2

I'm looking to centralise user management for a pool of Linux servers.

I have previously done this using libnss-mysql which worked ok. However, the project has not been updated since 2006 which concerns me.

As this is a new setup I've got a free choice of the backend to use - MySQL, LDAP, Postgres, whatever. What back-end and NSS library do people recommend?

Improve this question

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

It is common to use LDAP as access protocol for such a user-management.

For simple requirements you can

  • setup your own custom LDAP server with appropriate schema
  • use MS Active Directory preferrably with sssd

You can use one of the usual LDAP-NSS/PAM integration components which are pretty mature today (in no particular order):

For more complex requirements, e.g. authorization based on host groups, you may want to use full-featured solutions more dedicated to Linux/Unix:

  • FreeIPA using 389-DS as back-end, preferably with sssd
  • Æ-DIR using OpenLDAP as back-end, with any NSS/PAM implementation for LDAP, or in large setups preferably with aehostd

Full disclosure: I'm the project maintainer behind Æ-DIR and therefore I'm biased of course.

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.