icthos
logged into the "admin" account on WinXP, i can see the userhomes directory and access it without a login screen popping up...i can see and access a folder for EVERY user, not just the usernames i listed on the template !!!
I think you misunderstand the concept.
The names you add in the template fragment are the logged in users who are allowed to have access to the userhomes folder ie teacher1, teacher2, admin etc. The "users sections" of the fragment is NOT where you add students names or folder names you want to access.
The userhomes concept (as implemented in the Howto), allows an admin user or other specified users to have access to ALL users directories (which include the home folders).
The student users can only write to their own home folder, but the admin or teacher user can access and read ALL students home folders.
If the teacher or admin users writes files to the students home folders, the student will not be able to read them as the teacher or admin owns those files.
So this is suitable for the situation where the teacher wants to read the students files.
You may be able to change setting values in the template fragment to allow different functionality regarding permissions, but unless done correctly, these will be overwitten with defaults when you make system changes using server manager etc.
You could also create many copies of the template fragment (with a different name) for each user home folder you want to allow access for, but this may be unwieldly for a lot of students ie
50student1home-admin
[student1home]
comment = student1 home directory
path = /home/e-smith/files/users/student1/home
valid users = admin root teacher1
admin users = admin root teacher1
write list = admin root teacher1
browseable = yes
guest ok = no
public = no
read only = no
writable = yes
printable = no
create mode = 0660
force create mode = 0660
directory mode = 0770
force directory mode = 0770
50student2home-admin
[student2home]
comment = student2 home directory
path = /home/e-smith/files/users/student2/home
valid users = admin root teacher1
admin users = admin root teacher1
write list = admin root teacher1
browseable = yes
guest ok = no
public = no
read only = no
writable = yes
printable = no
create mode = 0660
force create mode = 0660
directory mode = 0770
force directory mode = 0770
and so on...
You were insistent on wanting a free solution, and the above method will do that.
I'm sure there are other (free) solutions that would do the job much better, and you have been given some links to those.