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From: beaucham@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.next
Subject: Re: Simple System Question
Message-ID: <72100018@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu>
Date: 18 Dec 90 22:53:00 GMT
References: <72100017@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu>
Lines: 39
Nf-ID: #R:uxh.cso.uiuc.edu:72100017:uxh.cso.uiuc.edu:72100018:000:1467
Nf-From: uxh.cso.uiuc.edu!beaucham    Dec 18 16:53:00 1990


In response to article 72100017, I have received several replies.  Here is
a summary:

>1) What is the '/clients' directory system supposed to be used for?

	This is apparently used to mount NFS remote (e.g., diskless) 
	workstations.  However, I probably won't need this any time soon,
	perhaps never.  Respondents suggest I rename it and use it for
	something else.  One person suggested reformating to a different
	set of partitions, but unfortunately BuildDisk on 1.0a doesn't
	allow for this.  Noone suggested an alternative.

>2) How do you install a user area other than right under root?
>3) Why don't new users have their names listed in /etc/passwd?

	These questions are related, it turns out.  It turns out, you're 
	supposed to use the NetInfo data base instead of /etc/passwd to 
	install user accounts.  Even though it is present, passwd is ignored.
	Here was one suggestion:

		edit the /etc/passwd file:
		# nidump passwd . > /etc/passwd

		update the /etc/passwd file:
		# vi /etc/passwd

		upload the database:
		# niload passwd . < /etc/passwd

	However, we found that if we first switched to Unix (using the
	Terminal application) and created a subdirectory (e.g., /users)
	and then the specific user subdirectory (e.g., /users/joe),
	using UserManager with the 'long view' set would allow us to
	actually install the user in the desired subdirectory.  The
	passwd file is not affected, but who needs it if it is not used
	anyway?

Jim Beauchamp