Mac OS X Managed Client: How to Differentiate Between a Group and a Workgroup

  • Last Modified: September 15, 2003
  • Article: TA28406
  • Old Article: 107309
This document explains how to tell a "group" from a "workgroup."

Products Affected

Mac OS X Server 10.3

Page 128 of the 10.2 Server Admin Guide states:
    "When you define preferences for a group it is known as a workgroup. A workgroup provides you with a way to manage the working environment of group members."

This is important, since some features only work with workgroups. An example when logging in as a Mac OS X client is that users are only able to select workgroups for preference management; groups are not available for selection. This example is explained in technical document 107308, "Mac OS X Server 10.2: Managed Clients Cannot Select a Workgroup While Logging In".

Though a user logging in from a managed Mac OS X client can select only one workgroup at a time, that user can belong to multiple groups on the server for purposes of file system privileges or email use.

To determine whether a group is a workgroup or not, check each of the different managed preference options in Workgroup Manager. If any of the preference options are managed, it's a workgroup. If nothing is managed, it's a group.