[plug] making linux desktops consistent

[Sol Hanna]

Hi all,

I'm getting two new PCs to be installed with Suse Linux which will add
to two existing Linux clients. They are all connected to a Linux server
running NFS server. I've copied over /etc/passwd, /etc/hosts/ &
/etc/shadow from the server so that they all have the same users,
password and vital information. But the desktops are starting to get
inconsistent (because users, for instance, add an icon to the desktop on
one machine, and then get upset when they can't find it on another -
ditto for browser bookmarks). There are several users, and they just use
which ever machine is available, generally speaking.

I want to make the desktops consistent for each user, but I don't really
want to use VNC because I've got good machines and want to take
advantage of the power/speed, etc. I've been checking the web for ideas
but haven't found anything inspiring yet. And the KDE Admin Guide
doesn't have an answer to quite what I'm looking for.

I was thinking of using NFS to mount /srv/home on the server as /home on
the clients, but I've got a feeling that this would lead to very nasty
consequences (apart from if the connection between server and client is
broken). Is this safe? Has anyone done anything like this?

Or is there another, possibly safer and/or simpler method of making
desktop logins consistent from PC to the next? 

(NB: I'm using KDE ATM, but am prepared to look into GNOME if it has
anything special to offer in this department.)

regards; sol
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Sol Hanna
sol at autonomon dot net
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