Abstract: To effect a change to the system, a user process makes a request. An interface receives the request, and attempts to authenticate the user. Assuming the user is authenticated, the interface determines the user's UID. The interface determines a provider process that can make the requested change, and forwards the request to the provider process. The interface also assigns the user's UID to the provider process's eUID. The provider process then attempts to make the change, provided the change can be made given the eUID assignment. The provider process then attempts to run under the new eUID, enabling the system to prohibit it from doing something that is not authorized for that user. This protects the system from inadvertently executing management operations by one provider process that is not expected or intended by the user of another provider process.

Abstract: A customized installation, e.g. of Linux software, is created by allowing a user to select packages that the user is interested in installing. During the process, the user is informed if two of the packages that were selected will not be interoperable at run-time. The user is then given an opportunity to resolve the conflict. The user is also informed if selected packages depend on other packages that were not selected in order to run properly, and given the opportunity to include those needed packages in the installation. Once the selected packages have been validated that they will interoperate and all dependencies are satisfied, the system can install the installation.

Abstract: A customized distribution, e.g. of Linux software, is built using only packages that satisfy a customer's individual requirements. The packages are verified, at build time, to be interoperable at run-time. Also, the distribution is verified to ensure all package dependencies are included. In cases where no package already exists that meets a user requirements, a new package can be created for this purpose. The packages in the distribution customized for the user can be tracked, so that as updates to the packages are released, the customer can be notified about those updates (without being notified about packages not in the customer's customized distribution). Finally, once the distribution has been built for the user, it can then be offered as a general-purpose distribution for future customers.

Abstract: Techniques for remote resource mounting are provided. A login resource logs into a network. During the login, a mounting specification associated with the login resource is acquired. The mounting specification defines how a remote resource is to be locally mounted on a local device of the login resource. The mounting specification is communicated to a mounting service, which processes on the local device of the login resource and which locally mounts the remote resource on the local device.

Abstract: Users provide their standard username and password and are authenticated to the system. The system then determines from a container hierarchy whether the user is an administrator of the machine to which they are logging in. If the user is an administrator, then the system sets the UID number for that user to the UID number for administrator users (typically, zero). Otherwise, the system sets the UID number for that user to the user's standard UID number.

Abstract: A computer receives a user authentication request from a client. The computer accesses a password associated with the user name, stored locally on the computer, and attempts to authenticate the password using an authentication server. If the password authentication succeeds, the computer hashes the password and compares the hashes. If the hashes match, the user authentication succeeds.