ChangeShortName is a software tool that allows users to change the shorter username in OSX. It offers a convenient solution for those who need to change their username for personal or professional reasons, without the need for manual intervention.
One of the main features of ChangeShortName is that it creates a backup of the NetInfo database before making any changes, ensuring the safety of the process. Changing your short username can be a serious and sensitive task, so having this added protection is crucial.
ChangeShortName is a "donationware" created by James Bucanek and Dan Frakes. This means that users are encouraged to donate to the developers to support their work, but the software is available for free. It is essential to read the included documentation before using it to have a better understanding of its functionalities and how to use it safely.
One of the new features of this release is that ChangeShortName now deletes the Spotlight index, if present, for the boot volume. This step is necessary because Spotlight's index uses absolute pathnames (/Users/username/) rather than relative pathnames (~/) for files in home directories. When you change your short username, the absolute path to your home directory changes, and that makes the index inaccurate.
Other improvements in this release include added word boundary checks to avoid erroneous replacements and scanning preferences files for references to old home directories. All these features help to make ChangeShortName a reliable and practical tool for users who need to change their short username in Mac OS X.
Version 1.3: N/A