smb://

[Christopher R. Hertel]

Mike:

Let me see if I have this straight finally...

> Actually I think we wondered into:
>
> smb://[[ntdomain/]user[:password]@][workgroup#][server[:port][/share[/path]]]

The part I am trying to work out is this:  except in the case of a trust 
relationship or browsing a specific workgroup/ntdomain, is the domain 
name ever required?

If not, then I go back to a suggestion by Kevin Colby:

> What about these:
> (I'll skip the user/domain/password issue for the moment.)
>
> smb://workgroup/server/share/
> smb://server/share/subdir/

Here's how that would make sense...

  smb://
  - list available workgroups/ntdomains

  smb://workgroup|ntdomain/
  - browse the workgroup or ntdomain

Beyond that, your syntax above.  The [ntdomain/] part is very optional. 
If the first /name/ field in a URL resolves to a workgroup or ntdomain
name, we can keep track of it or ignore it.  Consider it the "service
domain".  That is the domain in which the server resides. 

The [workgroup#] part would be the "authentication domain".  That is, the
workgroup or ntdomain in which we are authenticating.  If the auth domain
isn't specified, then the service domain is used, and vice versa. 

The only reason to specify different auth and service domains is in the 
case of a trust relationship.  Even then, the feedback I have gotten so 
far is that the service domain is not needed.  The only reason to allow 
it is to allow browsing using the same URI syntax.

How close am I?

Chris -)-----

-- 
Christopher R. Hertel -)-----                   University of Minnesota
crh at nts.umn.edu              Networking and Telecommunications Services

    Ideals are like stars; you will not succeed in touching them
    with your hands...you choose them as your guides, and following
    them you will reach your destiny.  --Carl Schultz