Join RedHat Linux to Microsoft Active Directory

Overview

To login as a Microsoft Active Directory (AD) user on a RedHat Linux system the Linux server has to be joined on the AD. There are several ways to do that, one solution is to use Likewise Open as described here.
Likewise is an open-source community project that enables core AD authentication for Linux.

Environment:
- RedHat Linux Enterprise (RHEL) 5.4
- Microsoft Active Directory 2003
- Likewise Open 6.0

Installation

The software is available and downloadable after registration on Likewise website http://www.likewise.com/download/.
# chmod +x LikewiseOpen-6.0.0.8234-linux-x86_64-rpm-installer # ./LikewiseOpen-6.0.0.8234-linux-x86_64-rpm-installer

Join Linux system to AD Domain

# domainjoin-cli join mydomain.local Administrator
Joining to AD Domain: mydomain.local
With Computer DNS Name: myserver.mydomain.local
Administrator@MYDOMAIN.LOCAL’s password:
Enter Administrator@MYDOMAIN.LOCAL’s password:
SUCCESS

Login as Domain User

With PuTTY (single backslash)

login as: mydomain\domain_user
Using keyboard-interactive authentication.
Password:
/usr/bin/xauth: creating new authority file /home/local/MYDOMAIN/domain_user/.Xauthority
-sh-3.2$

On a Unix command line (double backslash)
$ ssh -l mydomain\\domain_user myserver.mydomain.local

-sh-3.2$ whoami
MYDOMAIN\domain_user

# domainjoin-cli query
Name = myserver
Domain = MYDOMAIN.LOCAL
Distinguished Name = CN=MYSERVER,CN=Computers,DC=mydomain,DC=local