Manage the machine

3 min read

Choose the task below. The linked guides explain the controls, required permissions and how to check the result. Use the machine-wide settings only when you intend to affect everyone who uses the machine.

Accounts and desktop settings #

Manage local accounts and groups collects the account tasks and access precautions in one place.

• Create an account or change local membership: Principals Manager on the desktop, or Creating accounts and the lps reference in a terminal.
• Sign in remotely from a terminal or manage SSH keys: Signing in over SSH.
• Change your own password: The passwd command.
• Change your own desktop: Desktop Settings.
• Set defaults for everyone or change how the desktop is served: Settings for all users. Changing the listen address can disconnect open desktops; an overlay prevents normal sign-in while it is set.

Software #

• Find, install or remove a package: Package Manager on the desktop, or Installing and removing packages in a terminal. Review the plan, including dependencies, before applying it.
• Update or undo a package change: Keeping a system current.
• Set up or enable a feature delivered by a package: Feature Manager. Installing a package puts files in place; feature setup is a separate action. Remove a feature before its package, while the scripts needed to undo its setup are still available.
• Handle an interrupted package operation: Transactions and recovery. Feature operations have their own interrupted-state guidance.

Services and running programs #

• Inspect, start, stop or restart a service: Controlling services.
• See running programs, resource use and jobs: Task Manager.
• Read a service's output: Event Viewer or Service output and logging.
• Shut down or reboot: Shutdown.

Network, time and storage #

• Inspect connections or change network settings: Network Manager, or The net command to inspect state and Configuring profiles to change configuration. Read the confirmation and rollback behavior before changing the network through a remote desktop.
• Allow or block a network service: Check and change network policy safely.
• Set the time zone or clock: Time zone and setting the clock.
• Find software, configuration or service data on disk: Where files live.
• Inspect disks and filesystems: Disk Manager is read-only. For changes, follow Managing mounts, Partitioning or Formatting with security descriptors. Partitioning and formatting can destroy data; follow the warnings in those guides before making changes.

Configuration beyond the settings apps #

Start with Find where a setting lives to locate its documentation and the component that reads it.

Use Registry Editor or reg for settings that require a registry change. Consult regman first: it explains what a key means, accepted values and when changes apply. A value being stored does not by itself prove the service accepted it. Follow Change a setting and verify it for the complete workflow.

For configuration backup and recovery, read Backup and restore before changing the registry's stores or layers.

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