how to create a common drive for all users on the network?

[phsieh2005]

Dear Linux Experts:

I have several workstations on my private network (say 192.168.2.x). On each workstation, there are several user accounts. On one of the workstations, I am planning to attach an eSATA drive (most likely will be formated as NTFS). How to make this new eSATA drive available to all users on all workstations? Thanks!

by the way, all workstations has OpenSUSE 11.1.

phsieh

[mikesd]

Why NTFS if you're not running any Windows OS?

Check NFS - openSUSE out

[D-cat]

Any drive mounted with umask=0 will be available to all users as if they were root. As suggested above, use nfs to make the share available to the network. Note: nfs3 is easier to get working than nfs4.

[phsieh2005]

Thanks Guys!

I did try nfs server/client first before I posted. But, only the same user ID on both the server side and the client side worked. Example, the NFS server was set up using accounter user1, then, only the account user1 on the client side can copy files/directories. I will check the "umask=0" option next.

By the way, I would like to mount to a portable drive. I might have to connect this drive to a MS Windows machine occassionally, hence, it is easier to format the drive as ntfs.

phsieh2005

[mikesd]

Thanks Guys!

Example, the NFS server was set up using accounter user1, then, only the account user1 on the client side can copy files/directories. I will check the "umask=0" option next.

phsieh2005

Well user user1 made the file and folder so he owns it. Sounds like a permission problem. You'll have to make the permissions so everyone can write to it, or let them only own their own directories.

[gogalthorp]

Another point is where the user accounts are stored if each machine keeps all the account info for the users then there may be a problem. The user name is not really what counts it is the associated user ID which is a number. You need a central server to maintain the credentials or log into the server with server credentials that may be different then the local machine credentials.

[D-cat]

I would think that depends on the drive's intended usage.

If files on the removable drive need to be accessable to only the specific users that created them, then a central LDAP or similar is in order (careful, I've accidently made systems unable to log in this way).

If the removable drive is meant to be a common drive where all users can access all files, then mounting it with umask=0 will make the entire drive accessable to all users equally (as if they were root), and will save the trouble of creating a central authentication server.