smb://

[Simo Sorce]

On Thu, 28 Dec 2000, Christopher R. Hertel wrote:

> > 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?
>
Yes, and also all my samba servers act this way :)


-- 
Simo Sorce - Integrazione Sistemi Unix/Windows - Politecnico di Milano
E-mail: simo.sorce at polimi.it
Tel.int: 02 2399 2425 - Fax.int. 02 2399 2451
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