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Dealing with Mac OS X and NetInfo Problems?

Posted by Cliff on from the losing-the-keys-to-your-iBook dept.

newkid would like some assistance getting to the core of this issue: "Apple likes to refer to its server software as an industrial-strength server based on Apple's modern OS. However, there are serious flaws in the authentication system (netinfo): I am locked out of four of my remote servers (even root has been disabled, and that is unacceptable), and the instability is well documented here, here and here. I have successfully reinstalled one server and replaced another one with FreeBSD, but I have not decided what to do in the long run. What is your experience? Should I completely forget OS X for my servers and switch to something else? Or should I move to Panther (it uses LDAP instead of NetInfo to control user accounts)? I would like to know about your experience with OS X Server and if your have made the switch to something else." What experiences have you had with NetInfo on your Mac OS X boxes, and do you have any other hints and tips on recovering the NetInfo database in the event that it does develops amnesia?

2 of 89 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Dear Cliff, by DAldredge · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    I thought that apple.slashdot.org was News that makes Apple look good? After all the mods in this section are just a LITTLE easy on the downmods when anyone says anything remotely critical of Apple.

  2. Look at configuring lookupd by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    When darwin looks for a password it calls lookupd and not netinfo. lookupd in turn calls netinfo. On my machines I have configured lookupd to mainly look at the cache first, flat files second and then netinfo.

    What is the advantage of netinfo besides having a tree of netinfo servers? It seems to be more of a problem than it is worth.

    There are several other things besides netinfo that make the mac not industrial strength. Several of the command line equivalents (installer, softwareupdate) crash forcing you to use the GUI version. Not being able to export two directories on the same filesystem with different options. Flaky automount that still creates symbolic links instead of mounting directly... I could go on and on...