Ubuntu Domain Server

[Christopher Chan]

Steven Susbauer wrote:
>
> On Oct 21, 2009, at 10:56 PM, Christopher Chan wrote:
>
>> Ryan Dwyer wrote:
>>>
>>> It doesn't matter how much work is involved. Do you think the
>>> Linux/Ubuntu community would be willing to change the way system
>>> logons work if it meant bug #1 could be completed?
>>
>> Let us see. To change the way system logons work would mean changing
>> pam, the C library and just about anything that has to do with system
>> accounts. You are welcome to try to convince the Ubuntu community to
>> maintain a fork of all these essential system libraries and offer some
>> form of backwards compatibility to avoid having to also modify who knows
>> how many other packages like sendmail, apache, bind, ..., ..., ...,
>> everything. Mac OS X, a certified UNIX system as of Snow Leopard, is
>> enjoying a measure of success without having to become Windows like. You
>> are barking up the wrong tree here.
>>
>
> Note that OS X (that UNIX certified system) has completely changed how 
> system logons work. User accounts (and a ton of other things) are 
> managed through the Open Directory service even on the local machine. 
> The plus of this is it is also highly compatible with external 
> directory services. It takes three or four clicks of a mouse to 
> configure the system to use a domain server and authenticate domain 
> users against a centralized system. Their system is both compatible 
> with traditional UID/GID, and also allows for separation of local 
> machine and domain accounts.
>
> I am not extremely familiar with the intricacies of the OS X Open 
> Directory system and know that they have put in the work to make it 
> work well and be compatible. It is not impossible and certainly worth 
> considering before writing it off. Of course it may be that it is too 
> much work to implement something similar.

OH? Now this is interesting. I wonder if it is present in Darwin where 
we can have a look at it.