Chapter 2. Login Basics: Understanding Accounts
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## Chapter 2. Login Basics: Understanding Accounts

Your workstation requires that you log in to identify yourself as a user, and log out to signal that you are finished using the workstation.

This chapter contains the following sections:

- “Overview of Login Accounts”

- “Why Create a Login Account?”

- “Using Existing Login Accounts”

## Overview of Login Accounts

Identifying yourself as a user—logging in—is the first step you take to begin using your workstation. Creating your own login account is the second step. Initially, you can log in using one of the default login accounts, such as guest. See “Using Existing Login Accounts” to learn why you should limit your use of these accounts; see “Why Create a Login Account?” to learn about the benefits of having your own login account.

See “Setting Up Your System” in the Personal System Administration Guide to learn how to create your account.

Related Topics:

- “Logging In and Out” in Chapter 1

- “Logging In to Another System” in Chapter 10

## Why Create a Login Account?

Creating a login account provides:

- Security. You can set a password that prevents other people from logging in with your name.

- Privacy. The system uses your login name to label files and directories that belong to you. You can read, change, and delete files and directories that belong to you, and you can protect your work from other users via permissions. See “Understanding and Changing Permissions” in Chapter 9.

- Personal Preferences. You can modify your working environment in a variety of ways. For instance, you can place the icons you use frequently onto the desktop. When you log in, the desktop displays these icons. You can also customize the background and color schemes.

See “Setting Up Your System” in the Personal System Administration Guide to learn how to create your account.

## Using Existing Login Accounts

When you first turn on the system, you see icons for several existing accounts. Here is a brief description of four existing login accounts and their use:

guest account |  | The guest account lets you log in when you do not yet have your own account. It also allows other people to log in to your workstation and copy and view certain files.
OutOfBox account |  | If you have an Indy or O2 workstation, you are automatically logged in to the OutOfBox account when you turn on your system for the first time. It takes you on a visual journey, during which movies, audio, and graphics help you explore the capabilities of your system. If you do not have an Indy or O2 workstation, you do not see this login account.
root account |  | The root account is for the administrator of the workstation. The root account gives the administrator special permissions and access to utilities that are not available to ordinary users. For example, when you are logged in as root, you can delete any file, regardless of who owns the file. Unless you are responsible for system administration on your workstation, you should log in as root infrequently. For an explanation of system administration, see “Performing System Administration Tasks” in the Personal System Administration Guide.
EZsetup account |  | The EZsetup account lets you add an account for the primary user of the system and enable networking. Once you add a password to the Administrator account (root) you will need to know the root password to use the tool again.

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Chapter 1. Getting Started |  | Chapter 3. Using Applications