Help with fast user switching

Scripting Forums AppleScript | Mac OS X
#1

Hello again,
Me again with that securityspy app, this time I’m trying to get a script on a logged in user switch to that user from any other user when a script is run on said user.

To clarify

User A is logged in, so is user B.
Currenty user B is being used.
so when a script is run on the user A side the computer switched to user A from user B, or C, D, etc.

Is this possible?

This seems to be a big one so thank you in advance for even taking the time and interest solving this issue.

Pierre

#2 
property CGSession_path : "'/System/Library/CoreServices/Menu Extras/User.menu/Contents/Resources/CGSession'"

-- compile a list of names for every user except the current user
set user_name_list to {}
set who_am_i to do shell script "whoami"
repeat with this_user in paragraphs 16 thru -1 of (do shell script "niutil -list . /users")
	set this_user to word 2 of this_user
	if this_user is not who_am_i then set end of user_name_list to do shell script "niutil -readprop . /users/" & this_user & " realname"
end repeat

-- sort the names into alphabetical order
set text item delimiters to ASCII character 10
set user_name_list to paragraphs of (do shell script "echo " & quoted form of (user_name_list as string) & " | sort -f")
set text item delimiters to ""

set the_user to choose from list user_name_list & "Login Window." with prompt "Fast User Switching"
if the_user is not false then
	set the_user to beginning of the_user
	if the_user is "Login Window." then
		do shell script CGSession_path & " -suspend"
	else
		do shell script CGSession_path & " -switchToUserID " & (do shell script "id -u " & the_user)
	end if
end if
#3

Thanks, but how do I set it up, when I run the script it gives me a window to choose from the different users. Sorry I’m new to this scripting thing…

Pierre

#4

Okay, try this then (stick the short user name into where it says):

property CGSession_path : "'/System/Library/CoreServices/Menu Extras/User.menu/Contents/Resources/CGSession'"
property the_user : ".short user name." -- Insert short name here

do shell script CGSession_path & " -switchToUserID " & (do shell script "id -u " & the_user)

If you don’t know the short user name of a particular user, either look for it in the Accounts prefpane in System Preferences, or run this (inserting the ‘long’ or ‘full’ name of the user into where it says):

property the_user : ".user name." -- Insert full name here
do shell script "niutil -readprop . /users/" & the_user & " realname"
#5

I did what you instructed but when I ran the script I get error: “niutil: can’t open directory /users/.user: No such directory”

#6

Instructions on how to get your short name:
Open System Preferences. Go to ‘Accounts’. Go to the account to which you want to switch to. Read to where it says ‘Short Name:’, and remember it.

Now open the first script of my last reply. Go to the second line where it says:

and change the text between the quotes to your short name which you got out of System Preferences.
e.g.

Now your script should work.

#7

just so we are on the same page:

property CGSession_path : “‘/System/Library/CoreServices/Menu Extras/User.menu/Contents/Resources/CGSession’”
property the_user : “sjobs” – spy

do shell script CGSession_path & " -switchToUserID " & (do shell script "id -u " & the_user)

this time I get error: id: sjobs: no such user

thanks again for helping me with this

#8

ok I tried this way:property CGSession_path : “‘/System/Library/CoreServices/Menu Extras/User.menu/Contents/Resources/CGSession’”
property the_user : “spy” – spy

do shell script CGSession_path & " -switchToUserID " & (do shell script "id -u " & the_user)

and it works, I get spy’s login screen, but now I have to get it to type in my password and hit enter

pierre