Creating a new user from cmdline – OS X (Leopard)

Run the commands with sudo or as root.

Create a new local user (.) in the user category: dscl / -create /Users/ericgus

Shell (bash): dscl . -create /Users/ericgus UserShell /bin/bash

Users full name: dscl . -create /Users/ericgus RealName "Mr. Eric Gustafson"

User ID: dscl . -create /Users/ericgus UniqueID 503

Group ID: dscl . -create /Users/ericgus PrimaryGroupID 20

Home directory: dscl . -create /Users/ericgus home /Users/ericgus

Password: dscl . -passwd /Users/ericgus PASSWORD (or for a prompted entry use: passwd ericgus)

Add Administrative functions: dscl . -append /Groups/admin GroupMembership ericgus

-- Or a full blown script with prompting that checks userid, etc.  As written, this assumes root user (and bootup as single user I believe)  I'll update this as I come up with something that can be pushed via ard or such. --

#!/bin/bash

#This script will create a user of your choice using your credentials. The user will not show up in the login window until a restart.

#Function to check the current usernames against the new username.

function checkusername {
local testun=$(dscl . -list /Users | grep $userA)
if [ “$testun” == “$userA” ];
then
echo “The username “$userA” already exists”
exit
else
echo “Username is unique!”
fi
}

#Function to check the current userID’s against the new userID.

function checkuserid {
local testuid=$(dscl . -list /Users UniqueID | grep “$userid” | awk ‘{print $2}’ )
if [ “$testuid” == “$userid” ];
then
echo “The userid “$userid” already exists”
exit
else
echo “UserID is unique!”
fi
}

#Funtion to check that both passwords are the same.

function chkpasswd {
if [ $password != $password2 ]
then
echo “Passwords do not match or are blank. Passwords can’t be blank. Exiting…”
exit 0
else
echo “Passwords Match!”
fi
}

#Step 1, enter new credentials to create user with.

echo “Enter Real Name”
read realname
echo “Enter Username”
read userA
checkusername
echo “Enter Password”
read password
echo “Re-Enter Password”
read password2
chkpasswd

#Check to see if your sure you want to use the entered credentials.

echo “Use these creds?”
echo “Real Name: “$realname
echo “Username: “$userA
echo “Password: “$password

echo “Y or N:”
read creds

if [ $creds = y -o $creds = Y ];
then
echo “Let’s make a user named “$userA” with the password “$password
echo “Are you in Single User Mode? (Default N)”
read sum

#Checks to see if your in single user mode. If you are, it loads the directory services plist.

if [ $sum = y -o $sum = Y ];
then
echo “Loading Directory Services”
launchctl load /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.DirectoryServices.plist
else
echo “Skipping launchctl load”
fi

#Asks if you need to see all the userID’s already used.

echo “Making user…”
echo “Do you know what userID is availible? (Default Y)”
read existuserid

if [ $existuserid = n -o $existuserid = N ];
then
#Prints the existing user account records and inserts them to users.out.
dsexport users.out /Local/Default dsRecTypeStandard:Users
#Prints users.out to screen.
tail -n 5 users.out
echo “Find the next userID available.”
#Removes users.out to clean up after printing to screen.
rm users.out
fi

#Asks for the new userID. Checks if userID exists using checkuserid function.

echo “OK, Enter new userID number:”
read userid
checkuserid

#The meat of the script. These are the commands that create the user with your specified credentials.

dscl . -create /Users/””$userA””
dscl . -create /Users/””$userA”” UserShell /bin/bash
dscl . -create /Users/””$userA”” RealName “$realname”
dscl . -create /Users/””$userA”” UniqueID $userid
dscl . -create /Users/””$userA”” PrimaryGroupID 80
dscl . -create /Users/””$userA”” home /Users/””$userA””
dscl . -passwd /Users/””$userA”” $password
dscl . -append /Groups/admin GroupMembership “”$userA””

echo “All Done, “$userA” was created!”
sleep 2
exit
else
echo “Please Try Script Again!”
exit 1
fi