need help with NFS and user authentication

[Bob Elzer]

 >> I could probably change uids everywhere so they all match on all
machines, but this seems 1.  
klunky and 2. really insecure.

Why would you think that ? How is the server going to know it's you, if
every time you connect, you have a different UID ?

You wouldn't give a different name at different DMV offices would you ?

Change the UID's to match.



-----Original Message-----
From: plug-discuss-bounces at lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
[mailto:plug-discuss-bounces at lists.plug.phoenix.az.us] On Behalf Of Alex
Dean
Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 4:21 PM
To: Main PLUG discussion list
Subject: need help with NFS and user authentication

I have set up an Ubuntu file server on my home network.  I have 2 OSX
workstations (mine and my wife's), and an Ubuntu laptop.  We each have an
account on each computer.  I'm trying to figure out how to allow my user
account on any computer to mount my home directory on the file server, and
to allow my wife's account on any computer mount her home directory on the
file server.

I don't want to move our home directories entirely onto the fileserver.
Primarily we want to continue using the local machines as we always have.
We just want to add the ability to easily store files on the network and
have them accessible from any other machine.

I have had no problems creating exports on the file server, and I've had no
problems mounting those exports from the client machines.  The problems
thusfar have been uid mismatches.  I could probably change uids everywhere
so they all match on all machines, but this seems 1.  
klunky and 2. really insecure.

I think there are ways to solve this kind of problem with Kerberos or LDAP,
but those are technologies I know very little about.  If someone could point
me in the right direction, I'd really appreciate it.  How would you solve
this problem?  I'm happy to research and learn what I need to learn, but I
find I'm having a hard time even getting started.

thanks,
alex