On 11/11/2013 03:57 PM, Bob Proulx wrote:
But nothing there gives me any indication that the strategy of using the same uids everywhere is not the best strategy.
Centralized user authentication is what YP, NIS, LDAP, Kerberos, Active Directory, etc. for private networks and OpenID, Google Account, Microsoft Account, etc., for the Internet have as their core feature. Even when the data is physically and redundantly distributed, the service appears as one logical database to all connected machines. Synchronizing /etc/passwd and /etc/group (by hand or otherwise) is the cheap solution for LAN's of compatible machines. Each solution, including no solution, has its benefits and drawbacks. But as the product of machines, services, and users increases, so does the need for a solution.
David