Creating Home Directories

Question

Hi,
I'm still fairly new to Mac Servers (come across from a Windows background), and am having trouble creating the home directories for the users I've created.
Initially I created the user (just bog standard users - no mail, no calendars etc), bound the client machine to the server in Directory Utility (all working ok so far), even added the client machine to workgroup manager.
However, the user was unable to logon - just a shaking screen after each logon attempt. Confirmed the password etc, all ok.
Deduced (after looking on here) that it may be because the client has no home folder (a prerequisite for 10.5, even though it doesn't tell you that). However, coming from a Windows background, am unfamiliar with the syntax of network paths for Mac/Linux.
The home folder location I've created is on the server: Server HD/Users/Shared/ and it is shared in Server manager as a Share Point. Actual folder permissions include Users: Read and Write, and share permissions are the same. AFP is on.
In Workgroup manager, the syntax for the three fields I currently have is:
Share point URL: afp://servername.domain.co.uk/Users/Shared
Path to Home folder: username
Full Path: /Network/Servers/servername.domain.co.uk/Users/Shared/username
I click OK, then click on Create Home now, then Save and it returns the error: Unable to create Home Directory. The home directory could not be created because an error occurred.

Answer 1

Hi
+". . . The home folder location I've created is on the server: Server HD/Users/Shared . . ."+
This is possibly where the problem lies? By default OSX Server, after installation, creates Users, Groups and Public as default share points. You only have to enable AFP and those shares are instantly available once users have been created to access them.
Don't be tempted to delete the default Users and Groups folders as the Server will complain. There is already a default Shared folder that the Public folder resides in. Don't be tempted to delete these either.
There is no need to create another shared directory within the top level User Directory as that is already being shared. Once you promote to OD Master and populate the node with users all you have to do is set the default Users folder to be auto-mounting for users Home folders. There is no further need to share it or define permissions. These are correctly set when the folder was initially created.
In Workgroup Manager you should see the path as afp://fqdnofyourserver/Users. That's all you need. Simply select it and click Create Now and Save. Navigate to the Users folder and you should see the home directory has been created. There is no need either to tinker with permissions for individual users' home folders as these are correctly set at the time of creation. The default permissions model used for users' home folders is standard POSIX.
For clients to access networked home folders correctly it's a good idea if the server's IP address is used to resolve DNS queries. Assuming the service is placed with the server?
Unlike Microsoft, Apple don't tinker with Open Source OpenLDAP as much. They still modify it to suit their purposes but it's more standards based. If you don't want to use the default Users directory on the boot volume then simply un-share and un-automount and define a similar directory on another volume (a RAID for example) instead. Define it as a Share in Server Admin and set it for auto-mounting home directories. It will show in WGM with the correct path. Avoid long names and spaces if you can. You could stick with Users as it works.
There is no need to resort to the command line in any of this as all the tools you need are there in the interface. Provided DNS is correctly configured on both pointers and you have not used .local as the basis for DNS it does work as it's supposed to and it works well.
Tony