Advice sought about home directory location

[DavidA]

Hi

Our developers use Windows laptops, from which they access a pool of Linux machines via Putty. Their home directory is on a network share so that they see the same home directory whichever Linux box they are connected to.

I want to provide a Centos VM, using Virtual Box, on each Windows laptop so that each developer can build software on Linux when not connected to the Linux machine pool.

My dilemma is how to deal with the VM's home directory. It may be confusing for the developer to see a home directory when using the VM, that is different to the home directory he/she sees when connected to the pool.

I guess I could configure the VM to use the same home directory as seen by the pool. However, the developer's PC is a laptop and so will not always be connected to the laptop, or may be connected to it via a relatively slow VPN. So, a local home directory is preferable for the VM.

Please would anyone like to suggest an elegant approach to handling this problem?

With best regards

David

[Sasquatch]

You first have to figure out how the home folders are set up on the pool. Where do these files reside, where are the other Linux machines, is the VM going to be in the same network as the pool, or is it moving all the time? Answer these, and you have your own answer.