samba - Jun 2007 - Samba-4.0? (waiting to replace SBS2000 AD domain controller)

I support some organizations using Microsoft Small Business Server 2000,
with relatively simple Active Directory domains.

AFAICT, they use simple printer and server file shares for Windows 9x and
2K and XP clients, the centralized user accounts with server-mapped home
directories, and not many other features of a domain.

I want to plan a migration away from Microsoft Domain Controllers
ASAP. I'm motivated by disaster-recovery and routine management concerns.
I'd sleep much better with configuration in /etc plaintext files, rather
than some binary registry theoretically backed up on tape.

I think I'm obliged to wait for Samba-4.0, and would like to read as much
about the planned domain controller capabilities as possible. Is anyone
blogging Samba-4.0 development in detail?

http://news.samba.org/ has no 4.0 mention since 2007-01-31. I'm reading
http://viewcvs.samba.org/cgi-bin/viewcvs.cgi/branches/SAMBA_4_0/WHATSNEW.txt?rev=23373&view=auto
for information.

Thanks.

> I support some organizations using Microsoft Small Business Server 2000,
> with relatively simple Active Directory domains.
> AFAICT, they use simple printer and server file shares for Windows 9x and
> 2K and XP clients, the centralized user accounts with server-mapped home
> directories, and not many other features of a domain.
> I want to plan a migration away from Microsoft Domain Controllers
> ASAP. I'm motivated by disaster-recovery and routine management
concerns.
Disaster recovery routines with Windows / AD work fine.  Thousands of
organizations use them.
> I'd sleep much better with configuration in /etc plaintext files,
rather
> than some binary registry theoretically backed up on tape.
So instead of AD you'd prefer the LDAP server that comes with Samba4?
Or an external one like OpenLDAP?  Neither of which use plaintext files.
> I think I'm obliged to wait for Samba-4.0, and would like to read as
much
> about the planned domain controller capabilities as possible. Is anyone
> blogging Samba-4.0 development in detail?
There is the Wiki,  and you can lurk on the samba-technical list.
http://wiki.samba.org/index.php/Main_Page#Samba4
Or just read the samba-technical archives -
http://lists.samba.org/archive/samba-technical/ [ Mail archive == BLOG,
before anyone invented that stupid term :) ]