On Leading vs. Following In The NOS World

This Anonymous Coward wishes to put this question before you all: "All of us know how well the Linux community can follow other technologies, case in point, Samba. I have to wonder when Linux will reach the point where it begins to lead the way vs. follow. A technology such as Linux Directory Services could be such a opportunity. Could Linux developers create a client/server based NOS that does not have to be bent, twisted, patched, or hacked to work with the leading OS's? Could we develop a new set of server processes which communicate with workstations through a custom built client?"

"Novell has done this, I log in with the Novell client for Windows every morning. As a result, certain network services are performed natively on both sides. If this were done, I'm sure most of us would readily use the extended abilities of a native client/server system. A system where servers are more than glorified disk controllers, able to execute remote applications as well as supply standard network services.

I would dread to think such an application would not be developed because it would not fit well into the current corporate wish-list. Let the suits follow for a change, it's their turn."

Comments

It can be done... BUT

[Amphigory]

This could certainly be done, and it is a good and worthwhile undertaking. If I were designing it, I would probably design a system around Coda for file sharing, LDAP for a directory service, and CUPS for printing. In other words, most of the work has already been done. What is needed is integration. In order to work well, there needs to be a standard, well-defined way to find resources. When a new print server comes online, it should automagically be added to the directory. Likewise with file services. What is a little more ticklish is that you will probably need to develop your own security paradigm that can cross the gap between Windoze and UNIX security models. This will probably require modifications to both the filesystem and the print server software to be complete. (I guess you could do something based on ACL's pretty simply). Now here's the BUT: is there really enough market for this to justify it? Maintaining the client for Windows is going to require a tremendous amount of work, especially since there are at least 10 different variants in common use now. The advantage of Samba and friends is that they push that work onto Microsoft. Unfortunately, there are not a whole lot of open source types who want to develop for Microsoft platforms. This is the kind of thing that screams for a commercial open source approach (a la Redhat). You develop the product as an integrated whole, then make money selling it. In any case, It's probably going to need some $$'s to make it happen.

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Using Linux as a NOS

[voidzero]

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