samba - May 2007 - policy files

Hi,

I think I have two questions - one which is samba and one which is windows
policy files.  I'll try to limit this question to the samba side but will
give the full picture for completeness.

I'm trying to implement a simple policy to redirect a few simple folders
(for starters).  I have a policy file called NTConfig.POL that is available
on my share \\wilson\netlogon (wilson is the name of the server running
samba).  I'll append its contents at the end of this email in case
that's
where my problem lies (although that's a windows question, so I don't
expect
an answer here).

I don't have anything that mentions the policy file in my samba config, but
according to http://www.pcc-services.com/custom_poledit.html I don't need to
(other than having NTConfig.POL readable at \\wilson\netlogon\NTPolicy.POL,
which it is).  I've seen lots of stuff that suggests I need special windows
programs (that seem to only be available on NT or 2003) to edit these files,
and then other pages (such as the link above) that say they are just text
files.

Is there a simple howto that I've missed on this?  Thanks in advance for any
tips.

cheers
dim



CLASS USER

CATEGORY "Custom Folder Redirection"
        KEYNAME "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User
Shell Folders"

        POLICY "Custom Internet Cookies Folder"
                PART "Path to User's Internet Cookies Folder"
EDITTEXT        REQUIRED        EXPANDABLETEXT
                        DEFAULT "Z:\Cookies"
                        VALUENAME "Cookies"
                END PART
        END POLICY

        POLICY "Custom Internet Favorites Folder"
                PART "Path to User's Internet Favorites Folder"
EDITTEXT        REQUIRED        EXPANDABLETEXT
                        DEFAULT "Z:\Favorites"
                        VALUENAME "Favorites"
                END PART
        END POLICY

        POLICY "Custom Internet History Folder"
                PART "Path to User's Internet History Folder"
EDITTEXT        REQUIRED        EXPANDABLETEXT
                        DEFAULT "Z:\History"
                        VALUENAME "History"
                END PART
        END POLICY

        POLICY "Custom My Documents Folder"
                PART "Path to User's My Documents Folder"
EDITTEXT        REQUIRED        EXPANDABLETEXT
                        DEFAULT "Z:\Documents"
                        VALUENAME "Personal"
                END PART
        END POLICY


END CATEGORY ;Custom Folder Redirection

This is a Windows issue, not a Samba issue.
> I don't have anything that mentions the policy file in my samba config,
but
> according to http://www.pcc-services.com/custom_poledit.html I don't
need to
> (other than having NTConfig.POL readable at \\wilson\netlogon\NTPolicy.POL,
> which it is).  I've seen lots of stuff that suggests I need special
windows
> programs (that seem to only be available on NT or 2003) to edit these
files,
> and then other pages (such as the link above) that say they are just text
> files.
No, the ADM template files are text files.  The policy file is not.  You
must have POLEDIT.EXE to edit the policy.  It reads the ADM files,
presents a UI, and produces the binary POL file.
> Is there a simple howto that I've missed on this?  Thanks in advance
for any
> tips.
Yes, the Windows documentation.  O'Reilly has a title: "Windows NT User
Administration"  you need a book like that.  Most of the HOWTOs and what
not on the Internet are confusing garbage, or at best only half
complete,  my advise is to skip them entirely.

The *OFFICIAL* Samba documentation does cover this to some extend,
beyond that get a book.

http://us1.samba.org/samba/docs/man/Samba-HOWTO-Collection/PolicyMgmt.html

Hi Dimitri,
> I think I have two questions - one which is samba and one which is windows
> policy files.  I'll try to limit this question to the samba side but
will
> give the full picture for completeness.
> 
> I'm trying to implement a simple policy to redirect a few simple
folders
> (for starters).  I have a policy file called NTConfig.POL that is available
> on my share \\wilson\netlogon (wilson is the name of the server running
> samba).  I'll append its contents at the end of this email in case
that's
> where my problem lies (although that's a windows question, so I
don't
> expect
> an answer here).
folder redirection can be performed quite easily with a .reg file loaded
throught the logon script (like explained in
http://isg.ee.ethz.ch/tools/realmen/det/skel.en.html)

a reg file like below should do it

=======??Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User
Shell
 Folders]
"Desktop"="U:\.desktop"
"Personal"="U:"
"My Pictures"="U:"
"My Music"="U:"
"My Video"="U:"
=======
Actually you can do quite a lot of things in logon script, as long as
they can be launch with plain user rights. I advise you to use .vbs
scripts, they are much more powerful than .bat scripts.

cheers,

Denis

> 
> I don't have anything that mentions the policy file in my samba config,
but
> according to http://www.pcc-services.com/custom_poledit.html I don't
> need to
> (other than having NTConfig.POL readable at \\wilson\netlogon\NTPolicy.POL,
> which it is).  I've seen lots of stuff that suggests I need special
windows
> programs (that seem to only be available on NT or 2003) to edit these
> files,
> and then other pages (such as the link above) that say they are just text
> files.
> 
> Is there a simple howto that I've missed on this?  Thanks in advance
for
> any
> tips.
> 
> cheers
> dim
> 
> 
> 
> CLASS USER
> 
> CATEGORY "Custom Folder Redirection"
>        KEYNAME
"Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User
> Shell Folders"
> 
>        POLICY "Custom Internet Cookies Folder"
>                PART "Path to User's Internet Cookies Folder"
> EDITTEXT        REQUIRED        EXPANDABLETEXT
>                        DEFAULT "Z:\Cookies"
>                        VALUENAME "Cookies"
>                END PART
>        END POLICY
> 
>        POLICY "Custom Internet Favorites Folder"
>                PART "Path to User's Internet Favorites
Folder"
> EDITTEXT        REQUIRED        EXPANDABLETEXT
>                        DEFAULT "Z:\Favorites"
>                        VALUENAME "Favorites"
>                END PART
>        END POLICY
> 
>        POLICY "Custom Internet History Folder"
>                PART "Path to User's Internet History Folder"
> EDITTEXT        REQUIRED        EXPANDABLETEXT
>                        DEFAULT "Z:\History"
>                        VALUENAME "History"
>                END PART
>        END POLICY
> 
>        POLICY "Custom My Documents Folder"
>                PART "Path to User's My Documents Folder"
> EDITTEXT        REQUIRED        EXPANDABLETEXT
>                        DEFAULT "Z:\Documents"
>                        VALUENAME "Personal"
>                END PART
>        END POLICY
> 
> 
> END CATEGORY ;Custom Folder Redirection

-- 
Denis Cardon
Tranquil IT Systems
10 rue du Docteur Bouchard
49400 Saumur
tel : +33 (0) 2.41.67.56.99
http://www.tranquil-it-systems.fr