[K12OSN] When is SMB-LDAP needed?

[Krsnendu Dasa]

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-
krsnendu108 at gmail.com
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