Home folders on external drive

Question

Level 1

4 points

Home folders on external drive

Hi all,

I have 2 machines running Lion server. Fresh installs for both:

1. XServe - running DNS and is open directory master. Has an SSD for the OS and a 2nd internal drive for the home folders.

2. Mac Mini server with single internal SSD for the OS, external USB HD for the home folders.

Creating accounts on the Xserve works fine. Can create accounts and home folders to internal drive without a problem. No problem logging in on client machines. This machine is for student accounts.

The Mac Mini is configured to "connect to another directory" (the xserve), since I'm hoping to only have one OD master. DNS is pointing to the Xserve. Directory Utility pointing there too. I'd like this machine to host teacher home folders.

Both machines have sharepoints configured for read/write access to their appropriate hard drives for home folders.

I can log into Workgroup Manager on either machine and create accounts/home folders. Xserve is creating home folders on it's user drive just fine. Mac Mini creates home folders just fine - but when I attempt to login on a client machine, it gives me the "you are unable to login to user...." error message.

I've adjusted the path to the home folders to be created on the Mac Mini SSD drive as a test, and that will actually work for logging in on the client machine. I'm going to run out of space in no time with this scenario though.

I've tried an external firewire drive on the Mac Mini, just for kicks. Same error.

Any thoughts on getting home folders to store on an external HD on the Mac Mini? May have to resort to try creating a new OD master on the mini...

Thanks in advance.

Mac mini, Mac OS X (10.7), 2.0 Core i7, 8 GB RAM, 256 SSD

Posted on Aug 22, 2011 7:44 AM

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Answer 1

Aug 22, 2011 4:37 PM in response to dbelisle

I am having similar issues trying to create my home folders on an external drive. I have figured out a way to manage it manually.

1.) Create Users with new Server app (wont work if you create users in Workgroup manager)

2.) Go to Workgroup manager and create user folder

3.) Check the permissions!

* When the option "Use for home folder" in the sharing preferences within Server app is selectet, the permissons are messed up so that every user can access all files of every other user!

* Do not check this option!

* Check the permissons on the user folder. It must be

* System read & write (if missing, chown root <folder>)

* <user> read & write (can be added in information tab)

* I do have to set these permissions manually as either one of them is missing

* If home folders are within a folder, check permissons of this parent folder, too. I thins Sytem needs read & write access.

I have not found a way that the permissons are set correctly. I am really tired of this issue, cant beleve there is a bug like this. I am having this issue on a fresh 10.7.1 install - tried it miltiple times...

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Answer 2

Aug 23, 2011 5:46 AM in response to christian217

I think I got it. If you want to store your home folders outside the regular Users folder don't create a new one on the external location but copy the system created Users folder with permissions (Terminal.app > cp -p -R /Volumes/yourhd/Users /Volumes/externalvolume/Users)

Worked out for me!

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Answer 3

Aug 23, 2011 2:01 PM in response to dbelisle

The path to the home directory must not be correct.

In workgroup manager a home directory on other servers looks something like this for the user apw1027

using afp as the protocol

The os sharepoint url looks like this

fully qualified domain name plus the sharepoint for the home directory

afp://server2.blank.org/Teachers

path to home folder

apw1027

Full path looks like this

/Network/Servers/server2.blank.org/Volumes/fs/shares/Teachers/apw1027

One does need to make sure the sharepoint where you want the home directory is specified to hold home directories.

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Answer 4

dbelisle Author

Level 1

4 points

Aug 23, 2011 2:10 PM in response to christian217

Thanks for your feedback.

My issue was I joined my Xserve from System Preferences > Users & Groups, and also tied to the Xserve from the Directory Utility. This prevented me from creating a replica of my Xserve on my Mac Mini, which is what I really wanted to do.

Once I removed these settings, I could create a replica Open Directory. Once I added a folder on my external as a sharepoint, it popped right up as an option for home directories within Workgroup Manager and works now.

Good lesson. Appreciate your notes though.

Darren

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