authentication question

[K. Richard Pixley]

I'm at a loss for how to do authentication well for a small group of 
linux machines.

We have several linux hosts, all of which run samba, and all of which 
should use a single password per user, or at least, a single password 
change program which changes all passwords.  Samba really wants to use a 
domain server or to keep it's own password database separate from the 
unix passwords.

Any suggestions on how to get these all authenticated off the same database?

The only thing I can see to do is to turn one into a domain controller 
and have everything else authenticate off that.  Are there any other 
alternatives?

--rich