Joining a NT Domain in OS X 10.5.1

[Kmax82]

I don't know if anyone can point me in the right direction, but I want to know if it's even possible to join a Windows NT domain from OS X?

Basically, at work, I'm having to use Parallels just to check my email, because I can't find a way to login to their NT domain through OS X. The IT guys at my work don't know too much about macs, so I'm curious if anyone knows, or if you could at least point me in the right direction?

If you need more specifics, let me know.

Thanks!

 

[Nothinman]

OS X ships with Samba which can join Windows domains, although I'm not sure how much support there is for it in OS X.

 

[Kmax82]

All I see that Samba does is allow you to share files between Windows and OS X.

What I'm attempting to do is be able to check my corporate email through Thunderbird, but in order to do that I need to be logged into their NT domain. Right now, I have to use Outlook through a VMware Fusion XP install so that it will log into the domain for me to retrieve my email.

Is there a way to do this in OS X? If not, I'll stick with the Fusion install, but if I could get around having to keep Fusion open all the time, it'd be nice.

 

[Nothinman]

You don't need to be joined to a domain to auth to an Exchange server, you just need to specify the right domain username/password. If you have to use MAPI I doubt you'll be able to use Thunderbird since AFAIK Outlook is the only mail client that supports it, if they have IMAP or POP setup then you can use whatever client you want.

 

[Kmax82]

Ahh.. I'll get with them and see what they say.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Kmax82]

Turns out that they use MAPI, so no dice there.

Again, thanks...

 

[Nothinman]

All Exchange servers use MAPI but they also have the option of enabling IMAP, POP and SMTP access.

 

[hiromizu]

Originally posted by: Nothinman
All Exchange servers use MAPI but they also have the option of enabling IMAP, POP and SMTP access.

At the risk of security issues of course. Macs cannot properly integrate with an AD domain. Logon scripts do not work etc. You should continue to use VMware.

 

[Nothinman]

Logon scripts shouldn't affect Exchange access at all and while not being integrated with AD means that GPOs won't apply either I can't see how that should be a major concern at his place. If enforcing corporate policy was really an issue there then he wouldn't be allowed to use OS X at all.

 

[MrChad]

Microsoft Entourage is the Macintosh Exchange client, if you have access to Office 2004.

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/support.aspx?pid=exchange

 

[Kmax82]

I went ahead and installed Entourage 2008, from a Beta, and it works wonderfully! I'm not sure the security ramifications that you all are talking about, but my IT dept doesn't have a problem with it, so we're good.

My misunderstanding came, because I was under the assumption that, in OS X, you had to join a domain like on Windows. Either way the situation is resolved, and I thank you for all your help.

 

[gwag]

i have had little issue joining 10.4x systems. and my 10.5 remained joined after the upgrade.