[Samba] SAMBA Workgroup/NT Domain question

[Willie Viljoen]

Hi,

I've configured SAMBA to be act asif it were a PDC for a network of UNIX
and Windows 98 machines.

The other UNIX machine also runs SAMBA, and has a machine trust account
with the PDC, to act asif it is a domain member. The other machines are
all Windows 98 PCs, which use the "PDC" SAMBA server as a logon server.

The problem I have is with browsing. Because of the way SAMBA chooses a
domain, the name of the workgroup for all the machines (they are all in
the same workgroup) and the "NT" domain is the same.

As soon as I join the second SAMBA host to the NT domain, the browse list
suddenly comprises only of the "PDC" machine, and the other SAMBA host.
Without any machine trust accounts created, and no other machines in the
domain, all machines in the workgroup are visible.

I want the "PDC" machine to be the master browser for the network, as the
other machines are all powered down from time to time, but this seems to
cause problems with the workgroup/domain issue. I have also read that
having a workgroup by the same name as the NT domain is a bad idea.

I'd like to just create a domain by a different name, but SAMBA chooses
its domain name from its workgroup name.

Do I need to create a different work group for the machines that are not
domain members, but only logon clients, or is there a way to make SAMBA
choose a different name for the domain from that which it uses for its
workgroup name?

If I do need to split the network into separate workgroups, the one
problem I fear is that I will need to use one of the other machines as a
master browser, they are personal computers, and as such, not very
reliable. Is there any way around this?

Any advice would be appreciated.


Regards
Will

-- 
Willie Viljoen
Highveld Computing Solutions

214 Paul Kruger Avenue
Universitas
Bloemfontein
9321

South Africa

+27 51 522 15 60, a/h +27 51 522 44 36
+27 82 404 03 27

will at highveldcs.com

To find out how we can help you with inventive solutions, visit
http://www.highveldcs.com/