Red Hat (RHEL) Group Policy

Likewise Software Brings Active Directory Group Policy to Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Likewise Enterprise applies Microsoft Active Directory group policies to Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) workstations and servers running the Gnome desktop to remotely and centrally control hundreds of RHEL preferences. The Gnome group policies for RHEL user and computer settings are based on the Gnome GConf project to define a variety of desktop and application preferences, such as requiring authentication to an HTTP proxy server.

Likewise Enterprise incorporates RHEL Gnome group policies in the Group Policy Object Editor for Active Directory. The policies are straightforward to administer because you employ such familiar AD tools as the Group Policy Management Console, or GPMC.

Likewise software includes the Gnome schemas that are used to set RHEL gnome preferences. In the Group Policy Object Editor, the policies appear in Likewise's Unix and Linux User Settings folder under User Configuration or under Computer Configuration. To load the RHEL Gnome group policies, you simply start the Group Policy Object Editor and load them into the Gnome Configuration Settings node.

RHEL in the Enterprise

Red Hat Enterprise Linux has become one of the most popular Linux operating systems for running web servers such as Apache. In many companies, however, Microsoft Windows and Active Directory continue to dominate the enterprise. But as RHEL penetrates the enterprise and more system administrators discover that RHEL computers reduce costs but also result in a hard-to-manage mixed network, the following question arises: How do you centrally and uniformly manage RHEL computers and users as a unit or in a cluster? The answer: Likewise Enterprise's Red Hat group policy solution.

Managing Applications with Red Hat Group Policies

The RHEL gnome group policies consist of user and computer settings for applications like the browser, help viewer, and the drivemount applet. For example, an RHEL user policy can set the Gnome volume manager to automatically mount removable storage drives when they are inserted into an RHEL computer. Other RHEL Gnome group policies can lock down desktops or disable the command line.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux group policies, including RHEL Gnome desktop policies,

shown in the GPOE.

There are many more RHEL Gnome group policies. URL handlers let you set RHEL Gnome preferences for https, callto, and man pages. Group policies for peripherals let you manage RHEL settings for your monitor and keyboard, such as Gnome preferences for keyboard accessibility.

In addition, you can use the RHEL Gnome group policies to control applications. You can, for instance, use a group policy object to modify the RHEL net status applet. Additional RHEL gnome settings let you command and control a variety of applications, including the following:

Screen saver
Power manager
Gnome settings daemon
Gnome search tool
Gnome system log
mini-commander
Nautilus
Drivemount applet
Notification daemon
Pager applet
Yelp

The Basis for RHEL Group Policy: Gnome Schemas

A Gnome schema contains meta-information that describes a configuration setting and forms the basis for a group policy. The meta-information includes the type of value, documentation on the setting, and the default value. On target RHEL computers running the Gnome desktop, the schema files are located in /etc/gconf/schemas. When you define or change a Gnome-based group policy for an Red Hat machine, the Likewise daemon on the target RHEL computer pulls the change and applies it to the schema.

Likewise Enterprise supports group policies based on Gnome schemas for the following versions of Red Hat; the Red Hat platform must include the Gnome desktop:

Red Hat logo graphic

Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS 2.1
Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES 2.1
Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS 2.1
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS 3.0
Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES 3.0
Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS 3.0
Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS 4.0
Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES 4.0
Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS 4.0
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.0
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.0 Desktop
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.0 Advanced Platform
Red Hat Linux 7.2
Red Hat Linux 7.3
Red Hat Linux 8
Red Hat Linux 9

As an example, the following is a list of the RHEL Gnome schemas that Likewise Enterprise includes for RHEL 5 so you can conveniently set RHEL group policies in the GPOE and apply them to RHEL desktops as group policy objects from Active Directory:

apps_gnome_settings_daemon_default_editor.schemas
apps_gnome_settings_daemon_keybindings.schemas
apps_gnome_settings_daemon_screensaver.schemas
apps_nautilus_preferences.schemas
baobab.schemas
cdda-url-handler.schemas
CDDB-Slave2.schemas
charpick.schemas
clock.schemas
cpufreq-applet.schemas
desktop_default_applications.schemas
desktop_gnome_accessibility_keyboard.schemas
desktop_gnome_accessibility_startup.schemas
desktop_gnome_applications_browser.schemas
desktop_gnome_applications_help_viewer.schemas
desktop_gnome_applications_terminal.schemas
desktop_gnome_applications_window_manager.schemas
desktop_gnome_background.schemas
desktop_gnome_file_views.schemas
desktop_gnome_font_rendering.schemas
desktop_gnome_interface.schemas
desktop_gnome_lockdown.schemas
desktop_gnome_peripherals_keyboard.schemas
desktop_gnome_peripherals_keyboard_xkb.schemas
desktop_gnome_peripherals_monitor.schemas
desktop_gnome_peripherals_mouse.schemas
desktop_gnome_sound.schemas
desktop_gnome_thumbnailers.schemas
desktop_gnome_typing_break.schemas
desktop_gnome_url_handlers.schemas
drivemount.schemas
eggcups.schemas
eog.schemas
evince-thumbnailer.schemas
evince.schemas
file-roller.schemas
fish.schemas
fontilus.schemas
gcalctool.schemas
gedit-file-browser.schemas
gedit.schemas
geyes.schemas
gfloppy.schemas
gnome-audio-profiles.schemas gnome-cd.schemas
gnome-dictionary.schemas
gnome-mount.schemas
gnome-power-manager.schemas
gnome-screensaver.schemas
gnome-screenshot.schemas
gnome-search-tool.schemas
gnome-session.schemas
gnome-system-monitor.schemas
gnome-terminal.schemas
gnome-volume-control.schemas
gnome-volume-manager.schemas
gok.schemas
gsf-office-thumbnailer.schemas
gstreamer-0.10.schemas
gswitchit.schemas
gthumb.schemas
gweather.schemas
logview.schemas
metacity.schemas
mini-commander-global.schemas
mini-commander.schemas
mixer.schemas
modemlights.schemas
multiload.schemas
nautilus-cd-burner.schemas
netstatus.schemas
notification-daemon.schemas
pager.schemas
panel-compatibility.schemas
panel-general.schemas
panel-global.schemas
panel-object.schemas
panel-toplevel.schemas
stickynotes.schemas
system_dns_sd.schemas
system_http_proxy.schemas
system_smb.schemas
tasklist.schemas
themus.schemas
vino-server.schemas
window-list.schemas
workspace-switcher.schemas
yelp.schemas

For more information about Gnome group policies for other platforms, see our Likewise Gnome Group Policy.

Group Policy for RHEL and Other Linux Computers

Likewise Enterprise includes more than 80 Likewise group policies that can be applied to over 115 Linux, Unix, and Mac computers, including Ubuntu Desktop Edition and Ubuntu Server Edition. Likewise Enterprise prepopulates this set of group policies, which do not require the Gnome desktop, in the Group Policy Object Editor. These policies let you control such enterprise options as security configurations, task settings, network settings, automatically mounted file systems, display messages, logons, authentication, and password requirements. For more information, see the following resources:

Group Policy for Linux and Unix
Group Policy for Mac OS X
Group Policy for Solaris
Group Policy for Ubuntu