Are OS X clients good network citizens?

[MDLarson]

Here's a snapshot of our network:

Macs: Speed / RAM / System / OS
• 600 MHz / 640 MB / iMac Snow / Mac OS 9.2.2
• 350 MHz / 512 MB / iMac Indigo / Mac OS 9.2.2
• 233 MHz / 512 MB / iMac Bondi Blue / Mac OS 9.2.2
• 233 MHz / 288 MB / iMac Bondi Blue / Mac OS 9.2.2
• 233 MHz / 128 MB / iMac Bondi Blue / Mac OS 9.2.2
• 400 MHz / 704 MB / Power Mac G3 B&W / Mac OS 9.2.2
• 266 MHz / 768 MB / Power Mac G3 Beige / Mac OS 9.2.2
• 266 MHz / 448 MB / Power Mac G3 Beige / Mac OS 9.1
• 120 MHz / 144 MB / Power Mac 8500 / Mac OS 8.6

PCs: provided for context
• 3.06 GHz / 1 GB / Dell Precision 650 / Windows XP Pro
• 3.06 GHz / 1 GB / Dell Precision 650 / Windows XP Pro
• 2.2 GHz / 256 MB / Dell Dimension 2350 / Windows XP Pro
• 1.0 GHz / 512 MB / Dell Lattitude C400 / Windows XP Pro
• 1.2 GHz / 384 MB / Compaq Deskpro / Windows 2000
• 750 MHz / 384 MB / Compaq Prosignia / Windows XP Pro
• 450 MHz / 384 MB / Compaq Prosignia / Windows 98
• 233 MHz / 192 MB / <some dumb old PC> / Windows 95

Servers:
• HP Netserver E 50 running Windows NT 4.0 and Veritas Backup Exec 9.0
• Iomega NAS a300U 120 GB
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The Question: I'd love to install OS X on the Macs, but it would have to be a machine by machine process. It would be a process of getting OS X compatible software (my machine would be the most expensive...)

But I'm also hugely concerned with how the PCs and the file servers will deal with invisible files. I hate seeing "thumbs.db" in my network folder (created when Windows tries to view the folder as a picture gallery,) but the Mac is far worse when it comes to littering cross-platform volumes with invisible files and folders (.DS_Store, Network Trash Folder, Temporary Items, TheFindByContentFolder, TheVolumeSettingsFolder, Icon, etc.) I am also aware of the ._myfile.ext when I copy or modify myfile.ext issue.

Interestingly enough, the NT server did an adequate job of hiding these pesky invisibles from all, but the new NAS unit is incapable of hiding any invisible files or folders (I called Iomega and asked.)

Does anybody have any advice for a seamless transition to Mac OS X? The last thing I want is the PC people complaining about files popping up all over the place...

 

[gsahli]

You answered better than I could -- NO, OS X is not a good citizen!!!
(on a Win network) Have you considered using OS X as the server/Domain Controller? The unix tools are well documented and reliable.....

 

[MDLarson]

Originally posted by gsahli
NO, OS X is not a good citizen!!!
(on a Win network) Have you considered using OS X as the server/Domain Controller? The unix tools are well documented and reliable.....

Well, we have an NT network now, and we've spent a lot upgrading our network already, so I'm loath to propose another expensive server option. Maybe down the road.

Mac OS X Server has a domain controller? Like as in Windows Domain?

And back to the original issue...
OK, so Mac OS X sucks on a Windows network (or at least on some shared volumes.) I've read in a previous thread that Apple is moving OS X away from these dumb file litterings in the future... is this substantiated?

 

[gsahli]

Although Mac OS X (and linux) don't have the exact same terminology as a Windows Domain Controller, they can serve the same purpose. Some would say just as secure, but more flexible. It's all included with the OS. No licencing for "Server Edition" in the same way as Windows. (There is a server version of OS X, with a few more GUI controls, but it isn't the only way to run OS X as a server.
I don't know the rumors about eliminating the file "litter."
HTH