I have just installed Mepis 3.3 on a machine that had multiple users (was 2004.06). I did back up each user's folder from home before I began. In the install I used the existing home and did not format it. I thought all had got well. My user info was all transferred over and the other user's folders were left in "Home". However, after adding the other users using KUser and using OS control Center / User Tweaks to set default groups the new users are not shown on boot or if I try to open a new session. In Control Center / System Administration / Login Manager root is shown as "root" and I am shown as "Rob", but the others have "@" prefixed to their name: "@Josh" for example. Any ideas? Should I delete the added users and start over? If so, should I restore their folders? They appear to be complete.

Try editing /etc/passwd and removing the '@'...

The entries in /etc/passwd didn't have the "@". I had not assigned password. I did this but it did not help. I deleted all the added users, saving their home folders. Then I added just one back using kuser. I added a password and made sure to uncheck the disable box. I tweaked the new user in oscenter to add the groups. No luck. Does "log in shell" in kuser / user properties need an entry? Also i noticed that the permissions on the home folder does not match the new user. Does it need to and how can I change it?

Okie2003,
did you use SM 3.3 or SM 3.3.1, I found multi users was broken in SM 3.3, multi users works in SM 3.3.1
I do a clean install when moving up from SM 2004.06, lots changed. An old habit, old habit's can be hard to break, never liked upgrades across differnt versions.
NH

I used 3.3 not 3.3.1 I was an install from a disk. I am on dial up. I just saved the home partition to save all the mail and documents. I may have access to 3.3.1. If so would an install over 3.3 with the old user folders from 2004.06 left on the partition work? Is there any way to manually configure my current 3.3 installation?

Thanks for your time.

Installing 3.3.1 over 3.3 over old 2004.06 home folders should work, I had to delete users *but not the users data* and then add new users with same users names and other details if any, this picked up the old home folders fine.

I tried to fix the permissions, users GID number and other problems that making multi users with 3.3 caused, and figured life was too short for that. Especially when 3.3.1 doesn't have that problem. Plus 3.3.1 fixes networking devices control problems in Mepis OS Center.

If your home folder permissions are still mucked up after all that, 2 options,
a) fix permisions, etc.
b) clean install and copy users doc's and mail back - mail client should pick up users mail, re-add users using exact old users name and other details if any.
NH

NH,

Thanks for the advice. With everybody's help I got it.!

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