samba - Jan 2003 - Samba-based Linux fileserver using account info from another Linux box

Hey there,

I'm planning on setting up a mixed windows network (there are 98, 2000
and XP clients on it). I want to use two Linux servers for the network,
one will act as the mail server (which will hold the users accounts) and
another one will be the fileserver for massive storage and backup.

The mail server will be the internet gateway/router of the network, and
I want it to hold the real UNIX accounts for the network users.

The fileserver will be the (Samba based) PDC for the windows clients.
However, I want it not to have any local accounts, but make it that,
upon a logon from a windows workstation, Samba will look up the UNIX
user info (username and password) from the mail server. So my questions
are:

- Can I keep the samba accounts (from the smbpasswd file) on the mail
server, so the network admin will use only one wrapper script to add
user accounts and make them work for email and Windows network access?

- Can I hold the home dirs for the users on BOTH machines, one on the
mailserver and one on the fileserver, and make the latter be created 'by
demand' upon the first login of each user?

- Which tools do I need to accomplish such a task? I have a great
experience with Linux servers, and dealing with Samba as a PDC, but I've
never worked either with LDAP, NIS or Winbind, which (I guess) could do
some things of what I'm wanting to.

- Could you please point me out some documentation to accomplish this
task in the most detailed manner possible?

The setup I want to accomplish is, to manage the UNIX users (and, if
possible, Samba users too) on the mail server *ONLY*, so that
administration will be centralised and easier to mantain; and that both
servers hold home directories for the users (the mailserver ones being
the real home dirs) so I can mount the 'personal storage' directories
from the fileserver on the Windows stations upon logon (ie. via a logon
script cmd) and hopefully to be able to create the directories on the
fileserver on demand (user logs onto the network for the first time,
Samba checks out the user on the mail server, if OK and local home dir
doesn't exists, create it).

Best regards,

-- 
Carlos Oliva G.
Igloo Sistemas Ltda.
Fono/Fax: +56 32 684798
carlos.oliva@igloo.cl - http://www.igloo.cl

"I've been mad for fucking years, absolutely years, been over the edge
for yonks, been working me buns off for bands..."