Solstice NFS Client 3.2 User's Guide for Microsoft Windows 95 and Windows NT

User Profiles

Use user profiles to set up personal settings, such as desktop colors, fonts, and program groups that appear on the desktop. User profiles are available on both Windows 95 and Windows NT systems.

Using User Profiles on Windows NT

Windows NT 4.0 security requires a user profile for each user account. When a user logs in for the first time, Windows NT automatically creates a user profile. You can also create and modify user profiles on a computer running Windows NT Server. On Windows NT, all user-specific settings are automatically saved into the Profiles folder within the system root folder (typically C:\winnt\profiles).

You can create user profiles on the client running Windows NT and store them on an NFS server. You must specify the path name of the user profile in the NT user's account information. For users with only local NT user accounts, you must specify the user profile path name in each user account on each client.

If you have an NT domain set up with domain user accounts, you can specify the user profile path in the user's account on the domain controller. Then, whenever the user logs in, the user profile is downloaded and run.

Using User Profiles on Windows 95

In Windows 95, user profiles are not created by default. The system administrator must enable user profiles.

Each time the user logs in, the client running Windows 95 passes to Windows the location of the user's home directory (\\home\username) on an NFS server. The username is the name the user types when logging in to the client machine. The \\home directory is the entry in the auto_home file in the NIS or NIS+ tables on the server, or in the local auto_home file.

For user profiles to work on Windows 95, you must configure the Solstice NFS Client as the Primary Network Logon, and you must configure either NIS or NIS+ as the name service on the client. When NIS or NIS+ is configured, the Automounter automatically mounts the user's home directory. If you configure the DNS or Files-based name service but not NIS or NIS+, the Automounter does not automatically mount user's home directories and user profiles stored in those directories are not downloaded to the client.

Updating User Profiles

The Windows NT and Windows 95 networks follow these rules for updating user profiles.

Each time a user logs in to a computer, Microsoft Windows searches the Registry to determine whether the user has a local profile. On Windows NT, the local profile path is stored in the Registry key:
```
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Windows NT\Current Version\ProfileList   
```
On Windows 95, the local profile path is stored in the Registry key:
```
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Windows\Current Version\ProfileList 
```
Windows NT checks for the user profile in the User Profile Path specified in User Manager, User Profiles. If the user profile on the server is the most current, Windows NT copies it to the local computer for use during the current session. Windows NT then loads the settings in this local copy into the Registry. Windows 95 checks for the user profile in the user's home directory on the server. If the user profile on the server is the most current, Windows 95 copies it to the client computer for use during the current session. Windows 95 then loads the settings in the client copy into the Registry.
If no user profile exists on the client, Windows copies the server version to the client computer. If no profile is found on the server, Windows creates a new user profile on the client computer using default settings. If the user does not log in, then Windows automatically uses the default user profile.
Both the client and network copies of the user profile are automatically updated with the current settings when the user logs out.
If the user is logged in to more than one computer at the same time, any changes made to the profile on the computer where the user first logs out will be overwritten when the user logs out of the other computer. In other words, the last logout is saved, and no merging of changes occurs.

Setting Up Roaming User Profiles

A roaming user profile is a server-based user profile that is downloaded to the local computer when a user logs in and is updated both on the client and on the server when the user logs out. A roaming profile is available from the server when logging in to any computer running the Solstice Network Client software on Windows NT Workstation, Windows NT Server, or Windows 95. A roaming user profile enables a user to log in to the network from any computer and work with the same desktop settings.

You can store roaming user profiles created on computers running Windows NT Workstation, Windows NT Server, or Windows 95 on an NFS server.

To use a roaming user profile, a user must have a user account on that computer. On Windows 95, each user can create a user account by specifying a user name and password when logging in.

You can create user accounts in Windows NT in one of the following ways:

If you have an NT domain set up, log in to the domain controller as administrator and create a domain user account for each user. Set the profile path in each user account on the domain controller to the location of the profile on the NFS server.
If you do not have an NT domain set up, log in to each NT workstation as Administrator and create a local user account for each user. You must also set the profile path in each user account on each NT workstation to the location of the profile on the NFS server.

To Set Up Roaming User Profiles on Windows NT

Note -

To assign the same preconfigured roaming user profile to multiple user accounts, enter a separate user profile path for each user account, and use System in Control Panel (User Profiles tab) to copy the preconfigured user profile to the server location for each user.

Log in to an NFS server as root and make sure each user is properly set up and has an assigned home directory.

Store each user's profile in the user's home directory on the server. You can store user profiles in another location on the server, but it is not recommended.

Make sure the directory is world readable. For example:
# cd / # chmod 755 /home/users

Share the top level directory of the file system. For example:
# share -F nfs /home

On a computer running Windows NT Workstation 4.0 or Server 4.0, log in as an Administrative user and customize the desktop as you want it to be for the user profile.

Click Start, point to Programs, then point to Administrative Tools (Common), and select User Manager.

Double-click a user from the listed user names.

The User Properties dialog box opens.

Click Profile.

The User Environment Profile dialog box opens.

In the User Profile Path box, type the complete path to the profile on an NFS server in the form: \\server\mount_point\directory 1\directory 2\...

The mount point is the directory you shared in Step 3. Specify the complete path name to the profile on the server. For example: \\saturn\home\users

Click OK to close the User Environment Profile dialog box. Click OK again to close the User Properties dialog box.

Select Exit from the User menu to close the User Manager dialog box.

(Optional) Copy a preconfigured user profile to the user profile path location.
1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then select Control Panel.
2. Double-click System and then click User Profiles.
3. Under Profiles Stored On This Computer, select the profile to copy to the Solaris server and click Copy To.
4. Type the location of the user profile on the server.
  
  This should be the same location you typed in Step 8.
5. Click OK to close the Copy To dialog box. Then click OK to close the User Profiles tab.
  
  When the user logs out, the client automatically places an updated copy of the user profile in the user profile path on the server. In the following example, the server is named saturn: \\saturn\home\users\mary\ntuser.dat

To Set Up Roaming User Profiles on Windows 95

Make sure user profiles are enabled for each computer.

Note -

You can facilitate this step by creating a system policy that enables user profiles on all PCs running Windows 95. When the user logs in, Windows 95 downloads the policies from the server and copies the information to the Registry on the client.

Make sure either NIS or NIS+ is configured as the name service on the client.

When NIS or NIS+ is configured, the Automounter automatically mounts the user's home directory. If you configure the DNS or Files-based name service but not NIS or NIS+, the Automounter does not automatically mount user's home directories and user profiles stored in those directories are not downloaded to the client. "To Configure NIS or NIS+"

In the Passwords option in Control Panel, click the User Profiles tab.

Select Users Can Customize Their Preferences And Desktop Settings.

Select the options you want under User Profile Settings and click OK.

These options describe what should be included as part of the user profile.

Note -
If you include desktop icons in the user profile, only the shortcuts (icons that represent links) will be available when the user logs in to the network from another computer. Actual files on the desktop are part of the local user profile only.

Click Yes when asked to restart the computer.

In the Network option in Control Panel, make sure Solstice NFS Client is listed as the Primary Network Logon.

On an NFS server, make sure each user is properly set up and has an assigned home directory.

When the user logs out, Solstice Network Client automatically places an updated copy of the user profile in the user's assigned home directory on the server, in the path: \\server\user_home_directory

Setting Up Mandatory User Profiles

In Windows NT and Windows 95, a mandatory user profile creates a standard user profile that is implemented at every login. You can create mandatory user profiles on an NT workstation and store them on an NFS server.

If you have an NT domain set up, set the profile path in each user account on the domain controller to the location of the profile on the NFS server. If you do not have an NT domain set up, log in to each NT workstation as Administrator and set the profile path in each user account to the location of the profile on the NFS server.

To Set Up Mandatory User Profiles on Windows NT

Create a user profile using the instructions in "To Set Up Roaming User Profiles on Windows NT".

Rename NTUSER.DAT to NTUSER.MAN in the user's profile path.

Windows NT recognizes the .MAN file extension as a mandatory user profile.

To Set Up Mandatory User Profiles on Windows 95

Make sure user profiles are enabled for each computer.

Note -

You can avoid enabling user profiles on each computer by creating a system policy that enables user profiles on all clients. When the user logs in, Windows downloads the policies from the server and copies the information to the Registry on the client.

Make sure either NIS or NIS+ is configured as the name service on the client.

When NIS or NIS+ is configured, the Automounter automatically mounts the user's home directory. If you configure the DNS or Files-based name service but not NIS or NIS+, the Automounter does not automatically mount user's home directories and user profiles stored in those directories are not downloaded to the client. "To Configure NIS or NIS+"

In the Passwords option in Control Panel, click the User Profiles tab.

Select Users Can Customize Their Preferences And Desktop Settings.

Select the options you want under User Profile Settings.

These options describe what should be included as part of the user profile.

Shut down and restart the computer.

In the Network option in Control Panel, make sure Solstice NFS Client is listed as the Primary Network Logon.

On any computer running Windows 95, customize the desktop as you want it to be for the mandatory user profile.

Copy the USER.DAT file to the user's home directory on the server.

Rename USER.DAT to USER.MAN in the user's home directory.

Windows 95 recognizes the .MAN file extension as a mandatory user profile.