Server Admin 10.4 Help

Creating a Home Directory for a Local User at a Server

You can use Workgroup Manager to define home directories for users whose accounts are stored in a server's local directory domain. You might want to use local user accounts on standalone servers (servers not accessible from a network) and for administrator accounts on a server. These accounts are meant to be used by users physically logging into the server. They are not meant to be used by network users.

Home directories for local users should reside in AFP share points on the server where the users' accounts reside. These share points do not have to be automountable (they do not require network mount records).

1. Make sure that a share point for the home directory exists on the server where the local user account resides.

   You can use the predefined /Users share point or any other AFP share point that has been defined on the server. Alternatively, you can define your own share point. To use an existing share point, skip to step 4. To define a new share point, continue with steps 2 and 3.

   Because of the way home directory disk quotas work, you may want to set up home directory share points on a partition different from other share points. For more information, see Setting Disk Quotas.

2. Using the Finder, create the folder you want to use as the share point if required.
3. In Workgroup Manager, connect to the server where the local user account resides and click Sharing to set up the folder as an AFP share point.

   Click All (above the list on the left) and select the folder.

   Click General and select "Share this item and its contents."

   Specify the share point owner and group names by typing names into those fields or by dragging names from the drawer that opens when you click Users & Groups.

   Set Owner permissions to Read & Write, and set Group permissions and Everyone permissions to Read Only.

   Click Save.

4. In Workgroup Manager, click Accounts and select the user account you want to work with.

   To select a local user account, click the small globe above the user list and open the local directory domain, click the Users button, then select the user in the user list.

5. Click the lock and authenticate as an administrator of the local directory domain.
6. Click Home to set up the selected user's home directory.
7. In the share points list, select the share point you want to use.

   The list displays all the AFP share points on the server you are connected to.

8. (Optional) Enter a disk quota and specify megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB).
9. Click Create Home Now, then click Save.

   If you do not click Create Home Now before clicking Save, the home directory is created the next time the user restarts the client computer and logs in remotely. However, only certain clients can connect to servers hosting sharepoints in the local domain. For instructions on setting up a share point for Mac OS X clients, see Creating a Network Home Directory.

   The home directory has the same name as the user's first short name.

10. Make sure AFP service is running on the server where the local user's home directory resides.

    To check the status of AFP service, open Server Admin and connect to the server where the local user account resides. Select AFP in the Computers & Services list and click Overview. If the status indicates Apple File Service is stopped, choose Server > Start Service or click Start Service in the toolbar.