Remote home directories?

**numbski** · 04-03-2003, 08:26 PM

I'm just wondering if there's a way to have knoppix pick up a home directory off of a remote mount...I have an iMac running as a mail server at a small office, and they all already have home directories set up. I'd like to just pop knoppix cd's in the desktops, and then use nfs or smb to remote mount the home directories. This way they have a consistant work environment. Is that possible, or would I have to put their homes on floppy, and then remote mount their homes in the .login on the floppy?

**numbski** · 04-03-2003, 08:52 PM

http://www.mandrakeuser.org/docs/connect/cnetips2.html

Looks like according to that article you can mount webdav and ftp directories to the filesystem. Any of those methods would work as well. Would be nice to be able to do that via cheat code instead of via floppy and .login....although, if I do it via floppy, then people could work from home if the ftp server is visible to the outside world....

Hmm...

**numbski** · 04-03-2003, 09:07 PM

Wait, via cheat code they could do it from home too. :P

The real trick here is password protection I suppose. Via ftp password protection would be mandatory I suppose. Gah, help anyone? Someone more familiar with modding knoppix?

**numbski** · 04-04-2003, 03:52 AM

I have a K6-2 400 sitting here I guess I can play around with...I would need help setting up the cheat codes though...it looks like they're just boot loader choices....hmm.

ftpfs would be the most useful IMHO...easiest to set up. Just about every server on the planet runs ftp.

I have at least one client that I can move away from windows to this. I had them convinced by booting up and showing them Evolution and Konqueror.

Just need a way to have centralized control of accounts and we're set.

**Dave_Bechtel** · 04-04-2003, 08:40 PM

--This is all from memory, so post back with results... Backup their home dirs first in case KDE decides to change settings.

1. Boot to runlevel 2 (without GUI):
' knoppix 2 '

2. ' /etc/init.d/portmap start ' == Needed for NFS
2a. Config and activate ETH0 (ifconfig)

3. Copy-down the /etc/group and /etc/passwd* files from CD (they're non-editable symlinks if you don't)

4. ' adduser blah ' == Subst your NFS userid here

5. ' mount -t nfs SERVER:/home/user /home/user -odefaults,noauto,rsize=8192,retry=1,bg,soft,intr,r w 0 0

6. Have the user login, or ' su ' to their userid

7. ' startx '

Originally Posted by numbski

I'm just wondering if there's a way to have knoppix pick up a home directory off of a remote mount...I have an iMac running as a mail server at a small office, and they all already have home directories set up. I'd like to just pop knoppix cd's in the desktops, and then use nfs or smb to remote mount the home directories. This way they have a consistant work environment. Is that possible, or would I have to put their homes on floppy, and then remote mount their homes in the .login on the floppy?