Setting up multiple user accounts

[orgainsville]

I don't know much about setting up a server; however, I am currently setting up a mac OS X Leopard Server for what would equate to a small business in an educational setting. I am able to install the server software on the easy setting, but I still haven't been able to set it up exactly how I'd like it to be.

The server will serve approximately 5 or 6 macs running Leopard that are hardwired to a router connected to the server. In addition, other Leopard macs need to be connecting to the internet wirelessly, which is currently done through airport.

My issue is - the hardwired computers do not have designated users. We have approximately 10 users, all of whom need to be able to log on to any hardwired computer on the network. I have been able to set up hardwired computers to link to just one user account, but I have not had any success setting one up to allow any user to log on to the computer with their own server-based identity/profile.

How do I do this? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks!
Alexander

 

[karazelle]

You need to configure OpenDirectory. That is part of OS X Server and will allow the whole "login from any system as any user" part. Combine that with the tools to use Network home folders so that the users settings "roam" with the users as well as "Mobile folders" for the laptops so that they have a local copy of their home folder that they can use when working offline that syncs with the network when at work.

This is not something I have had the time to play much with, and hopefully others on here will give more advice, but a good resource: http://www.apple.com/server/macosx/resources/
Do take a backup of your server system before starting.

The documents of interest to you are:
OpenDirectory Admin: http://images.apple.com/server/macosx/docs/Open_Directory_Admin_v10.5_2nd_Ed.pdf
In particular: Chapter 5 (p. 79+, Setting up a Standalone Directory)

User Admin: http://images.apple.com/server/macosx/docs/User_Management_v10.5.mnl.pdf
In particular: Chapter 7 (p. 113+, Setting up home folders), Creating a Network Home folder (for "roaming users"), as well as chapter 8 for the laptop users. Chapter 10 details how to use the Macintosh worlds variation of "Group Policy", in which you set up the enviroment on the server for how the users desktop should work and it gets "pushed" out to the clients, including centralised control over System Updates so you choose what they get, when they get it, and they come from your server and don't need to get downloaded by every individual computer.
Combine with tools like Apple Remote Desktop you can also remote control them, remote service them and push applications and files to them.

File sharing managment and booting/installing over the network: http://images.apple.com/server/macosx/docs/System_Imaging_and_SW_Update_Admin_v10.5.pdf
This guide details a feature called "NetBoot" that gives you the opportunity to let the hardwired clients boot directly off of the server, and NetInstall to allow you to make a "base image" that contains the applications and software they definitely want to use and install the whole thing across the network, very similar to Ghosting but without the need to purchase extra software. This also goes hand in hand with Apple Remote Desktop to push software and the built in Software Update service on OS X Server to push updates, or let you build pre-patched images for simple roll-outs.