Using Networked Home Directories with Mac OS X?

trouser asks: "I work in a small office using Macs running Mac OS X and PCs running Linux (Debian). There's no problem sharing files between the machines using Samba, Netatalk, and FTP. However, we want to set the Macs up so that at login they mount home directories from one of the Linux boxes so that we get the same home directory no matter which machine we login on. I've read a little about doing this using NetInfo but I gather with LDAP being included with Jaguar that there might be other options now. Any clues?"

recommendation against doing this

[Anonymous Coward]

If you do this, automount and use NFS. OS X Server sharing AppleTalk to the Macs and NFS to Linux would be more ideal.

However, from my experience, I have to recommend against network-mounting the *entire* home directory. There is a bit much in your typical OS X home directory which you don't need cluttering up your Linux desktop environment ( Library folders and such ) and probably vice versa. Having a separate shared directory, or mounting your Linux home dir as a sub-directory of you OS X home dir is probably a better option.

When we tried automount-ing home dirs we had problems with the mount not happening before OS X wanted the files and you'd find yourself with no home dir ( of course, it'd be there if you logged out and logged back in, but what a pain. )... it could be that we were just a bit clueless, but if you are also just a bit clueless...

Nah. Go ahead and do it.

[Christov]

My whole home directory is automounted from a NetApp Filer. My user info is in NIS, which actually proved to be a bigger problem.

Mac OS X works fine with NFS mounted home directories in general. Jaguar broke loginwindow getting username/password info from NIS, but I just made a local copy in netinfo for myself. No one else logs into my machine at the console. A few applications don't like the HFS+ emulation done on single-fork filesystems. In my experience only Adobe Acrobat reader bitched, and there all I needed to do was force the Finder to create a resource fork. Then all was well.

My suggestion. Pick a brave volunteer and try it.

That's the only way to know if the applications you use will function OK.

Re:Apple Training

[jbolden]

I've looked at the training. IMHO I think you guys should do what many of the vendors do and offer a range for the technical certification. You already have the tests in place. Have details on what's covered on the test. Sell textbooks at a reasonable costs. And then offer the training to people who would rather spend the money then work at home.

Someone who has passed 3 of the 5 Oracle exams and is having trouble with the last 2 will drop a few grand for a weeks training easy. Someone who hasn't passed any isn't nearly as likely to. Further without all this detail its hard to know if the training is worth anything.

Just my $.02