscl . list /Groups

Deleting a User

To delete a user account via Terminal:

sudo sysadminctl -deleteUser newusername

Deleting a Group

To delete a group:

sudo dseditgroup -o delete newgroup

Modifying User Account Details

To change a user's password:

sudo dscl . -passwd /Users/newusername newpassword

To change a user's shell:

sudo chsh -s /bin/zsh newusername

Practical Use Case

Suppose you need to create a new user for a temporary project and add them to a specific group for access control. You can execute the following commands:

1. Create the user:

   sudo sysadminctl -addUser tempuser -fullName "Temporary User" -password "temppassword"

2. Create a project group:

   sudo dseditgroup -o create projectgroup

3. Add the user to the project group:

   sudo dseditgroup -o edit -a tempuser -t user projectgroup

4. Verify the user is added to the group:

   dscl . read /Groups/projectgroup

By following these steps, you ensure that the temporary user has the necessary access while maintaining system security and organization.