libsmbclient: Browsing and a URI spec?

[Richard Sharpe]

At 03:25 PM 1/4/01 -0600, Christopher R. Hertel wrote:
>> Here is the issue.  If you look at the URI formats suggested, you'll
>> notice that "workgroup" and "domain" (in this context) are two potentially
>> different, optional parameters:
>>   smb://[workgroup]/
>>   smb://[[[domain;]user[:password]@]server[:port]][/share[/path[/file]]]
>
>Quick asside.  Richard pointed out that server ennumeration is done via an
>SMB connection as is share ennumeration.  We just connect to (potentially)
>different servers for the different lists.

As an aside, my description back then was a bit wrong. This was because of
a bug in Ethereal (now fixed). To enumerate the workgroups/domains, you
send a NetServerEnum request with a type of 0x80000000, which is defined as
list domains.

>Thus, the complete syntax is:
>
>  smb://[[[domain;]user[:password]@]server[:port]/[share/[path/][file]]]
>
>where server could be a workgroup/ntdomain name or a server name.
>
>If share/ is present, then server is not interpreted as a workgroup name.
>If share/ is *not* present, then the name is tried as a workgroup name 
>and as a server name.  (If both are valid names, then we have detected 
>one of those badly configured networks.)

This is how I have implemented it, so far ...

>> I get the feeling that there is demand for a library-wide configuration
>> of some sort of all optional parameters.  Therefore, you need to have a
>> way to set _both_ of these things.
>
>Right.  I don't know about 'demand', but the idea is being discussed.
>The parameter "WORKGROUP" is already supported by Samba, so a client 
>would only need one more parameter to override workgroup and set a 
>default auth domain.
>
>> Now, there has also been mention of inheriting smb.conf parameters,
>> assuming this machine is not only a client, but also a server.  Great,
>> but smb.conf only has "workgroup", and as far as I can tell, that is
>> all it needs. 
>
>I think so too.
>
>> The solution is simple.  One or the other of these must
>> be "workgroup" in order to inherit smb.conf's settings and not totally
>> confuse admins.  The other should be called something else, hopefully
>> something more specific in meaning.
>
>AUTH[ENTICATION] DOMAIN was suggested.
>
>> The question is, "If an SMB client inherited the same machine's server's
>> "workgroup" parameter, what should it mean to the client?"  Does it mean
>> that the client should by default send "workgroup\user" as auth info
>> or does it mean the client should default browse to "workgroup"?  If
>> those are the same thing, no problem, but in the case where they are not,
>> what does "workgroup" in smb.conf mean?
>
>If we are using smb.conf, then WORKGROUP means both *unless* the AUTH 
>DOMAIN parameter is also specified.
>
>Again, I have no idea--off hand--what Samba would do with such a 
>parameter.  It could ignore it, I suppose.
>
>I looked at the PASSWORD SERVER parameter, but it is possible that using
>this parameter would cause conflicts between server config and client
>config. 
>
>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
>
>
>

Regards
-------
Richard Sharpe, sharpe at ns.aus.com
Samba (Team member, www.samba.org), Ethereal (Team member, www.zing.org)
Contributing author, SAMS Teach Yourself Samba in 24 Hours
Author, Special Edition, Using Samba