Mac and windows shares for users

[awebb08]

Hi,

 

I'm hoping someone could help me!

 

I'm putting 20 macs on our windows network. I've setup mac server and works fine along with Policy manager.

 

My issue is... I've joined the macs to the domain and they are happily communicating with Policy Manager. When i joined them i did force the home to startup disk as this then let us use some scripts when the unticking didn't. Is there a way of redirecting the documents, music and etc folders on mac to save on the network home drive for the user ?

 

IE when the user saves to documents on the mac it saves it to the My Documents folder windows created ? and not allowing the user save to the mac HDD ?

 

 

Awebb08

Edited December 23, 2014 by awebb08

[davidacland]

To keep the home folder local but redirect certain folders to the network you can use a login script with the ln command which makes symbolic links.

 

Depending on the apps you are using this might cause some problems though.

 

Logic, FCP, iMovie etc all have issues writing directly to network shares.

[awebb08]

Just to be cheeky... any chance you have a script it could have a look at @davidacland?

 

Thanks,

 

Awebb08

Edited December 29, 2014 by elsiegee40

[davidacland]

HI @awebb08

 

Here's the basic code. It would need to be triggered by a LaunchAgent at login. Make sure you test it quite heavily before rolling out to any clients though!

 

#!/bin/sh

 

 

for folder in "Desktop" "Documents" "Movies"; do

 

# Check if the relevant folder exists in the network home and create it if it's missing

if [ ! -d /Volumes/"$USER"/"$folder" ]; then

mkdir /Volumes/"$USER"/"$folder"

fi

 

 

# Check if the local folder is a symbolic link and make it if it's not

if [[ ! -L /Users/"$USER"/"$folder" ]]; then

mv /Users/"$USER"/"$folder" /Users/"$USER"/"$folder".old # This command renames the target folder if it exists to avoid data loss

ln -s /Volumes/"$USER"/"$folder" /Users/"$USER"/"$folder"

fi

 

 

done

[psydii]

There was a brief period where I had macs using a network share for their home folders without issue. (10.5.9 I think)

 

Ever since then (and to be honest, before then too) the received wisdom is to have them save locally, and teach students and staff to ensure work is copied to the network home folders / share areas as required, and use Time Machine to an afp network share as an insurance policy against devices failing.

 

I have only ever seen home folders on network shares end in tears, even if it starts off well.