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general home folder?

twoodcc

twoodcc

macrumors P6
Original poster
Feb 3, 2005
15,307
26
Right side of wrong
is there a way to have the same home folder on 2 different computers?

in other words, i sign in with the same account on 2 different computers?

do you have to have a server to do this?


seems like this is called something, but i forgot what it's called

thanks in advanced
 
now i know there's people around here who know how to do this. come on....

isn't it called 'working home directory' or something like that?
 
i think you're confusing this with the "Home on iPod" feature that many are looking forward to. this would allow you to hook up your iPod and have whatever Mac you're using seem like your own.

you can store your files and such on a networked drive and access them that way if you want. i have no experience doing this, but i know it's been done.
 
I believe this can be done on client machines linked to one running OS X Server, but that's not what you're looking for.
 
Mac OS X Server can host a "database" of users which are stored in Mac OS X Server's Open Directory. The hosting directory Mac OS X Server is called an open Directory Master.
This Open Directory Master can link a Home folder from a File Server (or itself) to any user stored in that Open Directory database.

Single server solution:
Mac OS X Server acting as Open Directory Master, and (AFP-) File Server. Users information are stored in the Open Directory database. A user's Home is defined in that database, which points to a folder on this File Server.
Any Mac OS X Client which has it's Directory Access "linked" to this Server can login as any user defined in the Open Directory database, where his/her Home is Network Mounted (Automount) from that server on a client.
So if user "sexy librarian" logs into an iMac which is connected to the network, she will find her complete home on that Mac. If she logs into another Mac, she willl find the same thing. It's all there: prefs, bookmarks, mail, documents, the lot.
If user "bastard teacher" does the same on either of these Macs, he will find his own Home... and so on.

But you need Mac OS X Server as the "host".
 
MacsRgr8 said:
Mac OS X Server can host a "database" of users which are stored in Mac OS X Server's Open Directory. The hosting directory Mac OS X Server is called an open Directory Master.
This Open Directory Master can link a Home folder from a File Server (or itself) to any user stored in that Open Directory database.

Single server solution:
Mac OS X Server acting as Open Directory Master, and (AFP-) File Server. Users information are stored in the Open Directory database. A user's Home is defined in that database, which points to a folder on this File Server.
Any Mac OS X Client which has it's Directory Access "linked" to this Server can login as any user defined in the Open Directory database, where his/her Home is Network Mounted (Automount) from that server on a client.
So if user "sexy librarian" logs into an iMac which is connected to the network, she will find her complete home on that Mac. If she logs into another Mac, she willl find the same thing. It's all there: prefs, bookmarks, mail, documents, the lot.
If user "bastard teacher" does the same on either of these Macs, he will find his own Home... and so on.

But you need Mac OS X Server as the "host".
Click to expand...

thanks for that. that is basically what i would like. i'm always using different computers.

but for a test, couldn't i just change the location of the home folder to maybe an external drive or ipod? and then make a new user on another computer and do the same thing with the same user name?
 
There was something like this going on at my school, where you are able to log on to your account from any computer, but that required a server with Mac OS X server. I must admit, it was pretty impressive.

EDIT: Oh beat to it
 
twoodcc said:
thanks for that. that is basically what i would like. i'm always using different computers.

but for a test, couldn't i just change the location of the home folder to maybe an external drive or ipod? and then make a new user on another computer and do the same thing with the same user name?
Click to expand...

Using "NetInfo Manager" (in /Applcations/Utilities/), you can edit the location of your Home folder.
Open the app, click on "users", then "<yourshortname>".
Below are the NetInfo properties of the user... you. (BTW... NetInfo is the local database, and Open Directory is used for hosting user's info on a Network like stated above).
In the panel below, your home location is shown. Default is /Users/<yourshortname>.
Click on the lock, enter your password, and dubbelclick the "/users/"<yourshortname>". Now you can manually edit the location of your Home folder. (An external disk woud be: /Volumes/<name of disk>/)

Please be careful, and make sure you first make a complete backup of your current home. Placing the Home folder on an external disk should work, but I haven't tried this specifically (I have used another partiton), and booting your Mac without this external disk will result in problems (as you can imagine).

It would be wise to start of with a completely new user, and play around with his Home...

Have fun! :)
 
MacsRgr8 said:
Using "NetInfo Manager" (in /Applcations/Utilities/), you can edit the location of your Home folder.
Open the app, click on "users", then "<yourshortname>".
Below are the NetInfo properties of the user... you. (BTW... NetInfo is the local database, and Open Directory is used for hosting user's info on a Network like stated above).
In the panel below, your home location is shown. Default is /Users/<yourshortname>.
Click on the lock, enter your password, and dubbelclick the "/users/"<yourshortname>". Now you can manually edit the location of your Home folder. (An external disk woud be: /Volumes/<name of disk>/)

Please be careful, and make sure you first make a complete backup of your current home. Placing the Home folder on an external disk should work, but I haven't tried this specifically (I have used another partiton), and booting your Mac without this external disk will result in problems (as you can imagine).

It would be wise to start of with a completely new user, and play around with his Home...

Have fun! :)
Click to expand...

yeah, that sounds like fun ;)

i think i read something about that when i was searching. someone i think used their ipod to do it also. as soon as i have time, i'm gonna create a new user and do it.

thanks
 
Depending on what you need, if you want this to happen without a server (e.g. offline) you can also at least use a program such as RSyncX to keep document files aligned. You could probably have it run during login as a startup item so that it automatically syncs.

This part is dangerous and I haven't tried it, but...

Out of curiosity, if you are using a server -- not a computer running Tiger Server but any computer that stays available on the network -- what is to prevent you from copying your home directory to the server, and replacing the folders with symbolic links to the folders on the served drive?
 
mkrishnan said:
Depending on what you need, if you want this to happen without a server (e.g. offline) you can also at least use a program such as RSyncX to keep document files aligned. You could probably have it run during login as a startup item so that it automatically syncs.

This part is dangerous and I haven't tried it, but...

Out of curiosity, if you are using a server -- not a computer running Tiger Server but any computer that stays available on the network -- what is to prevent you from copying your home directory to the server, and replacing the folders with symbolic links to the folders on the served drive?
Click to expand...

well that might be a good idea, and something to try. i do have an extra computer around. i'm thinking about turning that into a server and possibly set it up. we'll see.
 
MacsRgr8 said:
Using "NetInfo Manager" (in /Applcations/Utilities/), you can edit the location of your Home folder.
Open the app, click on "users", then "<yourshortname>".
Below are the NetInfo properties of the user... you. (BTW... NetInfo is the local database, and Open Directory is used for hosting user's info on a Network like stated above).
In the panel below, your home location is shown. Default is /Users/<yourshortname>.
Click on the lock, enter your password, and dubbelclick the "/users/"<yourshortname>". Now you can manually edit the location of your Home folder. (An external disk woud be: /Volumes/<name of disk>/)

Please be careful, and make sure you first make a complete backup of your current home. Placing the Home folder on an external disk should work, but I haven't tried this specifically (I have used another partiton), and booting your Mac without this external disk will result in problems (as you can imagine).

It would be wise to start of with a completely new user, and play around with his Home...

Have fun! :)
Click to expand...
FWIW I beleive that after saving your change in NetInfo you need to log off and then back on again for it to take
 
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