Hi all,
I've just been confronted with an issue I've never been confronted with before. We currently have a network of fedora 4 boxes that each have the same passwd file, and share data over NFS. I would like to introduce a fresh installation of a recent fedora installation (probably 11) on some new boxes, but am unsure how to integrate them properly with our existing ones.

The primary issue is installing the chosen distribution with the same password file, plus whatever new entries must be created for the new system, so our nfs shares will work properly. Additionally, what if the fresh install creates user ids for system services that bump into older ones?

Thanks in advance, and please let me know if you need more information.

My suggestion:

Install F-whatever. Create the first user as install and let F allocate the default UID /GID to that user.

If the install user's default UID clashes with one of your current user's UIDs then reinstall but use that (current user's) name and PW for the default "first user" at the install. Then proceed.

Now create usernames for all your other users, but make absolutely sure that usernames and groupnames match the UIDs / GIDs from your old install. Otherwise life becomes very difficult.

You will have to add the users yourself and make sure this does not happen.

Thanks... this will take a while (installing, etc) but I'll let you know how it goes. It will be GREAT if it works!

Good.

Please let us know how you get on, otherwise I have no idea if my suggestion was helpful in the long run.