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Development Tools Console Foundations Getting Started with the Console Moving Around the Filesystem

Jeff Ripke
Jeff Ripke
41,989 Points

Why does MAC OS have a /home directory?

It is also empty, is it just added automatically and can it be deleted?

2 Answers

Ryan Ruscett
Ryan Ruscett
23,309 Points

When you create a user on a mac, it gets put into the /home/USERCREATED. It's just how it happens. The idea is like this.

ROOT - is the super user

Now you have individual users

/home/User 1 /home/User 2 etc

Now user 1 should have full access over all directories inside the User 1 home, but not over User 2's home. Although, root has access to both users. It's a way to segment and split up users. Since MAC is a unix based operating system. It has a format like this. Not sure if that helps.

This could be a very loaded question but for the sake of simplicity. Hope this helps.

Oh yes and no you don't want to delete it. If you delete it you will effectively remove the ability to log in as that user and also, all that users data. If you want to remove a user. Just do the "userdel UserName" command.

Jeff Ripke
Jeff Ripke
41,989 Points

Thanks @Ryan Ruscett, it more clear now.