UNIX File Ownership with Samba preexec

[Burt Avery]

Hi:

On our AIX 4.2.1 server we are running the two daemons that constitute
Samba 2.0.5a, smbd and nmbd. As I understand the situation the smbd daemon
is expected to run a UNIX script for the user when user makes an attachment
to the Samba server, ie, establishes an SMB session with the Samba server
from the user's Win 98 station and attempts to login to the domain. There
is a statement in smb.conf such as:

   root preexec = /usr/local/samba/bin/buildprofiles %U %a

Using this root preexec command, I attempt to build the necessary profile
directories for the user in /lv6/users/samba_profiles/<username>/Win95,
assign ownership to the user, and assign the dir and file permissions that
will allow the user to store Win profiles and registry. The directories are
built but they are owned by user nobody and group sys.

In my humble experience using Digital UNIX i never encountered a username
nobody. Does it have a special significance to the way AIX controls Samba?

I guess my "root" question is:  should the smbd daemon be running as root
and should it be able to assign ownership of the directory
/lv6/users/samba_profiles/<username> to <username>?

Have I run afoul of NIS security in some fashion?

Any help GREATLY appreciated,
-ba-


Burt Avery
Computer Systems Engineer
LSP
Department of Biomedical Engineering
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA 22908
804-924-9813