You have to use NFS and NIS.
You put the users list on the NIS maps (passwd map). This map is equivalent
to the /etc/passwd, but in a distributed way, so that any machine in the NIS
domain can access this map.
You have to modify /etc/nsswitch.conf (or a file like that) to use
NIS and not only /etc/passwd
You put the home dirs /usr/home/* on the NIS/NFS server and you export via
NFS the /usr/home directory to the clients.
When the users log in, there is an automount feature to activate to make
their home dir mount automatically.
If you want to access the home dir from NT, then add a samba server on your
NFS/NIS server, and map a drive letter (with reconnect at logon ticked) on
the NT/Win station(s) for the right user profile.
These are the main steps to get what you want, but I can't really help you
any further, because I've never done it from scratch and never at all on
Linux!
linuxconf utility may help you to do that.
Regards,
Mathieu
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Joseph S. Gardner [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: 05 January 2000 22:40
> To: Cleveland Linux Users Group; CLUG - Talk; Linux Newbie;
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: [expert] SOHO System Administration
>
>
> Evening All,
>
> I have a small home office with 5 PC's and several users (read kids
> here). At present one is Linux-Mandrake 6.1 and the others are Win NT
> 4.0 and Win95. It is my intention to convert all but 1 into Linux
> boxes. I also intend to allow any user to sit down at any PC
> and login.
>
> My question are
>
> 1. Is there a method to centralize my user administration or
> am I doomed to have to add each potential user to each
> machine? This leads to question #2 where / how to mount
> /user/home
>
> 2. I would like to keep all /user/home directories on one
> machine. Is it possible to setup the login procedure to
> "mount" /user/home across the network or do I need to teach
> every one (including myself) how to use telnet or what?
>
>
> I have searched through about a dozen books I have and nothing even
> comes close to hinting at a solution.
>
> TIA
> --
> Joseph S. Gardner
> Senior Designer / Technical Support
> Kirby Co., Cleveland, OH
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
