[Samba] SAMBA PDC for Windows and Mac clients questions

[Matthew Easton]

On Dec 26, 2005, at 5:43 PM, Justin Pearce wrote:
>
> In the interest of better compatibility for file stores and
> authentication, we are trying to implement a Linux machine as a  
> primary
> domain controller using SAMBA and LDAP. The goal is to have both  
> Windows
> XP computers and Mac OS X computers able to authenticate against the
> PDC, thereby allowing access to appropriate file stores on the  
> network.
>

On the Mac clients, take a look at "Directory Access" in the  
"Utilities" subdirectory of the "Applications" directory -- if you  
haven't already.  There seems to be an option to configure Samba/CIFS  
authentication. Check it, select it, and choose "configure" to set  
the workgroup and wins server.

> While it is easy to have the Windows machines authenticate against the
> server without LDAP, I seem to be unable to use the server as an
> authentication source for the Mac OS X machines unless I try to use
> LDAP.
>

Apple's Xserve uses OpenLDAP for authentication, so if you get it  
right, the Macs will behave pretty much like they would in a native  
Mac environment.  Note that a Mac user can authenticate against an  
LDAP server to mount his home directory through NFS, and then mount  
file shares using SAMBA or NFS or Appletalk, and that could be a  
second authentication to the same or to a different server.

> The problem I seem to have is that I can only get Windows to work with
> the server or OS X to work with the server, but not both.  
> Unfortunately,
> I am rather new to this area and I cannot seem to find any good
> documentation or examples thus far. Has anyone tried this or have some
> experience in this area and could provide some suggestions or  
> references
> to implementation?

But here are some folks who have apparently done just what you are  
trying.
http://www.cs.dixie.edu/ldap/server/