Setting up network users using OS X Server: Is there a usable guide somewhere that fully explains how?

I have tried reading through what I can find in Apple’s documentation for OS X Server (as downloaded from the App Store, running on a new OS X 10.9 machine - not an upgrade). And I’ve tried digging through articles on the web and discussions in the forums here.

I still cannot get a working setup for network users hosted on my OS X Server machine.

So, I’m hoping there’s a decent guide somewhere that folks can point me to that covers the entire process, including:

• every step involved in setting OS X Server’s various configuration parts (DNS, File Sharing, OD, Users,…),
• how to set up the accounts and their file folders on the server,
• and every step involved in getting the client machines to use the network accounts to provide user logins.

I’m totally okay with resorting to the command-line if needed.

Ideally, I want:

• all of my users’ files (everything in their “home” directories) to be stored on the server.
• the users’ to be able to use different machines on our LAN to login.
• their names & pictures to show up in the login screen like local users.

From what I’ve seen so far, I’m not optimistic on that last point being doable 😟 . However, even if I have to manually add each user in the network login settings on the client machines in order to have their name & picture show up in the login screen, that’s suboptimal, but better than nothing (I have <10 user accounts to worry about, so brute-force is a tolerable option).

Thanks for any direction/tips on this!