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Re: [TCLUG:3463] Can linux do this?



Quoting Ben Luey (lueyb@carleton.edu):
> Is linux capable of doing this:
> 
> Have one server that has all users/passwords stored. When you logon to any
> computer on the network it does a remote login with the server. This
> should include the root account and the passwords should be sent in some
> secure fassion. 

This sounds like NIS+, while I am sure people will suggest NIS, which
uses clear text user/password combo. You might also look into
Kerbose(sp?) which will allow secure distribution of passwords (as
well as other network services).

> The linux workstations would have /home and maybe /usr
> mounted remotely and have permissions work with the remote logins. Again,
> the mounting should be secure. Sychronization with files: Ex: /bin and
> /lib would be on every computer but once a day they would check the server
> for newer versions. This way you could update a package on one computer
> and have it go to the other computers (update package on a workstation, if
> all goes well, copy it to the server and then have the workstations do an
> update on their directories)

This sounds like Solaris's cachefs. Does Linux support this?

Since you say Sychronization and the verbage leads me to believe NFS
is not what your are looking for. Plus NFS is unsecure. You might want
to look at AFS, which I believe linux does support. And of course
there is webfs, but I think that is Solaris only.

> Optional: Share cpu / processing power of the linux computers (act
> like a cluster) when network bandwidth is available.

pvm, parallel virtual machine will do this for you.

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