I have been looking around..  doesn't look like there is much better
than AFS..  but it needs patching of the Linux kernel, which is a
turnoff, and is not implemented in the standard Mandrake setup.  SMB may
also be a consideration.. but having a fstab file with a passwords in
it, with everyone able to read is not a good idea either, might have a
look at autofs, to see if it's easier method to hide the passwords.  

On Sat, 2002-03-30 at 12:52, Tim Holmes wrote:
> As there is with anything, there are pros and cons to AFS.  Meanwhile
> I've never used OpenAFS, but I have worked with and have some experience
> with AFS.
> 
> If implimented, the security of AFS can be very nice, but AFS is not
> very stable.  It's been known to go down quite often, then closing you
> and others out of their files, etc;.

That's a pitty..  still things are always getting better,  (when was the
last time that you checked OpenAFS)

> AFS is also a much more "high end" network file system.  And not sure it
> would have any practicle use in Linux.  I could be wrong, but from my
> experience, unless you're using this Linux server for business
> applications, AFS isn't that great an idea to compile and impliment in
> Desktops like Mandrake.

I beg to differ on this..  I think that security on the local lan is
important, particularly on a large scale setup,or even small setups, for
instance, on a network with 30 PCs in a factory situation, or school
situation, having mounted home directorys, and using LDAP for AUTH,
roaming with the lovely Desktops that Mandrake gives, and plugging in a
unauthorized Notebook PC, could easily give unauthorized read access to
files that they should not have access to.
 
> But AFS coupled with Kerberos is a very nice set up.  And if implimented
> properly can be very powerful.  Maybe my view point, is just that, my
> view point, but I don't see AFS sneaking into the mix with NFS for the
> Desktop for now.

Sounds like your view point is a sort of peer to peer is the only way of
running desktops, which is just so difficult to setup and control, with
user logins etc..   

> If you've tried implimenting it on Linux, please let me know.  I'd be
> very interested in your findings.
> tdh

I will let the list know...   but it will be a while, as I am running a
total Linux setup here..  it's not really a problem here, as this
Network is small with about 12 workstations PCs on it, so plugging in a
uncontrolled Notebook, or PC in the network is not much of an issue, 
all I am doing is is looking just how well the setup that I have here
would scale, NFS could be a issue on a larger system. There is some hope
though there is NFS V4 anyway at this moment we will be sticking with
our current NFS setup, till we find a way to improve it. 

Cheers
Mark

 
> -- 
>  --------------------------------------------------------------------
>  T. Holmes  |  UNIXTECHS.org  |  [EMAIL PROTECTED]  |  UIN:  17021091
>  --------------------------------------------------------------------
> | Hi Everyone,
> | 
> | Just seeing if is there a better Network File system than NFS in the
> | standard Mandrake 8.2 Linux, something like OpenAFS..
> | http://www.openafs.org/ it sort of bugs me than anyone can walk up and
> | plug a notebook in a NFS network and probably connect to it..  Just some
> | ideas please.  
> | 
> | May be there is a AUTH system that could be used for NFS..  but a lot of
> | text that I read just keep telling me how insecure that NFS is..  There
> | has been a lot of talk on improved file systems..  but network file
> | systems Linux seems to be a little behind in Linux. May be Mandrake
> | should include OpenAFS...



Want to buy your Pack or Services from MandrakeSoft? 
Go to http://www.mandrakestore.com

Reply via email to