Is NFS + NIS a modern good practice for Linux networks to achieve common logins and home directories?
Solution 1:
If you're certain that you'll ever only have *nix machines on your network, then this is a good solution. If you anticipate having to support other clients, though (OSX, windows, etc), then you may want to use an LDAP directory for authentication and authorization. If you want the most secure solution, then use MIT Kerberos for authentication, LDAP for authorization (UID/GID, home directory, shell, etc.) then use NFS for your homes.