Directory Services Solution?

["Andrew Watts" <andreww@worldxchange.com.au>]

Hello,

I've just subcribed to the list, and the following questions represent just
a small
fraction of the holes in my knowledge about LDAP and OpenLDAP, so if
anything
I asked below is answered better in an already written document, i'd be
happy to be pointed to it.

I'm actually looking to LDAP to provide part of a solution to a larger
problem. I want
to use Linux (Or some Unix variant) to provide a complete system, almost
like
Groupwise with NDS or perhaps, Exchange. Messaging is the key problem I'm
facing - but I realise now that central to that is the directory services,
provided to
the users. If anyone has any pointers to other GPL software that they have
used
to build an overall system like this, i'd appreciate pointers. Right now i'm
working
with OpenLDAP, Sendmail/Qmail, WU-IMAP, HORDE/IMP (For Web email) and
similar packages.

Back to a more specific OpenLDAP question - has anyone written an FAQ  or
HOWTO
specifically for setting up an LDAP directory, hooking it into Linux with
say, pam_ldap,
and then using a web based tool to administer/setup users?

Also - for a very simple, question - using the 'passwd' backend, is there
anyway to
filter the output, to get rid of the system users, and to use more of the
GECOS fields
as items LDAP can return to clients? (i.e. email, name, telephone, etc?)

Any and all pointers appreciated.

Thanks.

Andrew Watts