smb://

[Christopher R. Hertel]

> Furthermore probably we mayavoid the # at the end of the workgroup to
> browse a workgroup, becuse NetBIOS is a flat name space and a server and
> a workgroup probably may not have the same name!
> It is necessary anyway bettween workgroup and server name (wkg#server) to
> avoid network trafic only to decide what the first word is!
> 
> so smb:// will give the wokgroup (and servers ?) list
> smb://name will give the server list if name is a workgroup or the share
> list if name is a server
> 
> smb://wkg#srv will obviously give the srv shares
> and smb://name/other will list the contents of share "other" on server
> "name"

Sounds like the conclusion I've come to as well, though I don't think we 
need the # at all.  There is no need to specify the workgroup/ntdomain to 
browse once you have a server selected.

The only problem I see is the possibility that a single name could be 
used for both a workgroup/ntdomain *and* a server.  I've been tossing 
this around and I do have one scenario that might cause trouble.  If a 
PDC is also a file server, then it might register the #00 name, the #20 
name *and* the #1d (local master browser) name.  I do not know if this is 
actually possible: can someone test it out?

If this is possible, we have a conflict.  Given smb://name/ where <name>
is the PDC name (and thus also the server, DMB, and LMB name), what do we
do? 

My answer is this:  List both.  First ennumerate the browse list for
ntdomain <name>, and then list the services on server <name>.  This would 
only need to be done if the syntax of the URL is:

  smb://name/

If a share is specified then we are beyond browsing anyway.  If a 
username or any other part of the authentication information is specified 
then, again, we are not browsing.

BTW, I think that some NT boxes will not list their services unless you 
authenticate.  Does anyone know if this is true?

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