[Samba] Map user home dir using GPO failing

[Roy Eastwood]

> Hello,
> 
> I am trying to auto create and mount home directories using a GPO, as per
> https://wiki.samba.org/index.php/User_Home_Folders.
> 
> I currently have home directories being created, through the use of
> pam_mkhomedir.so. with 'obey pam restrictions = yes' in my smb.conf file.
> I have also setup the share permissions and Windows ACLs as per the above
> link.
> 
> Unfortunately, even though the user's home directory is being created on
> the samba file server, I cannot see the new folder from Windows and my
> GPO
> is not mapping the network drive.  However, the same GPO does
> successfully
> map a drive for a different share.
> 
Whilst you can use a GPO, you don't *need* a GPO to automatically create Users Home folders on the samba fileserver and map a drive in Windows.

In ADUC on the Profile tab, connect the desired drive letter to the path to the users home folder, eg \\FILESERVER\USERS\%username%

It is important to use the %username% instead of the actual username - that way the folder will get created automatically if it doesn't exist.
Also the correct Windows ACLs must be set on the USERS directory for this to work correctly.   See the WiKi at:  https://wiki.samba.org/index.php/User_Home_Folders for details.

When the user logs on to any windows machine in the domain, the appropriate drive letter will be automatically connected to the user's home folder on the samba fileserver.

HTH,

Roy