In single user mode is it possible to create a user

Question

in single user mode is it possible to create a user using the niutil command. if so, can the user be given admin status so that software can be added to the system.
if it's possible could you post a link to how this is done or tell me if you have time.
thanks very much,
g.

Answer 1

the short answer is yes, you can add users in single user mode and make them admins.
i usually add users on the command line like so:
(i don't have any attribution for this script, but i found it online somewhere. i used to do less than this when adding users.)
#!/bin/sh
echo "Enter username:"
read newuser
echo "Enter the full name for user $newuser's:"
read long_name
echo "Will $newuser be an Admin user (y/N)?"
read is_admin
new_uid=`nidump passwd . | awk -F: '{print $3f}' | sort -n|tail -1`
new_uid=`expr $new_uid + 1`
nicl . -create /users/$newuser
nicl . -create /users/$newuser uid $new_uid
nicl . -create /users/$newuser realname "$long_name"
nicl . -create /users/$newuser passwd ""
nicl . -create /users/$newuser gid 20
nicl . -create /users/$newuser shell "/bin/tcsh"
nicl . -create /users/$newuser home "/Users/$newuser"
nicl . -create /users/$newuser writerspasswd $newuser
passwd $newuser
ditto /System/Library/UserTemplate/English.lproj /Users/$newuser
chown -R $newuser:staff /Users/$newuser
nicl . -read /users/$newuser
if [ "$is_admin" = Y -o "$is_admin" = y ]
then
nicl . -append /groups/wheel users $newuser
nicl . -append /groups/admin users $newuser
nicl . -read /groups/wheel
nicl . -read /groups/admin
fi
also, when you're in SUM, you're root, so you can just type sh /etc/rc to start the necessary subsystems and install what you want.