After installing my favourite window manager, next thing I’ll need is the OpenAFS-Client.
The installation of the client on modern Linux distributions is pretty straight forward.
- get the packages
- compile the kernel module
- mess around in some config files
First step: get the packages
sudo apt-get install
openafs-client openafs-doc openafs-modules-source openafs-krb5 krb5-clients krb5-config krb5-user krb5-doc
(Yes, we’ll install the -doc-Packages, because everyone likes documentation)
Next step: build the kernel module
Maybe you’ll need some more packages for this step:
sudo apt-get install module-assistant build-essential
Now start the module assistant, to build the openafs-module.
sudo module-assistant
The first entries “UPDATE” and “PREPARE” could take a few minutes, because eventually missing packages (e.g. kernel sources or headers, or the compiler-chain) will be installed. “SELECT” will open the next window, where you should search the module and select it.
Now build the module. The next question will be “would you like to install the build module?”, but you should now have a guess what to do 
You should now exit the module assistant.
Last step: the config files
Open /etc/krb5.conf and edit the sections containing the following:
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| [libdefaults]
default_realm = MYCELL.NET
[realms]
MYCELL.NET = {
kdc = kdc1.mycell.net
kdc = kdc2.mycell.net
admin_server = kdc1.mycell.net
default_domain = mycell.net
}
[domain_realm]
.mycell.net = MYCELL.NET
mycell.net = MYCELL.NET |
You should translate mycell.net to your local cell settings, but you already knew that, right? Ask your AFS Admin, if you are not sure about the correct values.
You may also take a look at /etc/openafs/afs.conf.client, /etc/openafs/ThisCell and /etc/openafs/CellServDB, but in most cases there’s no need to change something within these three files. If you need to get an updated version of /etc/openafs/CellServDB, just get it via FTP from grand.central.org.
wget -O /etc/openafs/CellServDB
ftp://ftp.central.org/pub/cellservdb/CellServDB
The very last step: restart the client
sudo /etc/init.d/openafs-client restart
Stopping AFS services:.
Starting AFS services: openafs afsd.
afsd: All AFS daemons started.
You’re done! kinit and aklog will be your best friends from now on! 
Kerberos, Linux, OpenAFS
