[H-GEN] Win XP roaming profiles with Linux?

[Hilton Travis]

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On Sun, 2003-01-19 at 01:36, R&J Stuart wrote:
> [ Humbug *General* list - semi-serious discussions about Humbug and     ]
> [ Unix-related topics. Posts from non-subscribed addresses will vanish. ]
> 
> David Duffy wrote:
> > Robert:
> > 
> >>> [prefix my reponse with the fact that I have used XP for < 1hr total]
> >>
> >>
> >> I think the key to your question is that you are using XP home 
> >> edition.  Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but to get roaming profiles 
> >> for Win2K and XP you need to be joined to the domain.  With XP home I 
> >> don't think you can join a domain and so no roaming profiles....
> > 
> > 
> > The Roaming option is still there in several screens but it's greyed 
> > out. The help file
> > mentions that you need the domain setup to be able to select it. I don't 
> > really get
> > what the domain bit is all about though. The RH7.3 box does DHCP and I 
> > assume
> > is capable of doing the domain part - it hasn't really clicked yet. :-(
> > David...
> 

> A 'DOMAIN' is a logical collection of machines, but they also share user 

<snip>

> It sounds like you have done the right sort of things (you've got samba 
> configured and are sharing a profile area, though I would recommend 
> further testing with win9x or win2k to be sure), you've just been let 
> down by old MS.  I might add that getting Win2k (and probably XP) to 
> join a domain is a pain.  You need to create machine accounts and use 
> encrypted passwords etc - you end up creating a Primary Domain 
> Controller - there is plenty of samba docs on how to do this (there is 
> one called samba-pdc-howto).  On the plus side, if you integrate it all 
> into LDAP or similar, you get central authentication etc.

I agree with using Win 2k for testing here, but disagree totally that
you have "been let down by old MS" - after all, you ar eplainly told
that Windows XP Home cannot log in to a domain - even its product name
indicates that it is a Home User operating system, not a business OS.

As for Windows 98 and roaming profiles, this is just a kludge that
Microsoft even supports it.  Win98 was never really designed for use on
business networks either.

Samba can and will work well as a Domain Controller (PDC - or Primary
Domain Controller) for your network.  The latest versions also provide
this functionality for Windows XP Professional machines (earlier
versions could not act as a domain controller for XP Pro clients). 
Nothing will act as a Domain Controller for Windows XP Home machines as
this functionality has been removed from the operating system, along
with a lot of the cost of XP Pro.

> Appologies for talking a bit too much about windowsy things.

There should be no need to apologize for speaking of Windows when it
relates to *nix - as this question clearly does.  Samba is a very, very
good server application, especially considering it allows *nix to be
used to replace Microsoft servers in a number of situations.  :)

-- 

Regards,

Hilton Travis                   Email: Hilton at QuarkAV.com
Manager                         Phone: +61-(0)7-3343-3889
Quark AudioVisual               Phone: +61-(0)419-792-394
Quark Computers
(Brisbane, Australia)            http://www.QuarkAV.com/

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