Enterprise Mac Security: Mac OS X Snow Leopard

3.4. Working with Local Directory Services

Users accounts in Mac OS X client can come from a variety of locations. But by default, they all reside in what is known as a local directory service. The local directory data resides primarily in the folder found at /private/var/db/dslocal. This folder, which will require elevated privileges to access, contains numerous files pertaining to the computer's directory service configuration. For instance, accounts for Users and Groups are stored in flat property list (.plist) files nested in the /private/var/db/dslocal/nodes/Default directory. Users are stored in property lists located in the /private/var/db/dslocal/nodes/Default/users folder, while groups are stored property lists in the /private/var/db/dslocal/nodes/Default/groups ...