Topic: SME Domain Controller for Dummies?

[billym]

I have been a windows net admin for years and finally crossing over to the linux side of things for my small businesses. It is my understanding that I can use samba as a domain controller with roaming profiles on a windows network. The problem I have is that there is no complete "dummies" guide to configuring a PDC with SME. Just pieces of information throughout. I am wanting to configure a single SME server with this similar topology:


Internet->(WANPort)Router(LANPortA)->PC1
                   Router(LANPortB)->PC2
                   Router(LANPortC)->SMESvr        


Any assistance would be appreciated

[CharlieBrady]

The problem I have is that there is no complete "dummies" guide to configuring a PDC with SME.

Have you read the Users Guide? If so, which bits are unclear?

[tandum]

billym,
It's pretty straight forward, you just turn it on in the  workgroup section of the server-manager and patch the registry on the workstations as documented. It does seem to throw desktop.ini files all over the place initially but this stops after a couple of logons. Also, I can't find a way to supply group policies or printer drivers to the work stations which is a pain when there are lots of clients.

However, the  SME 7.x beta line uses samba 3 which looks to have far more features. Try reading samba.org.

[hmuhammad]

This is how we did it...
(does not use group policies & server has already been setup via server-manager's workgroup panel)

1.   boot computer
2.   fill in the Windows XP key
3.   fill in computer name, do not use the default computer name
4.   create new administrator password
5.   activate windows xp
6.   logon as local administrator
7.   patch registry as documented to enable windows xp logon to samba domain and accept roaming progiles
8.   join domain
9.   after reboot computer logon as domain admin (username is 'admin', and password is the server's root/admin password)
10.   goto the control panel add domain admin as local administrator and logout and logon again
11.   edit gpedit.msc
a)   disable offline feature
b)   disable alert balloon
c)   redirect mydocument directory
d)   exclude my documents and desktop directories from roaming profile
12.   setup e-mail account in outlook and redirect default pst file to user network home folder
13. Grant domain user as local admin user rights