Adding a guest user

absolutezero1287 · 2009-02-21 01:44:13

How do I add a guest user and set it up so that the guest user can use X and all that.

Also, when I start arch it goes directly to console. I like this as opposed to a log in manager. With the help of my fellow archers I added arguments to the xinitrc so that typing "xinit xfce" executes xfce4-session, "xinit X" starts an xterm, etc. etc. Upon starting up I get the login: prompt. Is there any way that I can make it say "type xinit xfce to use the gui, password for guest is blah". Just a small disclaimer to help people who have no idea how to use Linux but want to use my printer.

I've added a guest user before but I could never get the guest user to be able to use X or anything. Any help would be appreciated.

P.S. The guest user is only there because I have the only printer in the house and I don't want to give out my password. Adding a guest user would allow people to print when I'm away.

u_no_hu · 2009-02-21 04:10:34

/etc/issue ?

absolutezero1287 · 2009-02-21 05:04:36

Ok I modified the /etc/issue. That takes care of that problem.
Now onto the next one!

I've added a guest user before but I could never get the guest user to be able to use X or anything. Any help would be appreciated.

As I said earlier, the guest user was unable to use any programs at all. How can I rectify this problem?

tam1138 · 2009-02-21 06:07:30

absolutezero1287 wrote:

The guest user is only there because I have the only printer in the house and I don't want to give out my password. Adding a guest user would allow people to print when I'm away.

Are all the computerse in the house on the same network? Would setting up your machine to allow other machines to use the printer over the network solve your problem? The latter solution seems much better from many angles, though I don't know what other constraints you're working with. If it does turn out to be feasible, check out samba (assuming the other machines are Windows) or cups.

absolutezero1287 · 2009-02-21 06:18:25

Their is only one other machine which is windows. There may be another in the future. My box has a wireless router attached to it so that the other computer may access the internet. I don't know if the wireless connection can be used for printing though.

tam1138 · 2009-02-21 18:44:48

Correct me if I'm wrong, but you're saying that you have a wireless router connected to your cable modem or DSL modem or whatever, and then your machine is connected by a wire to this router and the other machine connects wirelessly to the router, and then both can access the internet? If this is the case, it should be pretty easy to set up network printing. If not, let us know what the case is and we'll try to figure something out.

absolutezero1287 · 2009-02-21 23:12:48

[MY computer]---[Cable Router]====[Wireless Router]==[Ethernet]
^============================^

[My Room] ))))wireless g))))[Brother's room/Windows box]

That's more or less how it is at my house. I didn't think that I could use my Linksys router to allow other people to print. Would this still work if my computer was turned off?

tam1138 · 2009-02-21 23:31:21

Ah, no, that design will not allow you to print, not without playing more tricks than I'm willing to recommend.

In either case, though, your computer would have to be on for other people to print. The other option is to get a print server like one of these, to which you connect the printer, and then your computer doesn't have to be on to print.

absolutezero1287 · 2009-02-21 23:37:11

Looks nice but I don't have any cash at the moment. What would I have to do? Change the router's firmware? Really dirty/unsafe hack?

If all else fails, just help me with the guest user thing, lol.

tam1138 · 2009-02-22 18:21:27

All you'd have to do is take the cable router out of the setup: just plug your computer directly into the wireless router, then set up samba to share the printer. If you wanted to keep the cable router in the mix... No, I don't want to go there.

What process are you using to add a guest user? Does useradd/adduser not work for you?

absolutezero1287 · 2009-02-23 09:12:46

Useradd and all other commandline methods work just fine. The problem is that the guest user can't do anything except use a bash login shell. Also, I can't remove the cable router, otherwise no one would have internet access.

I don't see why I would need to, though. I can control both routers from this box eeasily.

More than one person has suggested using Samba too. One person gave me this 300 page PDF and my first thought was....way too long. I couldn't get my head around it nor do I have the time to read something that long.

tam1138 · 2009-02-23 19:58:45

"The guest user can't do anything except use a bash login shell" is vague to the point of being useless. What operations fail? How do they fail?

I think we're either using different terminology with regards to "routers" because, in the traditional sense, you only need one to do what you're (presumably) doing. But no matter.

Google seems to have promising results for "samba share printer".

absolutezero1287 · 2009-02-23 23:20:15

Well, the router that I have is the "access point". The other computer connects to the internet though my router/access point.

For one thing, X won't start at all. I don't really remember what the error was. I'll have to get back to you on that.

tam1138 · 2009-02-24 00:14:02

Many "access points" also act as "routers" and the distinction is salient, especially for your purposes, and often more subtle than many people can get their heads around.

In regards to your user-creation issue, I suggest you check out this document; it will help you get quicker, more effective assistance in the future.

absolutezero1287 · 2009-02-24 01:10:20

Well the big ol' sticker on the router reads as Wireless G Broadband router, therefore I call it a router. I apologize if there was any ambiguity or confusion.

tam1138 · 2009-02-24 01:21:59

If it says router, and you haven't tweaked it to not be a router, then it's a router. It may also be an access point, but the important part for the purposes of our discussion is that it's a router.

absolutezero1287 · 2009-02-24 01:42:23

Ok, then.

So I added the guest user...again. And I will attempt to perform various tasks that a normal guest at my PC would want to do. Otherwise I will try using Samba. I'll post results and any error message that I get along the way.

Last edited by absolutezero1287 (2009-02-24 01:43:39)

Zetsumei · 2009-02-24 02:04:00

Why can't you do this:

Wireless Router connects to the cable box, and then connect each computer to the router. That way you can share files, printers, etc without your computer being on. I find it weird you're going from your computer to the modem and then to the router. Seems stupid to me and less productive. Try connecting the cable to the MAIN port on the router to the modem, and then each computer to the router. It'll solve 99% of your issues. Then just share the printer.

tam1138 · 2009-02-24 04:41:23

Right, yes, good call. I'd gotten bogged down in minutiae and glossed over that. That is indeed the correct solution if you want to go down the path of setting up samba. Thanks for pointing it out.

absolutezero1287 · 2009-02-24 21:58:04

It pretty much is set up like that. My computer is the only one that is connected directly to the internet. All others recieve wireless. Here's a diagram I made in GIMP to better illustrate my connection.

tam1138 · 2009-02-24 23:00:53

Ah! In that case, samba should work right away.

absolutezero1287 · 2009-02-25 00:13:43

Update: The guest user is working perfectly and I have restricted access to sudo.

Can I get some tips on setting up the printer with samba?
Also, if I'm not mistaken I would have to have my computer on constantly for samba to work.

tam1138 · 2009-02-25 00:24:42

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=samba+share+printer

Yes, your computer would have to be on. But your computer would have to be on for a guest user to print anyway, so now you're dealing with the trade-off in convenience between your brother printing from his own machine or having to copy the file to your machine, walk over, log in, start X, open the file, and print it. Not to mention quitting X, logging out, and shutting down your machine.

Last edited by tam1138 (2009-02-25 00:25:42)

absolutezero1287 · 2009-02-25 05:27:47

Ok, I'm out to do some research and set up samba. There's probably dozens of how-tos.
Thank you.

Arch Linux

#1 2009-02-21 01:44:13

Adding a guest user

#2 2009-02-21 04:10:34

Re: Adding a guest user

#3 2009-02-21 05:04:36

Re: Adding a guest user

#4 2009-02-21 06:07:30

Re: Adding a guest user

#5 2009-02-21 06:18:25

Re: Adding a guest user

#6 2009-02-21 18:44:48

Re: Adding a guest user

#7 2009-02-21 23:12:48

Re: Adding a guest user

#8 2009-02-21 23:31:21

Re: Adding a guest user

#9 2009-02-21 23:37:11

Re: Adding a guest user

#10 2009-02-22 18:21:27

Re: Adding a guest user

#11 2009-02-23 09:12:46

Re: Adding a guest user

#12 2009-02-23 19:58:45

Re: Adding a guest user

#13 2009-02-23 23:20:15

Re: Adding a guest user

#14 2009-02-24 00:14:02

Re: Adding a guest user

#15 2009-02-24 01:10:20

Re: Adding a guest user

#16 2009-02-24 01:21:59

Re: Adding a guest user

#17 2009-02-24 01:42:23

Re: Adding a guest user

#18 2009-02-24 02:04:00

Re: Adding a guest user

#19 2009-02-24 04:41:23

Re: Adding a guest user

#20 2009-02-24 21:58:04

Re: Adding a guest user

#21 2009-02-24 23:00:53

Re: Adding a guest user

#22 2009-02-25 00:13:43

Re: Adding a guest user

#23 2009-02-25 00:24:42

Re: Adding a guest user

#24 2009-02-25 05:27:47

Re: Adding a guest user

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