[KLUG Members] NDS for Linux...disappointing

[Tony Gettig]

Hi folks,

Well, anyone that knows me very well knows that I am a big Novell fan. I bleed little red N's at times. But I'm also a Linux nut. The one thing I've always wanted Linux to have is NDS. So, I finally got around to testing NDS for Linux week before last.  I wanted to report something here sooner, but last week was consumed by having an awesome little baby and all the commotion that follows. :)

My first impression of NDS for Linux is one of great disappointment. You can install it, bring your Linux server into the NDS tree, send replicas, yadda yadda, but here's what you can't do: access the resources (disk space) of your Linux server! After all my effort, I finally found a Novell TID that stated very clearly that NDS for Linux lets you authenticate to the tree so you can access other NetWare resources (volumes). This TID went on to say that if file sharing was necessary, the freely available Samba would facilitate this. Well gee, no kidding. So then I say to myself, "Self, what good is this NDS for Linux then?". To which I replied, "Not much.".

If anyone can find a use for this besides authentication to an NDS tree, I am definitely open to hearing about it. 

Argh.


Tony Gettig
Network Administrator
Kalamazoo Public Schools