10.5:Update. Not as bad as 10.4 (so far) - Still annoying.

[DMcCoy]

Apple have achieved a task I thought impossible

 

AD/OD integration is now even worse.

 

With 10.4 my main issue is missing getting the prefs at boot time due to starting the DS too fast. Solved (at least 99% of the time) with a boot modification.

 

10.5 will get its preferences from the OD server once. Thats it, no more after that. Binding is also broken. I have installed leopard about 6 times today and I'm really starting to hate it.

 

So if you can't get a fresh, fully patched install to talk to thier own 10.4 server and bind with their own OD what the hell can I count on it to do? Oh yes I have new fancy but utterly useless coverflow for my folder view instead.

 

I simply have an "Unexpected error" for the thing that I really need to work. Or no error at all when it comes to the missing updated prefs. And as someone else discovered they have even removed the utility to force a managed prefs cache refresh

 

Well done apple, you fail at multi user OS. Quite an achievement seeing as it was based on unix.

[webman]

I thought they just worked?

[DMcCoy]

I thought they just worked?

 

It did

 

Then I wanted to get it talking to something else and it all went pear shaped as usual

[GrumbleDook]

Are you using 10.5 server or still with 10.4? I am about to start rebuilding a few staff machines as they are heavy bootcamp users and wondering whether to upgrade the server too.

[DMcCoy]

Server is 10.4(10)

 

I don't really feel like buying 10.5 for the servers if its not going to work. I'll have to try debug mode for directory services tomorrow.

[DMcCoy]

I'm getting closer with debug mode. Something I can't blame 10.5 for (but I can blame os x) is that it stores its ip address in the open directory for the password server and replica attributes. This is a bit odd as I've always used its dns name when setting it up to avoid exactly this situation.

 

I've now fixed that and the 10.4 clients are still working (not that they stopped).

 

Intial testing with 10.5 shows that its now picking up the preferences again. I reserve the right to complain until I get AD back on (as thats when it often breaks again).

 

Binding remains broken.

[torledo]

I'm getting closer with debug mode. Something I can't blame 10.5 for (but I can blame os x) is that it stores its ip address in the open directory for the password server and replica attributes. This is a bit odd as I've always used its dns name when setting it up to avoid exactly this situation.

 

I've now fixed that and the 10.4 clients are still working (not that they stopped).

 

Intial testing with 10.5 shows that its now picking up the preferences again. I reserve the right to complain until I get AD back on (as thats when it often breaks again).

 

Binding remains broken.

 

It's always best to wait a few updates before jumping over to 10.5

 

Although I never tried directory integration in 10.4 server we still managed to have all sorts of headaches with network home folders and other slight niggles that either required several reinstalls or we just had to roll back to a 'stable' update or wait for another delta update or two.

[DMcCoy]

Hmm, it seems to be working which is a bit of an unusal experience for me when it comes to preferences. (Given up on binding for now - don't need it, just doesn't work that annoys me though).

 

Still got to test logging in as an AD user but its better now anyway.

 

I wonder why those IPs were in there :|

 

I think the issue is that apple do the bare minimum for things like AD/Prefs It's good that its there but it seems to be at a 'that'll do' level

 

+1 point for 10.5 now

-1 for 10.4 Server

[torledo]

You've gone from '10.5 All shine no substance' to

 

'+1 for 10.5 for now' in a single thread. And all by yourself aswell. bravo.

[DMcCoy]

I'm going to have to deduct half a point I think. The error messages from the gui might as well not be there as "unexpected error" isn't really all that much use. Even debug gives no clue as to where binding is failing.

 

Also the removal of the MCX tools to see whats going on with the preferences seems to be really unhelpful as the ones that replace them don't do the same things.

[Rozzer]

After searching the internet i found a very helpful forum topic.

 

This forum topic managed to improve my logins by a massive degree.

 

I found all of my iMacs were stalling at startup. It would take about 30 seconds after the login boxs to show to allow users to log in.

I only noticed the problem after the 10.4.8 update where a lot of the computers were delaying login. The only way to fix this so far i have found is to change the automount "YES" to "NO" in the /etc/hostconfig file.

 

I found this to fix almost all of my login issues. Hope it helps you guys out.

 

Ross

[DMcCoy]

Thats interesting. I have noticed that it seemingly tries to mount every home folder its ever connected to when you login. I'll give it a try next week and see what happens.

[Rozzer]

Oh and also i find setting the search path for authentifcation having AD before OD seems to help a lot aswell

 

Ross

[HodgeHi]

I never used OD binding with AD integration on the os x clients in my set up as it never wanted to bind.

 

My clients always (nearly) got the preferences and AD users could authenticate.

 

I think it also states to not bind to the OD in the Bombich/AFP guide too.

 

Or am i up the wrong tree.

 

You may already know but if you trash the DirectoryService Folder in preferences it can sometimes solve some binding issues. Has worked for me a few times. There is also a log in the console on the clients for Directory Service. May shed a little more light.

 

But you do know more than me about macs anyway so i will shut up now...

[DMcCoy]

I don't want to bind, I just wanted to use it for testing. The issue now is that I want to know why it doesn't work just because it doesn't work.

 

Although things just happen like that on OS X. After one update I have to restart the print service after boot as its not actually running.

 

I also have to start windows sharing after 10.4.10 as that doesn't start at boot anymore either. Only change made was to patch.

[HodgeHi]

"Although things just happen like that on OS X."

 

Tell me about it.

 

I am trying out Leopard server at home at the moment and am having issues with what seems everything. The biggest being DNS.

 

It just does not seem to be working right. It was fine one day. I went back to work on setting up the web service and ical service and it couldn't resolve its own DNS name.

 

Services wouldn't start because their log files were missing. First time the service was started so why couldn't it just create them?

 

A few people are having issues with leopard server at the moment. Check out the discussions over at Apple to see.

 

I personally wouldn't recommend upgrading to leopard. Although stability-wise it is solid. Just not reliable.