diff --git a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/scripts/setup-local-client.sh b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/scripts/setup-local-client.sh
index 31c54862a..617ba6fea 100755
--- a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/scripts/setup-local-client.sh
+++ b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/scripts/setup-local-client.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,14 @@
-
 # IBM(c) 2007 EPL license http://www.eclipse.org/legal/epl-v10.html
+# set up credentials for user to be able to run xCAT commands
+# Must be run by root
+#   Interface
+#     setup-local-client.sh  - setup root credentials
+#     setup-local-client.sh user1  - set up user1 credentials and store in 
+#                      $HOME/.xcat
+#     setup-local-client.sh user2  /tmp/user2  - setup user2 credentials and
+#                      store in /tmp/user2/.xcat.  Must later be copied to 
+#                      $HOME/xcat for user2.  Used when root cannot write to
+#                      the home directory of user2 (e.g when mounted).
 umask 0077 #nothing make by this script should be readable by group or others
 
 
@@ -9,15 +18,19 @@ fi
 if [ -z "$1" ]; then
   set `whoami`
 fi
-CNA="$*"
-
+# if diretory is not supplied then just use home
+if [ -z "$2" ]; then
+   CNA="$*"
 #  getent doesn't exist on AIX
-if [ -x /usr/bin/getent ];then
- USERHOME=`getent passwd $1|awk -F: '{print $6}'`
+  if [ -x /usr/bin/getent ];then
+   USERHOME=`getent passwd $1|awk -F: '{print $6}'`
+  else
+   USERHOME=`grep ^$1: /etc/passwd | cut -d: -f6`
+  fi
 else
- USERHOME=`grep ^$1: /etc/passwd | cut -d: -f6`
+  CNA="$1"
+  USERHOME=$2 
 fi
-
 XCATCADIR=$XCATDIR/ca
 
 if [ -e $USERHOME/.xcat ]; then