Trusted Solaris Administration Overview

Administering Users

You can administer users through either the SMC User Tool applications or from the command line. This section is divided into these parts:


Note -

To administer users, you need the User Manager rights profile (for general user attributes) and the User Security rights profile (for security-related attributes).


Default User Attributes

The task of entering new users is greatly simplified by setting up default user attributes so that only those attributes unique to a specific user need be added. There are three mechanisms for setting up defaults:

The tools for creating new users are the Add User With Wizard... and Add User From Template... menu options. The wizard approach offers simplicity but with these tradeoffs:

The user template approach offers a larger set of user properties, but requires you to set up one or more templates of default user attributes ahead of time. Both methods should be used in conjunction with the policy.conf(4) and the label_encodings(4) databases. The User Properties dialog box lets you make modifications after the initial user information has been entered.

User Attribute Databases

The user information is held in the following databases:

These databases can be edited manually, although this practice is not generally recommended.

The following figure shows how the databases work together to provide user attributes.

Figure 2-5 User Database Relationships

Graphic

The user_attr database contains the attributes shown, including a comma-separated list of profile names. The contents of the profiles are split between the prof_attr file, which contains profile identification information, authorizations assigned to the profile, and subordinate profiles, and the exec_attr file, which contains commands and actions with their associated security attributes. The auth_attr file supplies available authorizations to the prof_attr file and the policy.conf file. (Note that although you can assign authorizations directly to users through user_attr, this practice is discouraged.) The policy.conf file supplies default attributes to be applied to all users. The label_encodings file supplies label defaults if they are not otherwise specified.

Managing Users from the Command Line

The user files can also be managed from the command line. The smuser(1M) command adds, modifies, deletes, and lists user information. You can use smmultiuser(1M) to enter a batch of users.

Managing Users through the SMC

This section describes the SMC User Tool collection and selected dialog boxes as follows:

For complete descriptions of elements in the User Tool collection, refer to the online help.

User Tool Collection Summary

The SMC User Tool collection is shown in the following figure.

Figure 2-6 SMC User Tool Collection

Graphic

The six dialog boxes in the User Tool collection are:

User Properties Dialog Box

The User Properties dialog box is shown below with the General tab selected.

Figure 2-7 User Properties Dialog Box

Graphic

The following table describes the purpose of each tab in the User Properties dialog box.

Table 2-2 User Properties Summary

Tab  

Description 

General  

Specifies the user, the default login shell, and the account availability.  

Group  

Sets the user's primary and secondary groups for the purpose of accessing and creating files and directories.  

Home Directory 

Specifies the user's home directory, home directory server, automounting, and directory access. 

Password  

Specifies whether the user or the adminstrator will select the first password and whether the selection and changes will be manual or from the password generator.  

Password Options  

Sets the time limits and requirements for password changes. 

Mail  

Specifies the server that provides email and the mailbox in which it is received. 

Rights 

Allows rights profiles to be assigned to the user. The precedence of the assigned rights profiles can be changed.  

Roles 

Allows available roles to be assigned to the user.  

Trusted Solaris Attributes  

Specifies the clearance and minimum label at which the user can operate and how labels are displayed to the user. Also specifies a time limit for which a workstation may remain idle and the action taken when the limit is reached. 

Audit  

Specifies the audit classes for which the user is to be audited.  

Right Properties Dialog Box

The Rights Properties dialog box is shown below with the General tab selected.

Figure 2-8 Rights Properties Dialog Box

Graphic

The following table describes the purpose of each tab in the Right Properties dialog box

Table 2-3 Rights Manager Dialog Box Summary

Tab  

Description 

General  

Identifies and describes the rights profile and provides the name of the help file used to explain it.  

Commands  

Assigns commands to the rights profile and adds security attributes (effective and real UIDs and GIDs; minimum label and clearance; and inheritable privileges) to specific commands in the profile.  

Actions  

Assigns CDE actions to the rights profile and adds security attributes (effective and real UIDs and GIDs; minimum label and clearance; and inheritable privileges) to specific actions in the profile. 

Authorizations  

Assigns authorizations to the profile.  

Supplementary Rights  

Specifies other rights profiles to be contained within the current rights profile.