Linux development/deploymenr environment including local and ldap users

My current situation:

• company with AD infrastructure


• at least 3 considered linux application servers SLES11


• no AD logins for linux


• on each exists one local user


• every developer uses this user to checkout source code, do temporary modifications or start/stop services

So the problems I see:

• disregard advantages of existing AD infrastrucutre


• weak password for this local user


• no password policy for local linux users


• local user stays the same even after external colleagues


• at least no access control because user/password exists for years

To improve security I thought about connecting the linux server to AD. I got it work and whitelisted just a specific AD group to login. So every developer in this group has it's own user on the server. I thought about change the former local user into a service users for the application processes. So nobody can login with this user anymore.

Is this a good idea? Are there any common/best practice methods to deal with that problem.

Now I face file permission problems. But I didn't started solving it. Somehow I have to assure that all files are accessiable by the local user. (no 777)

It should be a method where I necessarily not run into file permission problems in the future because these are critical production services.