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Centralized Linux network with roaming profiles?

Next week I am gonna have to start building a small network for my school (seven desktop computers, one server), running Linux. We want to have a somewhat centralized network, where you can log into your profile on any computer, and your documents/settings are all there. Exactly like roaming profiles on a windows active directory server. Is it possible to do something like this. If so, what would be the easiest way? The server would be the one used to hold the profiles and settings and that. We already have a dedicated router, so the server will not be running anything else. Also, the teacher I am building this for prefers Ubuntu for the desktops. I don't think the system running on the server will matter as much, but it must have a GUI.

Public Comments

1. The best way to do this is by having one more expensive, powerful central computer, and several inexpensive diskless or very thin clients running a remote X-session. I do this at work using a AMD64 server (min 2 GB RAM) running Gentoo. I've set gdm (X-windows login manager) up on the server to allow for remote connections and query the server for a X session on the clients. My clients are ML6000 mini-itx boards mounted in a Morex case. It's very sleek, powerful, quiet, and saves a lot of energy. All of your programs will be running on the server, so there's only one computer to keep up to date. On the server, enable xdm to run at start, set your default display manager to be gdm, and make sure the following is set in your /etc/X11//gdm/custom.conf file: [xdmcp] Enable=true On each client, do something like this: X -once -query ip.of.server It's up to you whether or not just how thin (or diskless) you want your clients to be. The thinner, the better, but If you don't want to use this approach, then a similar goal can be accomplished (although with more per-client configuration) using openafs. Again, I'd recommend using gentoo. It's made for the flexibility that you'll need to get this up an running. Some helpful links here: http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-amd64.xml http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_AMD_64 http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Diskless_X_terminal_with_read-only_root http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/openafs.xml