[Samba] Repost: group membership limitations and Linux kernel

[Azelton Sean (RBNA/CIT1)]

On Mon, 2003-08-18 at 06:26, Buchan Milne wrote: 
> $ grep GROUPS /usr/src/linux/include/linux/limits.h
> #define NGROUPS_MAX       32    /* supplemental group IDs are
> available */
> 
> Looks like you will have to try compiling a new kernel for your linux
> boxen.

Thanks for your reply.  Yes - it seems that would be the direction
necessary - although it opens an entire can of worms I'm not prepared to
deal with right now.

I have been in contact with Tim Hockin @ Sun who has been attempting for
some time to get a patch for this issue into the linux kernel.  He
unfortunately has yet to be successful, and it looks to me like
linux-2.6.0-test3 has this same value (32).

> This issue will affect both OpenLDAP and Winbind/AD (and any other
> mechanism for enumerating groups for that matter).

This is what I'm afraid of if I change it.

> Also note that NFS has some limitations on the number of groups that
> can be used for permissions over NFS, typically 15 (AFAIK).

Unfortunately, it seems to me the solution to this problem might be to
use Windows 2003 Storage Server, in order to have >32 group support.

That is a shame.

Sean
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Sean Azelton, RHCE, MCSE
Robert Bosch Corporation (RBNA/CIT1)
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