Shared network font library - using Font Book

Question

I'm a trying to set up a "font server" on my company's OS X Server. I have created a folder within the SHARED ITEMS folder called Library, and placed all the fonts within a FONTS folder. I can now mount the folder on a clients/artists desktop just fine, so the shared point is working.
The problem is, I don't want to have to mount another "drive" to the artists desktop. I want the artists to use Font Book with a "Network" globe to which they can use the fonts.
I've been trying to figure out how to do this....and I think it may have somthing to do with the /Network/Library....it's an alias that seems to be broken. Shouldn't the "Library" alias be a folder???
Here is the Library alias info:
Kind: Alias
Size: 1kb on disk
Where: /Network
Server: nfs://automount%20-nsl%20%5B142]
Original: /automount/Library
It's interesting that it says "nfs://" because I've got it set up as "AFP" on the server.
Any suggestions?
PowerMac G5 Dual   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  
PowerMac G5 Dual   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  

Answer 1

If you use Workgroup Manager and your clients are bound to the server via LDAP - try this, it works for us.
On your server, put a folder called "Library" wherever you wish (outside of System and Library for the Server itself and not inside another shared item). Put a folder called "Fonts" in the new "Library" folder
Open WGM
Go to Sharing
Select "All"
Find and Select your "Library" folder
Under General select "share item and contents"
Under Access set permissions - ours are Root rw, Admin rw, Everyone read only. Propogate permissions to the contained folders.
Under Protocols disable any protocols you don't plan to use. With AFP make sure it is called "Library" and that guest access is possible. We have all other protocols disabled.
Under Network Mount select "enable network mounting," choose AFP as protocol and make sure that the mount is Used for "shared library"
If your clients are bound to the server via LDAP, reboot them and the client machines will connect to the server and use your new shared "Library" there as an option after the "Library" folders in the client machine itself. The new library will not need to be mounted on the users desktop as it will already be mounted by the client itself. The fonts will show up in Font Book under Network.
Put your fonts in the "Fonts" folder in the new "Library" folder on the server and all clients should now be able to access them. You can put other Library items in the network accessable folder just like the fonts and have them accessable to all bound clients.
hope this helps
- erich