managing users from smbpasswd rather than /etc/passwd

[David Collier-Brown]

You said:
|	with around 200-300 new user accounts about to be
| created - all of who will only have (and need) samba access, managing
them
| from /etc/passwd is a real PITA.
| 
| I would much rather manage these people from /etc/smbpasswd (wherever
it
| may live) and leave /etc/passwd alone for managing REAL unix accounts.
|
| I'm not sure if any of the developers are listening (I'm only new to
the
| list), but can this be a suggestion to put into the TODO list?

	Something of the sort has been discussed in the -tech list,
	and there is a full-fledged api in the works.  Whether or not
	the behavior will change in the short run is not obvious.

	Right now, Samba is a ``good unix citizen'', and quietly uses
	all the standard unix mechanisms for getting services.  A few
	things have to be done specially (MS-format encryption, notably),
	but in general, Samba just adds to Unix: it hardly ever takes away.

	I'll argue **strongly** that this is a good thing: it's quite
	complex enough.  I'd hate to have to remember what special deals
	it makes in order to analyze its behavior (i.e., debug its
	configuration).

--dave 
-- 
David Collier-Brown,  | Cherish your enemies.  They're harder to
185 Ellerslie Ave.,   | come by than friends and more motivated.
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