[GRLUG] multiple login on Mac

[Adam Tauno Williams]

On Sat, 2012-01-07 at 10:19 -0500, Eric Beversluis wrote:
> As I recall, *nix systems are supposed to be able to support multiple
> logins.

This is a bit of an overgeneralization, but generally true.  Android,
for example, is a *nix based system.... that uses the *nix 'user
container' concept in entirely different ways [and is almost inherently
non-multi-user].

> I thought this meant multiple users would get their own session.

No doubt they can; and I've ssh'd into a Mac in the past, so it works.
But what you mean by "session" matters.  This may have more to do with
their display-infrastructure/desktop-environment than if it is, or is
not, *nix.  Mac's entire display-infrastructure is quite a radically
different beast than the quasi-traditional X-server one used on
LINUX/UNIX.

> So I'm wondering if anyone knows if this can be done on Mac and if so,
> how.

I have no technical answer;  but from limited experience and "gut"
premonitions I'd put my chips in the "no" column.  Their DE feels
tightly coupled to the display-system.  A Mac may just host one-and-only
one instance of the DE [think Mac-LTSP.... I can't picture how that
would be possible given my understanding of Mac OS/X].  Don't quote me
on it, but that's my guess.  An actual technical answer would be
interesting.

> I can get remote access/remote management from my Linux box to my wife's
> Mac, but it puts me into the same session as she's in, even tho I'm
> logged in as myself. Is there some way to do remote desktop to her Mac
> and get a second different session for myself?

Sure I can remote a Windows XP box via RDP;  but I can't get my own
session.  And XP [an NT derivative] is unquestionably a technologically
mutli-user system.  But the DE has profoundly single-user concepts.  You
can slather single-user-ness on top of a multi-user system;  that
certainly makes some things simpler for certain purposes.
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