samba - Dec 2001 - Linux as a workstation client

I'm exploring the idea of using Linux as a workstation OS for some of the
users where I work.  Most of the issues I've looked at seem resolvable, but
I keep running into one sticking point.  We rely heavily on shared folders
on our Samba server, using ACLs to restrict things on a departmental basis.
What I'd need is a way to mount these folders with the permissions of the
current logged-in user and honoring all the ACLs on the server.  Basically I
need it to act just like an NT workstation, client-wise.  Winbind can do the
authentication, but I've tried smbfs, and it looks like it doesn't
enforce
the ACLs.  Is there something I'm overlooking, or is this something you just
can't do with Linux?

----------

David Brodbeck, System Administrator
InterClean Equipment, Inc.
Ann Arbor, Michigan
davidb@mail.interclean.com
(734) 975-2967 x221

On Thu, Dec 20, 2001 at 12:52:59PM -0500, David Brodbeck
wrote:
> I'm exploring the idea of using Linux as a workstation OS for some of
the
> users where I work.  Most of the issues I've looked at seem resolvable,
but
> I keep running into one sticking point.  We rely heavily on shared folders
> on our Samba server, using ACLs to restrict things on a departmental basis.
> What I'd need is a way to mount these folders with the permissions of
the
> current logged-in user and honoring all the ACLs on the server.  Basically
I
> need it to act just like an NT workstation, client-wise.  Winbind can do
the
> authentication, but I've tried smbfs, and it looks like it doesn't
enforce
> the ACLs.  Is there something I'm overlooking, or is this something you
just
> can't do with Linux?
If the ACLs are POSIX ACLs on the Linux filesystem, then smbfs should
have them enforced in exactly the same way as a Windows client - for
the currently connected user.

What exactly doesn't work ?

Jeremy

You're right.  I'm not sure what I thought I was seeing. ;)

-----Original Message-----
From: jra@samba.org [mailto:jra@samba.org]
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2001 1:27 PM
To: David Brodbeck
Cc: 'samba@samba.org'
Subject: Re: Linux as a workstation client


On Thu, Dec 20, 2001 at 12:52:59PM -0500, David Brodbeck
wrote:
> I'm exploring the idea of using Linux as a workstation OS for some of
the
> users where I work.  Most of the issues I've looked at seem resolvable,
but
> I keep running into one sticking point.  We rely heavily on shared folders
> on our Samba server, using ACLs to restrict things on a departmental
basis.
> What I'd need is a way to mount these folders with the permissions of
the
> current logged-in user and honoring all the ACLs on the server.  Basically
I
> need it to act just like an NT workstation, client-wise.  Winbind can do
the
> authentication, but I've tried smbfs, and it looks like it doesn't
enforce
> the ACLs.  Is there something I'm overlooking, or is this something you
just
> can't do with Linux?
If the ACLs are POSIX ACLs on the Linux filesystem, then smbfs should
have them enforced in exactly the same way as a Windows client - for
the currently connected user.

What exactly doesn't work ?

Jeremy

NFS would require the UIDs to be identical on all machines.  There is
currently no way to ensure this when using winbind for authentication.

-----Original Message-----
From: Gerald (Jerry) Carter [mailto:jerry@samba.org]
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2001 3:50 PM
To: Jeremy Allison
Cc: David Brodbeck; 'samba@samba.org'
Subject: Re: Linux as a workstation client


On Thu, 20 Dec 2001, Jeremy Allison wrote:
> On Thu, Dec 20, 2001 at 12:52:59PM -0500, David Brodbeck wrote:
> > I'm exploring the idea of using Linux as a workstation OS for some
of
the
> > users where I work.  Most of the issues I've looked at seem
resolvable,
but
> > I keep running into one sticking point.  We rely heavily on shared
folders
> > on our Samba server, using ACLs to restrict things on a departmental
basis.
> > What I'd need is a way to mount these folders with the permissions
of
the
> > current logged-in user and honoring all the ACLs on the server.
Basically I
> > need it to act just like an NT workstation, client-wise.  Winbind can
do
the
> > authentication, but I've tried smbfs, and it looks like it
doesn't
enforce
> > the ACLs.  Is there something I'm overlooking, or is this
something you
just
> > can't do with Linux?
>
> If the ACLs are POSIX ACLs on the Linux filesystem, then smbfs should
> have them enforced in exactly the same way as a Windows client - for
> the currently connected user.
Along this lines, why not use NFS?

David Brodbeck wrote:
> NFS would require the UIDs to be identical on all machines.  There is
> currently no way to ensure this when using winbind for authentication.

Then why not use AFS or Coda?

Lack of familiarity, mostly, but I'll look into those if I go ahead with
this project.  Right now a lack of a suitable Microsoft Outlook replacement
is the key hold-up, in my view.  I tried Ximian Evolution but it crashes a
lot.

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Claeson [mailto:r.claeson@computer.org]
Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2001 7:36 PM
To: David Brodbeck
Cc: 'Gerald (Jerry) Carter'; Jeremy Allison; 'samba@samba.org'
Subject: Re: Linux as a workstation client


David Brodbeck wrote:
> NFS would require the UIDs to be identical on all machines.  There is
> currently no way to ensure this when using winbind for authentication.

Then why not use AFS or Coda?

Doesn't support scheduling, as far as I know, and we use that feature
heavily.  Ximian now has a connector that will link it to a Microsoft
Exchange server for scheduling, task lists, etc.  We're going to have to be
a mixed shop anyway, so interoperability is very important.  Our CAD
department uses AutoCAD, and there's no Linux release of that package.

-----Original Message-----
From: Ken Cobler [mailto:kcobler@coblercorp.com]
Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2001 10:24 AM
To: David Brodbeck
Cc: 'Robert Claeson'; 'samba@samba.org'
Subject: Re: Linux as a workstation client




David Brodbeck wrote:
> Lack of familiarity, mostly, but I'll look into those if I go ahead
with
> this project.  Right now a lack of a suitable Microsoft Outlook
replacement
> is the key hold-up, in my view.  I tried Ximian Evolution but it crashes a
> lot.
>
What about Netscape Communicator?  It's available for Windows platform, as
well
as Linux.  It's not plagued by the VB script viruses that Outlook has
against
it.

Ken Cobler

On Thu, 2001-12-27 at 09:59, David Brodbeck wrote:
> is the key hold-up, in my view.  I tried Ximian Evolution but it crashes a
> lot.
Just for a curiosity, which version of Evolution did you try?   I use
Evolution 1.0 which hardly ever crashes, though the prereleases crashed
frequently.

Kohei

I was using 1.0.  It kept crashing while I was configuring IMAP; if the
conversation with the server didn't go exactly right, the mail component
would crash and refuse to launch again until the whole program had been
closed and reloaded.  I decided I'd let it go and check again in a few
releases.  I had problems with the automated install, too.  It kept failing
on a missing dependancy.  I had to install the RPMs by hand to get things
working.

-----Original Message-----
From: Kohei Yoshida [mailto:kyoshida@mesco.com]
Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2001 11:02 AM
To: David Brodbeck
Cc: samba@lists.samba.org
Subject: RE: Linux as a workstation client


On Thu, 2001-12-27 at 09:59, David Brodbeck wrote:
> is the key hold-up, in my view.  I tried Ximian Evolution but it crashes a
> lot.
Just for a curiosity, which version of Evolution did you try?   I use
Evolution 1.0 which hardly ever crashes, though the prereleases crashed
frequently.

Kohei