configuration, ldap and NetInfo

[Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton]

> Luke Kenneth  Casson Leighton  responded to this:
> 
> > jf, that's...  _almost_ like a "Domain User" and "local user" system,
> > where "Domain Users" are in the ldap database, and "local users" are in
> > the passwd/smbpasswd file.
> > 
> > my preference is that this does not occur, but that this occurs instead: 
> > 
> > - the etc/passwd/smbpasswd should be a "cache" of the authoritative list
> > on the ldap (or other) server
> > 
> > if you do not have _access_ to the ldap (or other) server, then you fall
> > back to the etc/passwd/smbpasswd method.
> > 
> > if you _do_ have access to the ldap (or other) server, then you do _not_
> > then look up in the etc/passwd/smbpasswd file, but overwrite the entries
> > in the etc/passwd/smbpasswd file with those downloaded from the ldap (or
> > other) server.
> </nofill>
> 
> .. and for me it's the other way around. NetInfo is a hierarchical
> system, and I do have a three level hierarchy here (three domains: the
> entire network, the office and the lab, and the machines). So if I want
> some entry to be just on a specific level, it is to be there and only
> there, not everywhere. 'dumping' the passwords to smbpassd as a backup
> would mess things up entirely.

with a little thought, i agree with you: as mentioned in the mail to
danny, a compile-time switch to do _one_ of:

- netinfo
- ldap
- private/smbpasswd
- danny breiss's super database :-)

is better than trying to mess about.

... and if you need emergency access, well: you can always telnet to the
machine :-)

luke