smbclient messages to a specific user ?

[Dejan Ilic]

Hello.
 I'm using Samba 2.0.5a (PDC) and "smbclient -M" to send feedback messages
 to users sitting on WinNT4 machines. The feedback is mostly accounting
 information like number of pages left that the user can print, or quota
 status when logging in etc.

 smbclient can send to a specific (netbiosname) machine but not to a
 specific user on that machine. You can only supply the senders user, not
 receiver. This is not a problem today as we have WinNT workstations where
 only one user at time work, and the messages are usualy directed to that
 user.

 But there are two problems with this limitation:
 *) Ie when printing a lengthy document the user can log out, leave the
    machine and got to the printer and wait for the printer to finish its
    job. When the job is done the server will send a message to the
    computer, but the user has left, and the message will be printed on the
    loginscreen, or to the next user sitting on by the computer now!

    This could lead to some confusion and possibly leaking of semi-private 
    information. I would like to avoid that if possible by directing the
    message to a specific user on that machine. The other users should not
    be able to see the message.

 *) The limitation will become unbearable when we start using WinNT 
    Terminal Servers here. Sending a message to a TS could mean that all
    the users logged in will se the message (?), when only one in realy
    interested in the result. You could imagine a server with 20-35 users
    logged in and every time someone prints or logs in everybody get a
    message that they realy shouldn't receive.

Windows NT4 "net send" command has a possibility to send to a specific
user. I must admit that I haven't used it, but it indicates that it should
work.

Is it possible to extend smbclient so that it can send messages to a
specific user on a specific machine (or domain), or is it a limitation in
Windows implementation ? Hopefully implemented in a Samba 2.0.x :-)


 Thanks
   Dejan
    Sysadmin with 21500 users :-)