When is SMB-LDAP needed? I installed SMBLDAP because I had windows computers in each classroom (for multimedia (Director) apps) and I wanted each user to have one login /home directory regardless of where they logged in. I have since got rid of the windows computer because they were too much extra hastle. So now I only have ltsp clients in the classroom. Is there any need to keep using SMBLDAP for authentication. Is there any advantage or disadvantage vs basic linux authentication. I am thinking of installing K12LTSP 5 on a new server (current server is K12LTSP 4.2.1)and transfering user accounts to the new server.Which one is easier for transfering user accounts from one installation to the other? I am also thinking of setting up VMWare server with Windows XP for legacy apps. Would there be any advantage to using LDAP along with this setup? Here are a few pluses and minuses I thought of Pluses for local authentication: Users can change their own passwords, which they can't do with SMBLDAP. Its all ready to go, no need to set up SMBLDAP GUI easier to use. Pluses for SMBLDAP More portable - can add another K12LTSP server and authenticate to existing LDAP SMB and LDAP are synchronized - no need to separately add entries for SMB users Have option to go back to windows domain logins for windows machines. Teachers still have windows laptops and the office has windows too, but they are stand alone and don't login to the domain as the classroom computers did. They use workgroups for file sharing. -- Please note my new email address- <a href="mailto:krsnendu108@gmail.com">krsnendu108@gmail.com</a>