MACHINE.SID - what if I delete it

[Peter Samuelson]

[Eric Dahnke]
> I'm doing all sorts of testing with samba 2.0.6 and NT wks domain
> logons. It is just a test environment, and since deleting and
> recreating the /etc/MACHINE.SID file nothing is working.

So Don't Do That. [tm]

MACHINE.SID holds the identity of the machine, as far as NT domains are 
concerned.  If you delete/recreate it, other machines who are supposed
to recognize you won't.  That means that if you were a domain member,
you no longer are.  If you were a domain controller, the domain members 
may or may not continue to trust you.

> If a person deletes that file, what has to be done to get NT wks
> domain logons to work again?

Are you a domain controller or just a domain member?  If you're a
domain member, you will need to rejoin the domain, the same way you did 
the first time.  If you are a domain controller, your clients may need
to rejoin the domain (I don't know), the same way *they* did the first
time.

Peter