Subject: [netatalk-admins] Logging in in a computer lab...

From: Jason Belich <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 1998 17:16:46 -0500

I love Netatalk's ability for a person to login to their own volume
corresponding to their userID and password.  Is there a way to set
things up so a user can sit at any mac in a computer lab, login ala At
Ease, and get their own server volume, use it, and log out leaving said
mac ready for next user.  I've tried Maclogin and At Ease for Workgroups
3.0. and neither is capable of doing this, despite every relevant
setting I can find.  Such a utility or At Ease patch would be infinitely
useful for all of us interested in using netatalk for a netserver in a
school environment.

some BG:

Redhat 5.0
Netatalk 1.4b2 lorax RPM
Mac Lab in a school setting

TIA
Jason Belich

---

From: "Brad G. Parks" <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 98 16:56:52 -0600

We've just started  a similar setup.  (Currently enabled in
only one lab).  In the Startup Items folder we have an alias
to a program on the Netatalk server (a tiny app that pops up a
modal dialog reminding the user to quit AtEase when they're
done)  This forces AtEase (3.0) to connect to that network
volume when the user logs in.

Currently nobody stores anything on the network; the network
volume is used only for printer authentication.  So it's not
exactly what you're looking for -- users aren't accessing
thier own directory (that's a summer project).  But I think
the principle might work for you.  Also, I've seen an option
in a couple of AtEase 4.0 systems for connecting to network
volumes.  Too bad the AtEase licenses aren't the same price as
the Netatalk licenses.  :)

-brad parks
bparks at bethel dot edu
# dd if=/dev/brain of=/dev/tape

Thus saith Jason Belich:
> I love Netatalk's ability for a person to login to their own
> volume corresponding to their userID and password.  Is there a
> way to set things up so a user can sit at any mac in a
> computer lab, login ala At Ease, and get their own server
> volume, use it, and log out leaving said mac ready for next
> user.  I've tried Maclogin and At Ease for Workgroups 3.0. and
> neither is capable of doing this, despite every relevant
> setting I can find.  Such a utility or At Ease patch would be
> infinitely useful for all of us interested in using netatalk
> for a netserver in a school environment.
>

-brad

---

From: Jason Belich <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 13 Feb 1998 21:24:44 -0500

> volume when the user logs in.

At Ease for Workgroups 3.0 ( I know nothing about versions 4 and 5) can
do that part automatically, in fact it can store users documents on a
server in the directory

:machinename:volumename:Documents:username

by (secretly, no user knowledge)logging in to the server using the
administrator's name (an option in AEfWG3.0).

Now it should be reasonably possible to set the linux home directory of
the "administrator" two directories above the linux home directory of
the user ("volumename") so that "username" coincides with linux home
directory of the user.  

If I'm right, this should have the following effects:

1. a user can still login to netatalk via normal chooser from a personal
machine, like a laptop, and gain access to his/her linux home directory
as if it were it's own volume.

2. those who will also be logging in via Win95/Samba (don't we all have
mixed networks these days?) will also access their linux home directory
normally.

3. ftp users and web surfers will also have normal access to these same
directories.

In a nutshell, users will still each have a central repository for all
their files, of all types and platforms.

Thanks, Brad, for triggering this idea.  It could develop into a HOW-TO!

There could be problems with file permissions and such.  Does anyone
have any suggestions, insights?

TIA
Jason Belich