anything like domain login for Ubuntu?

[Avi Greenbury]

Karl Auer wrote:

> Is there anything like Microsoft's domain login system available for
> Ubuntu?
> 
> That is,  system whereby a person can log in from any PC in the
> enterprise, authenticate against a central database of users, and then
> see and work with his/her own desktop, with all user data being stored
> on a central server?

Sort-of. LDAP/Kerberos and SMB/CIFS is basically how MS do that bit of
AD and, given time spent making them work together I hear you can make
a workable central-sign on directory service.

> The fourth part would be something to replace group policies.

I've seen it posited that an NFS-mounted /usr/ and /etc/ and suchlike
can go some way towards some of the machine-based group-policy features.

> The aim is to have a system whereby a simple, standard install can be
> done on a new PC, and old PCs can be replaced with that simple
> install, without having to re-create any particular user's
> environment.

I gather that the more common solution to that problem is some sort of
thin-client system like LTSP. 


I've never gone further than to look at the feasibility of the above
and decide that there isn't really any, though.


-- 
Avi