Mac OS X: The Missing Manual, Tiger Edition

Logging Out

When you're finished using the Mac, choose a→Log Out (or press Shift-c-Q). A confirmation message appears; if you click Cancel or press Esc, you return to whatever you were doing. If you click Log Out, or press Return, you return to the screen shown in Figure 12-1, and the entire sign-in cycle begins again.

Tip

If you press Option as you choose a→Log Out (or as you press c-Q), the confirmation box doesn't appear.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION: Shared Data Files

My wife and my eight-year-old kid share my Mac. Over the years, we've amassed a fabulous collection of MP3 files, but at the moment, I'm the only one who sees them in iTunes. This business of separate environments for every account holder is all well and good, but what about when we want to access the same files–like our iTunes library?

The problem is that the iTunes library is stored in the Music folder of just one person. Fortunately, the solution is easy enough.

Whoever is the administrator–probably your eight-year-old–should move the iTunes folder (currently in somebody's Music folder) to the Users→Shared folder. Now it's available to everybody.

At this point, each account holder can log in, fire up iTunes, choose iTunes→Preferences→Advanced, and click the Change button to choose the relocated iTunes Music folder in the Shared folder.

From now on, each person will be able to see and access the entire library of iTunes tunes, but will still enjoy the flexibility to build individual playlists.