Automatizing installation on several machines

[Joachim Trinkwitz <upp105@ibm.rhrz.uni-bonn.de>]

Dear all,

I want to install Debian on a couple of brand new workstations (15)
and servers -- is there a convenient way to automatize the
installation procedure in some way?

The workstations should get their home directories from one of the
servers. Would it be advantageous to install the different user
programs (we need TeX, xemacs, WordPerfect and/or StarWriter, the gimp
and other graphics progs, netscape, maybe a database, a MUA and so on)
on the server too? (Unfortunately, I've not much experience in the
field of networking.)

At last: it's unwanted that the different users can see (read, write,
delete ...) each others data files -- is there a way to do that
without any action on the users' side?

Any hints and tips appreciated,
thanks,
joachim