[Samba] Re: LDAP account management tools?

[Matt Lung]

Beast wrote:

> Matt Lung wrote:
>
>> Are there any plans for the Samba team to implement their own set of 
>> web-based graphical tools to control accounts and servers?  The 
>> Directory server that Redhat Enterprise and Fedora are pushing is 
>> looking good, but how involved is the Samba team with that?
>> phpLdapAdmin and LAM are excellent products, but it sure would be 
>> nice if the tool was coming right from the Samba team, and it pretty 
>> much did it all.  From walking you through setting up the server, 
>> initializing your LDAP directory, to administration of the directory 
>> and server.   Maybe you have plans for this, maybe you don't.  I'm 
>> just curious.
>>
>
> Since samba can not works without other softwares, what we need is a 
> full linux distro for Samba (complete replacement of Windows NT = NT 
> Killer :-)
>
>
I don't necessarily think we need a full Linux distro for Samba at all.  
I was just suggesting the Samba suite should incorporate some sort of 
web-based application to aid in the configuration and management of its 
server(s).  Granted it is not Samba that should dictate what everyones 
LDAP directory should contain or look like, but in a sense samba already 
is.  You need certain parameters stored inside that LDAP database that 
are required by the samba code to function.  You need the LDAP database 
itself for your server to function.  Adding different attributes or 
schemas to your directory to take advantage of other software accessing 
the directory is still available to you.  Just because you start off 
using LDAP for Samba doesn't mean your stuck only using it for that.

Really in the case of Samba you do have a specific shape and style you 
must conform to in order to get your server working.  It must be 
followed to the "T" every time or it will not work.  So simply telling 
everyone that they should just run off and use Microsoft AD if you think 
LDAP structure should be dictated is ridiculous.  When it comes down to 
it at the end of the day you and I are using Samba to control Microsoft 
Windows clients and serve them files.  The whole goal here should be to 
start making it just as easy to install, configure and manage as a 
Microsoft AD server acting as a PDC. 

Right now, it isn't.  It could be with some work though.  I believe new 
users will continue to struggle until there is some sort of wizard type 
setup that will aid in the configuration of their Samba servers.  If 
they use a wizard and get setup what they want they will be happy.  
Maybe some of them will leave it at that and never look any deeper, or 
maybe others will need to dig down and start learning how Samba really 
works or how LDAP really works, and start customizing.  Most that are 
just starting out they try this and they hit a road block and become 
frustrated.... they ask for help on this list and most get chastised for 
asking a simple question.  The inevitable answer is "read the 
documentation".  A lot of times it gets pretty nasty too.  Why don't you 
make a separate list for new samba users to post simple startup 
questions to??  I'd run back to Microsoft in an instant too if I was new 
looking for help and that happened to me.    Doing something like this 
to make startup easier is only going to help this project and further 
promote switching from Microsoft servers to Samba servers, or switching 
to Linux in general.