[neps]

We have an office of about 30 people. From time to time people leave and then new people come in. Each time this happens I have to goto every single computer and update their users and groups so the new people can log in. Is there a way with OSXS that I can have one master list of users and each computer pulls this info from the server?

I thought this is what netinfo does, but the apple documentation reads like stereo instructions, and if anyone had some dummed down version, that might help. I thought the apple documents mentioned that DNS has to be switch on the server. Right now, our DNS is provided by our DSL provider Qwest. Can I create a fake or real DNS on our server, or would it tax the machine too much?

We have a Blue & White G3 server with the 5 ethernet ports.

Thanks.

[bhaggs]

I have a G3/350 b&w with 2 nic cards. I left DNS up to the ISP and just used NAT to route any net traffic outside of the internal network.

The server maintains all users and groups for the server. Permissions can get a little wacky I think but all in all after a few months I think you could be able manage the server and your network pretty decently.

If you go through with this just know that to use NAT you need to execute a script from the command line. There is also some software that does it as well but once you execute the script there isnt much more you need to do, thus rendering the software somewhat useless unless you really need a GUI for it.

As for netinfo I am still trying to figure that out as well. I am trying to get automounting to work at the moment.

[neps]

I don't think thats what I mean. I have gotten NAT running on the first two nics. first nic goes to the internet, second goes to the intranet, and everything routed through.

what I want to do is to be able from a OS X client, log in to the client machine, using a name and password from the server. Not just access to the shared folders on the server, but to the client computer itself.

neil

[nikin]

Originally posted by neps:
<STRONG>I don't think thats what I mean. I have gotten NAT running on the first two nics. first nic goes to the internet, second goes to the intranet, and everything routed through.

what I want to do is to be able from a OS X client, log in to the client machine, using a name and password from the server. Not just access to the shared folders on the server, but to the client computer itself.

neil</STRONG>

What you need is Macintosh Manager - what you are talking about is exactly what it is designed to do. You can make the clients as secure or as insecure as you want, but it's all managed from the server.

cheers

[neps]

Originally posted by nikin:
<STRONG>


What you need is Macintosh Manager - what you are talking about is exactly what it is designed to do. You can make the clients as secure or as insecure as you want, but it's all managed from the server.
</STRONG>

If this is true, then what is netinfo all about?

[waffffffle]

There is no Mac Manager for OS X client machines. Mac Manager is an Apple invention for OS 9 clients and an OS X server (they also have an ASIP version that's supposedly not as powerful). It's pretty slick, actually. All you have to do on the client machine is enable multiple users and set it to look for a Mac manager server on the network and it will do the rest. On the server end you just need to create an account for each user. Those usernames are completely independent of any other users and groups that may be on the server machine. When a user logs in to a client machine they will have a user directory that is pulled from the server. All of their preferences are stored on the server, for every application, also their documents folder, desktop pattern, desktop folder, and a bunch of other stuff. Its very nicely done, especially since the Mac OS isn't designed for this.

If you want to use OS X on the client machines then you gotta figure out netinfo or NIS. Either will do, but netinfo is meant to be used with Mac OS X (a remnant of NeXT) while the rest of the unix world uses NIS. NIS is included with X but turned off by default. Apple includes graphical tools to work with netinfo but not NIS, so you have to no what you're doing with NIS They effectively do the same thing as Mac Manager, but they're more tightly integrated with unix, since that's pretty much the way *nixes are meant to work. I'm trying to figure out how to do this myself at the moment. . .

[peertimo]

I downloaded a good guide from Apple called Understanding and Using NetInfo, Includes information on setting up Mac OS X Server and NetInfo to increase the power of your Mac OS X network.

It explains it all in a child like manner, but hey, an easy guide is an easy guide.

[jarends]

No..you're doing it all wrong.

There's no way to control over the network who can log into individual macs. You shouldn't be running filesharing on a network this large anyway.

Give everyone a place to save files on a server and then do regular backups of that.

You want everything to be centralized.

So shut off filesharing on everyone's computer.

I've used macintosh manager, but its not something you want in your case.

Email me if you have specific questions and I'll try to help. Check my profile for my email address.

[kennedy]

Originally posted by neps:
<STRONG>We have an office of about 30 people. From time to time people leave and then new people come in. Each time this happens I have to goto every single computer and update their users and groups so the new people can log in. Is there a way with OSXS that I can have one master list of users and each computer pulls this info from the server? </STRONG>

Absolutely! In fact, you can do it in regular OSX... but they've made
it pretty in OSXS. Your server will have local netinfo and shared
netinfo databases. Your other computers will have their local netinfo
database and will point to your server's shared netinfo database. The
local netinfo databases on each computer will just have each computer's
'admin' user specified. The server will specify all of your other users
in the 'shared' netinfo database.

<STRONG>I thought this is what netinfo does, but the apple documentation reads like stereo instructions, and if anyone had some dummed down version, that might help.</STRONG>

Well, over in the normal OS X threads I have a dummed down version
for how you do this in OS X. But if you have OSXS, you can do it
much easier, and with much more control and many more options. The
OS X Server Admin Guide is pretty good.

<STRONG>I thought the apple documents mentioned that DNS has to be switch on the server. Right now, our DNS is provided by our DSL provider Qwest. Can I create a fake or real DNS on our server, or would it tax the machine too much?</STRONG>

You do not need to enable DNS in order to have a shared netinfo database.
You can do the shared netinfo database just using IP numbers.
But if you want to make specifying hosts prettier, you certainly can
set your server up to serve DNS... you need only have it serve your
local names, and bounce other names onto the DNS server at your ISP...
you don't have to replicate all that to your server.

HTH,

Brian