Network home folder user template - where is it?

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Network home folder user template - where is it?

Ok, I really should know this, but I don't. When creating a home folder for a network home folder user (home folder exists on the server), where does OS X reference the home folder template from?

For local clients on OS X, the user template is in /System/Library/User Template/English.lproj. On OS X Server, the user template is in the same location. Now on OS X Server, the initial admin account's dock is populated with the admin tools.

So how does a network home folder user get his or her default home folder? I really want to customize that folder to overcome some limitations of MCX by adding content to the template.

Now, from what I have seen, this appears to be what is happening.

1: Create account in WGM

2: If I force the creation of the home folder in WGM, then the user template from the server is copied to the net home share and I get my preferences

However, if I create the account in WGM and then login from a workstation, allowing the on the fly creation of the home folder, then I do not get the stuff I placed in the template. Anyone know where the home folder comes from during dynamic login?

Many, Mac OS X (10.6.2)

Posted on Jul 22, 2011 1:01 PM

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Answer 1

Jul 23, 2011 3:52 AM in response to Strontium90

When you create an user and specify a non-local home dir, you can use the "Create home directory now" button in WGM. In this case the template used is the one on your server in /System/Library/User Template/ dir. Modify it here will modifiy all the home dir created after by using this button. In this case, you plan to use a remote home dir - the user logged on a mac "macintosh" won't leave any home dir on this macintosh - instead it is on an afp server.

If you plan to use /Users/ (meaning : [local boot disk]/Users/[short name of your account],it is a local account, authenticated by OD and not by /Local on this macintosh. In this case, the template to be use at user's first logging will be the /System/Library/User Template of this specific macintosh. If you really need any modification of the user's template, you should spread a new model prior to the first user's logging, either via deployment (modified system disk image) or via ARD, SSH or any other method.

But by far a better solution is to use MCX to modify your user's experience - and your's, by the way, because you'll be able to spread any policy in a snap, while modifying the user template is a one-shot. Are you really shure that MCX does'nt allow you to perform what you want ? Take a look to John de Troyes's litterature : here to download

Antoine.

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