Difference between Userdb and Groupdb

[FangUp]

May i ask what is the diffrence between -Userdb and -Groupdb? i think -Userdb (which i am using) is way more practical, but from numbers of players here i seem to be thinking...does the Group one have better things?

[SkillDude]

UserDB keeps track of each player's groups that join. It keeps track of all LOCAL groups. So for example, if you add someone to the LOCAL.ADMIN group, the userdb file saves that. Later if you use that userdb elsewhere, the same user that logs in will have that group.

groupsdb lets you specify the groups. It actually kind of goes hand in hand with userdb, as you cannot get users into new groups without creating them first of all.

groupsdb has nothing to do with the users in the groups, but the permissions of the groups.

Hope that clarifies some things.

[blast]

The groupdb defines the permissions that a group (local or global) has on the server. It does not define WHO is in those groups.

The userdb lets you put users into groups based on their callsign and is configured locally on your own server. It is not a good idea to use the userdb because of this. If someone changes their name here, they will lose their additional rights on your server. And then if someone takes their old name, they will now have that old user's extra permissions. This could lead to a Bad User(tm) doing Bad Things(tm) to your server.

If you use global groups, then you don't have to worry about name changes. With global groups, it will track the user by their BZID, not their username. If someone changes their name, they still have the same BZID. So, use global groups and a groupdb, and don't even bother with a userdb.