[Samba] Samba/LDAP documentation

[John H Terpstra]

Tonni, Folks,

The Samba-HOWTO-Collection and Samba-Guide documentation has worked for many 
people, but I am quick to admit that it can be significantly improved. There 
is little benefit in my continuously pounding this list with requests for 
patches and updates - even though we have demonstrated time after time that 
we act on every suggestion, patch or contribution.

We do not know as much as the sum of experience that others can contribute. 
Some of us really appreciate little (or big) gems of knowledge and/or 
experience that may help us in our efforts or work.

We do not accept the notion that the current documentation is "worthless". We 
will all be most pleased to receive an update or ammendment that may help any 
other user. The update or ammendment may be in pure text form, or any other 
form you care to submit, we will convert it to docbook format for inclusion 
in the documentation.

In the past we have included updates regardless of our personal preferences, 
the only criteria we must insist on is that the information is not 
plain-wrong, and that it is legal for us to publish it.

Documentation projects need to take account of technical correctness and must 
also recognize the significant degree to which personal preferences dictation 
people opinions. Just because someone does not like something does not make 
it wrong.

I do not have time for lengthy discussion, my time is limited enough as it is. 
Please document and submit your patches, updates or contribution using 
bugzilla at: https://bugzilla.samba.org

If the demands of posting to bugzilla are too much to ask, I am happy to 
receive bug reports and updates, etc. via direct email.

Please document your "corrections" and let's get on with life.

Cheers,
John T.


On Saturday 12 February 2005 11:18, Tony Earnshaw wrote:
> List, documenters;
>
> I'd like to exchange notes about the official Samba 3 LDAP doco.
>
> I'd like to do this off list, since doing it on list would simply confuse
> and confound users wit perfectly working systems.
>
> Background:
>
> Me, Samba relative newbie, though I can get *everything* Samba-orientated
> to work simply by using umpteen years Unix experience. Many years as
> Openldap admin. With Windows it's worse, since I'm beginning again after
> many years' absence - but it all works if I try hard enough and follow the
> docs (but more importantly my own intuition. Windows stinks, since changes
> in subversions nullify the experience gained in previous versions.
> However, we all knew that.
>
> Openldap experience is a couple or three years long, BUT I'm not prepared
> to discuss *anything* prior to OL 2.2.17 (the present stable version as
> notified by OpenLDAP.org is 2.2.23). For example, Red Hat's 2.0.27 or
> 2.1.22 are unstable and will break on extended loading or extended uptime.
> Worst is, that with OL 2.0.27 there's no method of repairing
> sparse/corrupted databases other than wit a rebuild from a dumped ldif;
> with Red Hat's 2.1.22 databases are guaranteed to become corrupted
> (Sleepycat BDB 4.1), though there is a way of repairing the DB (whilst the
> server is *down*). OL 2.2.17's and higher use patched Sleepycat's BDB
> 4.2.52, are mostly guaranteed against corruption (if correctly configured
> using DB_CONFIG) and even in the case of a corrupted DB (which I've
> *never* experienced, whatever) can be repaired.
>
> Samba's NT groups as documented in the HOWTO (Terpstra and Coupeau) are
> worthless. (Sorry JT). OL 2.2 don't like Unix GIDs or UIDs with spaces in
> their names (f.ex. "Domain Admins"). Worse, Linux don't like them. Worst
> of all, it looks like shit on an 'ls -l'. I have my own alternative method
> which works perfectly. That's what I'd like to discuss, off list. No, I
> haven't asked IDEALX, no I haven't consulted anyone else than Billy my
> Cat, my IT consultant. He's in perfect agreement with me - but then, he
> usually is, if he gets food and petting regularly.
>
> Best,
>
> --Tonni
>
> --
> mail: tonye at billy.demon.nl
> http://www.billy.demon.nl

-- 
John H Terpstra
Samba-Team Member
Phone: +1 (650) 580-8668

Author:
The Official Samba-3 HOWTO & Reference Guide, ISBN: 0131453556
Samba-3 by Example, ISBN: 0131472216
Hardening Linux, ISBN: 0072254971
Other books in production.