Mac OS X Leopard: The Missing Manual

Setting Up the Login Process

Once you've set up more than one account, the dialog box shown in Figure 12-1 appears whenever you turn on the Mac, whenever you choose → Log Out, or whenever the Mac logs you out automatically (Logout Options). But a few extra controls let you, an administrator, set up either more or less security at the login screen—or, put another way, build in less or more convenience.

POWER USERS' CLINIC: The Secret Account Options

Anyone who knows Mac OS X very well might object to one sentence in this section: "If you're an administrator, you can change your own account in any way you like."

Because everybody knows that there's one aspect of an account that even an admin can't change: the account's short name. Once that's created, it's yours forever, or at least until you delete the account.

Now, you won't find this feature listed on Apple's "300 New Leopard Features" Web page, but it's true: In Leopard, there's now a secret way to pick a different short name. You can't easily change the one you created originally, but you can create another one—shorter, more memorable—that also works when you're logging in or authenticating yourself.

To find it, Control-click (or right-click) the account's name in the list at the left side of the Accounts panel in System Preferences. From the shortcut menu, choose Advanced Options.

The strange and wonderful Advanced Options panel appears. ...