Default User Template + Network Accounts + Force Local Home Directory on Startup

[mbrunt]

Hi,

 

I've created a default user template and when I logon using another local user it applies fine.

 

When I logon to the mac using a network user the default template does not apply, however, if I tick the "force local home directory on startup disk" box inside the active directory tab inside directory utility this does work.

 

The only downside to this is that each user that logs on will then have a home directory created on the particular client they logon to, this wont follow them around to each other mac they use.

 

Any advice?

 

Thanks

[HodgeHi]

Create the home dirs on the server. I don't know where it gets the template from but from what you say the only other location is the server. I would rename the server default template and then copy your modified one into the location.

 

Alternatively, you could script the process and create the user home dirs and then copy the template into each user folder. This is what i did.

[mbrunt]

Well my mac client isnt bound to open directory at the moment, just active directory, and there is nowhere in ad that it can possibly get a default user template from. It just seems strange that ticking the force local home dir works. What is this script you are talking of?

 

Thanks

[DMcCoy]

Non OD users do not get their home folder created automatically, nor will OS X copy the template files into it. On OS X server it's probably using the default template on the server itself when new folders are created for OD users.

 

You need to make sure that their home folder exists, OS X will create most user folders when applications are run (but not all). Another possibility could be augmented records, but again this may only work where the home folders shared from the OS X server.

[HodgeHi]

With regards to the Augmented records you could take a look at the attachment. I didn't realise that Mike Bombich had updated his AD -OD paper to 2.2. The script I knocked up myself. It can be found in the scripts section of this site. Although you will certainly find better methods. My script was a quick and dirty way to extract the list of users from the AD using the DSCL command to a txt file. Then listing these users into an array and creating the Home Dir for each of the users and then copying the template files into the users directory. The last part applies the permissions (POSIX) for the user to the folders and propagates them down the chain. I haven't gotten round to sorting out the ACLs on the permissions side yet. That's next on my list.

 

If you just want a list of Home dirs with a defined template home dir this would do it. But as i say there are probably better methods.

 

Hope this helps.

Leveraging_AD_on_MOSXS_2.2.pdf

[mbrunt]

I think were getting our wires crossed here - I dont have any OD users, just ad. When they logon their home directory is created in their normal windows home directory \\windowsserver\users\username .

 

However, I wanted a default template so that no matter who logons on they get this template, and it copies to their windows home directory.

[HodgeHi]

Sorry. First things first. Do you have an OS X Server?

 

If so then if it is bound to the AD you can still list AD users.

 

Now, once you list them all you need to create their Home dirs. I should imagine that if you mount the location of the home folders on the AD using the administrator username and password of the AD admin then you should be able to write to this location. You could then use the script to (or manually) copy the template into the user homes. You would need to test this though to make sure that it indeed would work. Once the home dirs are created you should then see the users logging in from the AD without a forced local home dir and utilise the template you copied.

 

Hope this helps clarify what I meant.

 

You can even list the AD users from the mac client using the DSCL command.

[HodgeHi]

You could have a look at this thread. In this thread is the script that i used. But there is also a script that DMcCoy created that uses ACLs. If you combine the 2 together or even just used DMcCoy's script and developed it, you may get what you need:

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/mac/40314-os-x-home-dirs-not-working-properly.html

[DMcCoy]

I think were getting our wires crossed here - I dont have any OD users, just ad. When they logon their home directory is created in their normal windows home directory \\windowsserver\users\username .

 

However, I wanted a default template so that no matter who logons on they get this template, and it copies to their windows home directory.

 

The automatic copying of the default template is done by the local machine, for local accounts or user folders. Or (iirc, long time since I used OD only) copied when the home folder attribute is used for OD users on an AFP server.

 

There is no automatic mechanism for copying the user template to network home folders with AD users. You will have to control the desired settings with WGM or manually copy/script the copying of the template to users home folders.

[HodgeHi]

Or (iirc, long time since I used OD only) copied when the home folder attribute is used for OD users on an AFP server.

 

Yeah You are right. When you add the home dir path in WGM to OD users as soon as you click save I think the server then runs the createhomedir command to create the users default profile. This is taken from the Server's copy of the default template. You can test this by creating a test user in the OD (If you have one) and then creating a simple text file inside the default template's documents folder. This should get copied to the new users home dir when being created. This would also be true if creating the home dirs manually from the default template.

[mbrunt]

Hi,

 

We do have an OD server, but this is just for applying WGM preferences. I wanted a default user template to apply a few things like the microsoft word first run wizard so that users didnt get prompted because it would already been done in the user template.

[DMcCoy]

use WGM to supply com.microsoft.office to the clients (You can grab it from a test machine preferences folder). This allows you to set firstrun as completed.

[TomH]

@mbrunt

 

I would use managed prefs to supply as much as possible, for some of the more awkward items such as some of the Adobe stuff you can run a simple login script that will copy all files over on a new users login and only on there first login.

 

This is how i tend to do it.

 

Tom