How can linux do this?

[Smash Greywolf]

> >Yes, NT does do that, no Linux can not do that. It is a function of user
> >management within NT. NT would recognize the difference because of the
> >security token that is passed during logon. The ACL is read telling the
> >token what profile to use and file/directory rights the user has. The
> >profiles could quite possibly be stored on an Linux system, but the drive
> >would have to "mapped" before the logon took place. Linux does not have the
> >ability (yet) to do this.
> >
> >Shon Nixon, MCSE and avid Linux user.
> >
> >
> >>>>>>> "Mark" == M Neidorff <neidorff at cybernex.net> writes:
> >>
> >>> Hi folks, One of the things that a nt server can do for a win based
> >>> network is store each user's profile so that no matter what machine
> >>> the user logs on at they get the same icons, etc. on the desktop.
> >>> Could that kind of nt server be replaced with a linux server?  If
> >>> so, what would do the user profile storage?
> >>
> >>NT can do that??  Not where I work.  It's unlikely that two different
> >>systems have the same setup of software, so its unlikely that a user's
> >>profile or icons could be the same on two separate systems.  The only
> >>way I could see that working is if most (if not all) of the system was
> >>accessed over the network from a file server.  If that's how it works,
> >>then I see no reason that Linux couldn't be the file server (using
> >>Samba) -- the NTs wouldn't know the difference.
> >>--
> >>David Masterson
> >>david at batcave.bungi.com

NT users can have their profiles stored anywhere.  You can 
specify a directory with a CIFS network path in it, and
therefore, have one server with all of the user's profile 
info in it, and possibly data files.  We do it all the time
here.  We set up the NT user's accounts so their home directories
are on their UNIX boxes, and their profiles are on another NT
server.  But I think all NT cares about is a valid path to the
profile files, so I see no reason why youcan't set the Linux
box up to serve a share for profiles,a nd then under "profile"
in the User Manager for Domains in NT, just point the User
Profile path at the Linux server with the profile share.
The only issue is security on the share if you chose not to
make the share public.

I've used a shared profile before,and the only problems I
have had is when an application or file on one machine
is not available, the shortcuts to it might show up, but 
not work.