| |as well as authenticating users, can samba be used to restrict |what programs |users can run or install on win clients, I'm thinking win98SE |clients but if |there is a difference with other win clients i would be |interested to know? | The short answer is YES. Samba supports BOTH user Policies and Roving Profiles. Roving profiles basically stores the users desktop and menus on the Samba server itself. Since the winblows client gets it's info/menu & desktop from the Samba server this will do what you want. Policies enable you to restrict changes or even access to the limitations you have imposed including; The modification of menus The installation of software Access to the Control Panel Access to DOS Etc. etc. etc. No matter which machine the users moves to on your LAN, he/she picks up the same profile. (note that this does require that the same software be installed on all machines, or some icons will not function...) There is one little problem with policies... Once turned on, it is VERY difficult to remove all vestiges of them. You are normally better off reformatting after your machine has been afflicted by them, in case you need to undo policies. Policies are "forced" on the winblows workstation via Samba. Even new machines joining the domain can be hamstrung this way if you wish. Pick up "Samba: Integrating Unix and Windows" by John D. Blair and the "Samba Black Book" by Coriolis Press. Both are must reads if you want to implement things like this. -JMS
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