User home directory mapping

Question

How are user home directories mapped under Ranger?

Symptoms

N/A

Resolution

Instructions

Mapping a users home directory drive letter is a standard part of setting up any network.

Please Note:

The following information is provided for guidance only. Since it discusses issues which are not Ranger related no responsibility can be taken for the validity of the information provided. Our advice here is provided from our collective experience and understanding of these issues in school and other network environments and is provided for guidance only. Any solutions or workarounds provided by using Ranger are not guaranteed as solutions for all sites.


Windows 95, 98 and Me
On a network using Windows 9x workstations, the recommended configuration is to use the login script to map a user's home directory to a home drive letter when they log in. Add the following line in your user's login script (usually stored in the server's Netlogon share).

net use h: /home

When a user logs on, this instruction instructs Windows to map a network drive letter ""h:" to the user's "home" directory. This home directory path is configured in the User's account settings on the server. (The Profiles Home Directroy Connect field).

Ranger Account Manager will by default create all users with this field correctly configured. Typically this path points to the servername and then the user's home directory share name.

ie: server/jbloggs

Note: in Windows 9x, the "connect to" drive letter selected in the user's account dialog is not relevant as it is not used by this process.

Windows NT4, 2000 and XP

On NT/2000/XP workstations then the net use line in the login script will not do anything and you should let the operating system do the mapping itself. Note, in this case, the "connect to" drive letter IS important.

In a mixed OS environment, you need to ensure both the logon script and account "connect to" options are in place and configured correctly.

Letting Ranger map the home drive

Ranger is designed to map a home drive automatically if one doesn't exist. Since Ranger MUST have a home drive (so that file dialogs can always be redirected to somewhere other than the local C drive), Ranger will itself explicitely map a home drive letter (taken from the group's default open/save path configured in RangerAdmin) to the appropriate home directory share location (taken from the NT account details) whenever a user logs in and such a drive letter doesn't exist.

Note: if the path in the user account is invalid or the user does not have sufficient permissions to access this location then an error will be displayed and the user will not be allowed to log in.

Testing

Logon and ensure a home drive has been mapped correctly.