Re: Centralized user management: what is best?
On (14/01/06 11:31), Jay Zach wrote:
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> Mauro Condarelli wrote:
> > Hi,
> > I have a small (<8 hosts) lan with mixed Linux (debian) and winXP hosts.
> > Up to now I managed the debian hosts manually (copying /etc/passwd, /erc/groups, ..., manually), but that is a real pain.
> > I did recently suffer a severe breakdown so I reinstalled most of the machines.
> > At this point I would like to setup some centralized way to manage the whole network.
> > I would like to manage:
> > - users (<20)
> > - file servers (2)
> > - printers (3)
> > - firewall (ADSL, fixed IP, currently managed with shorewall/webmin)
> > - mail (currently on a separate host, but I plan to move it to the firewall)
> >
> > In the past I used NIS, but that is UNIX-only.
> > I know there's OpenLDAP, but I never used it.
> > Probably some other package is available.
> >
> > Question is:
> > Given the needs, what is the "best" solution?
> > Should I bother at all? (the main reason I want to install some management is that I began having a lot of permission problems when I moved hard disks from one host to another; I know how to fix them, but I would like to avoid re-doing all that next time...).
> > Can someone point me in the right direction? I would like to avoid false starts.
> >
> >
> > Thanks in Advance
> > Mauro
> >
> >
>
> A year ago, I was in the same boat as you..... I now have all my Linux machines
> authenticating to OpenLDAP database, and all my Windows machines authenticating
> to a Samba domain, which is using the same LDAP db as it's backend. It took a
> lot of work and a lot of how-to reading, but I finally made it ;)
>
> I started small, just getting the LDAP database working. I then went on to
> figure out how to use PAM, nsswitch, et al, to auth my linux workstations to ldap.
>
> Finally I got my Samba server working as a Windows domain, and using LDAP. It
> was a long road, but worth it, and I now have much more knowledge of the subject.
>
> Contact me if you want my pertinent config files.
I've also been pondering this for a while; have you got any particular
links you found useful .... howtos, etc.?
Regards
Clive
--
www.clivemenzies.co.uk ...
...strategies for business
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