MultiUser support for OS/2

[Martin Iturbide]

Hi

During Warpstock, there was a question if it had been considered for ArcaOS a multiuser support feature. We know that currently there are no plans, and I personally have no need for it, but I feel like it would be interesting to how an OS/2 multiuser support should work, only as an theoretical exercise.

What Multiuser support should provide?
- A way to create roles, usersIDs and password for the OS.
- A logon window when the WPS boots asking for UserID and Password
- A specific location the the user desktop and personal files.
- One user files should not be able to get accessed by other user.

At least this is like the basic things that came to my mind.

Now, I want to ask, there some multiuser software available for OS/2. Do you have some experience (good or bad) with it?

Regards

[Andreas Schnellbacher]

There already exist a few packages for that. Some disadvantages are:

• More shared memory consumption
• No real security because the OS doesn't provide that.

IMO multi-user is a feature for business systems and networking. It's a long time ago since OS/2 was used for that.

[Sean Casey]

Mergent International's PC/DACS provided authentication and single sign-on.   Syntegration's The Secure Workplace provided authentication and also discretionary access controls at a user and group level. 

[Dave Yeo]

• No real security because the OS doesn't provide that.

Well Warp Server did support ACL's with HPFS386, which regular HPFS respected. Seems that JFS also supports ACL's.

Just changing %HOME% (and perhaps a couple of other things) can give minimal multi-user support where each user has there own settings.
When my Son was about 4 years old and interested in the one household computer, I switched to Linux for a year or more, so much better knowing that he could only damage his own environment, then he got his own computer. At least he grew up using multiple operating systems, especially as he had a Mac at school.

[Martin Iturbide]

Hi

I just wanted to list the applications that we have available that in someway may cover this necessity.

- Security/2 0.4.5 (2005-11-17) - Freeware for Personal Use
- MultiDesk 0.2.0 (2001) - Open source GNU GPL.
- The Secure Workplace - 4.72 Professional Edition - Commercial Software.
- Login 0.4 (Mar 1994)  - Open source GNU GPL

Any other software I may be missing on this list?

Regards

[Pete]

Hi Martin

You can add WPSac (Workplace Shell Access Control) and WPSam to your list - I think you cover both of these in the os2wiki... found them
 https://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/WPSac
 https://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/WPSam


Regards

Pete

[Martin Iturbide]

You can add WPSac (Workplace Shell Access Control) and WPSam to your list - I think you cover both of these in the os2wiki... found them
 https://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/WPSac
 https://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/WPSam

Thanks Pete, I forgot about those. Let's add those to the list.

- Security/2 0.4.5 (2005-11-17) - Freeware for Personal Use
- MultiDesk 0.2.0 (2001) - Open source GNU GPL.
- The Secure Workplace - 4.72 Professional Edition - Commercial Software.
- Login 0.4 (Mar 1994)  - Open source GNU GPL
- WPSam 2.0u  - BSD 3 Clauses
- WPSac - 4.0 (Oct 1999)  - BSD 3 Clauses

[Pete]

Hi Martin

No idea if DeskMan/2 is still available http://www.devtech.com/DeskMan/index.html


Regards

Pete

[Olafur Gunnlaugsson]

Hi Martin

No idea if DeskMan/2 is still available http://www.devtech.com/DeskMan/index.html

You can toy around with a slightly older version here: https://winworldpc.com/download/51cadba9-f65b-11e8-9b71-fa163e9022f0

[Martin Iturbide]

No idea if DeskMan/2 is still available http://www.devtech.com/DeskMan/index.html

Thanks.

- Security/2 0.4.5 (2005-11-17) - Freeware for Personal Use
- MultiDesk 0.2.0 (2001) - Open source GNU GPL.
- The Secure Workplace - 4.72 Professional Edition - Commercial Software.
- Login 0.4 (Mar 1994)  - Open source GNU GPL
- WPSam 2.0u  - BSD 3 Clauses
- WPSac - 4.0 (Oct 1999)  - BSD 3 Clauses
- DeskMan/2 - 2.0 (1996)  - Commercial Software