Mac OS X Server 1.x: About NetworkManager

This file contains release notes for the NetworkManager application. NetworkManager lets you edit information in NetInfo domains at a higher level than NetInfoManager allows. Instead of operating on the raw data in NetInfo, as NetInfoManager does, NetworkManager represents this data as hosts, users, groups, and so on.

This document was installed by Mac OS X Server in /System/Documentation/ReadMe. For a list of other release notes see article 30925: "Mac OS X Server: Release Notes"
Note: This article pertains to Mac OS X Server versions 1.x, which were released prior to May 2001.

Undocumented Features
The following features have been added to NetworkManager but are not currently documented:

Domain Browser Default Settings
When NetworkManager is opened, a user default sets the initial selection of the domain browser. This default, DefaultStartupDomain, can have the following values:

You can set this default in a Terminal shell by entering the following at the command line:

defaults write NetworkManager DefaultStartupDomain RootDomain

NetworkManager remembers the last selected domain and uses that as the selection for new windows. In the future these defaults will be selectable in a preferences panel.

Known Issues

These new issues have been identified in the Mac OS X Server Release.
Issue Nothing is ever written to /var/log/nu.log
Description In the User and Group template panels it is possible to specify a log file. However this file is never created and no output is ever written to it.
Workaround There is no workaround for this problem.
Issue Difficulties exporting mutiple directories on same filesystem to same clients.
Description Each export specifies the mount point and export flags within one local server filesystem for one or more hosts. A host may be specified only once for each local filesystem on the server and there may be only one default entry for each server filesystem that applies to all other hosts. This default entry exports the filesystem to the ``world'' and should be used only when the filesystem contains public information. Since /Local/Public and /Local/Users are both part of one filesystem they may not be separately exported to the same host(s).
Workaround Export the entire filesystem on which the directories which one wishes to export reside, using the "Export Entire Filesystem" option.
Issue Prompt to re-enter password on save to domain of an unmodified user.
Description When attemting to save an unmodified user to a domain using the "File:Save To Domain..." menu item. A prompt appears asking to re-enter the users password. Entering the correct password still fails the operation.
Workaround Enter a new password for the user in the "Password:" field. Then select "File:Save To Domain...", finally when prompted enter the new password again.
Issue Some options are currently not supported in Mac OS X Server.
Description Kerberos authentication does not work in the File Sharing controls. TCP Transport (In the Advanced Import Options.) does not work..
Workaround Never select these options in the file sharing panels since they do not work.
Issue NetworkManager cannot administer exports and imports of OpenStep networks.
Description Due to incompatibilities in the schema for exports and imports creating or modifing exports or imports on netinfo databases with OpenStep clients attached to them with NetworkManager may cause unexpected behaviour of the OpenStep clients.
Workaround Use the tools that came with OpenStep to administer domains with OpenStep clients. Mac OS X Server does understand the old schema. However, it does not allow for as much control as NetworkManager currently does.
Published Date: Feb 18, 2012