samba - Feb 2002 - Password about to expire -- Turn Windlows Client Password Ageing Off?

I have a Domain controlled by a (Samba 2.2.2 upgraded to) Samba 2.2.3a PDC,
with
unix password sync = yes

The PDC (on a Mandrake Linux 8.X box) does not use password ageing, and we
don't want password ageing on our network.

We have a mix of Windows 98, NT4 and 2000 client workstations.

Unfortunately, some of the Windows 2000 users who log in to the domain have
complained that Windows is insisting that they must change their domain
password, and also that the interval given until expiry seems to change at
random.

If they do chose to do change the password, then things will usually carry
on with no problem. Also, the workstation "Local Security Settings"
(Control
Panel>Administrative tools>Local Security Settings/Local Policies/Security
Options/Prompt user to change password ...) can be edited so that no warning
is displayed, although I've been told that the machine may suddenly insist
on a password change later.

Is there any way to specify from the Samba PDC that there is no expiry
period for the password?

Also, a minor problem can occur with the password changing/synchronising: if
the new password is too simple (eg a dictionary word) then it will be
rejected by the Linux server. This is reported to the user as "The user
name
or old password was incorrect ..." Is it possible to make this message less
misleading?

Is this fixable?

Thanks for any help,
Steven

==Steven Mackenzie
Active Navigation Ltd
http://activenavigation.com/
+44 (0) 23 8074 2420
sjm@activenavigation.com

I have a Domain controlled by a (Samba 2.2.2 upgraded to) Samba 2.2.3a PDC,
with
unix password sync = yes

The PDC (on a Mandrake Linux 8.X box) does not use password ageing, and we
don't want password ageing on our network.

We have a mix of Windows 98, NT4 and 2000 client workstations.

Unfortunately, some of the Windows 2000 users who log in to the domain have
complained that Windows is insisting that they must change their domain
password, and also that the interval given until expiry seems to change at
random.

If they do chose to do change the password, then things will usually carry
on with no problem. Also, the workstation "Local Security Settings"
(Control
Panel>Administrative tools>Local Security Settings/Local Policies/Security
Options/Prompt user to change password ...) can be edited so that no warning
is displayed, although I've been told that the machine may suddenly insist
on a password change later.

Is there any way to specify from the Samba PDC that there is no expiry
period for the password?

Also, a minor problem can occur with the password changing/synchronising: if
the new password is too simple (eg a dictionary word) then it will be
rejected by the Linux server. This is reported to the user as "The user
name
or old password was incorrect ..." Is it possible to make this message less
misleading?

Is this fixable?

Thanks for any help,
Steven

==Steven Mackenzie
Active Navigation Ltd
http://activenavigation.com/
+44 (0) 23 8074 2420
sjm@activenavigation.com