Direct NetBIOS calls. Is it possible?

[Christopher R. Hertel]

There is no direct NetBIOS API via Samba.  Such a beast could be written, 
but there are very few people who really need such a thing.

The NBT layer is a mapping of the NetBIOS API onto TCP/UDP.  The problem
is that the TCP/UDP side of that is fixed on specific ports and Samba
already 'owns' those ports.  So, if you want to run a NetBIOS API on a
Linux box you'll either need to implement a complete & separate NBT layer
and *not* run Samba, or you'll need to add a complete NetBIOS API
interface to Samba itself.  Neither of these are really 'good' solutions.

I don't think that Samba itself would gain a lot by having an available
NetBIOS-style API.  It might (and personally I kinda like the idea), but I
think folks would need to be convinced that it's worth-while and a general 
benefit.

Implementing an NBT layer isn't that difficult, though it would be time
consuming.  I've documented most of it so there is a guide (see signature)
that will lead you through what needs to be done.  There are also some 
good NetBIOS references listed on my site.

Good luck!

Chris -)-----

On Wed, Aug 21, 2002 at 10:15:43AM -0300, Adilson Oliveira wrote:
> Hello guys!
> 
> First of all, let me tell you that I'm a samba user and never got into 
> the beast so excuse-me if this seen weird.
> I have a project to port an old DOS system to linux and this systems 
> uses direct netbios calls (using 5C interrupts) to communicate with 
> windows machines. Basicaly sending datagrams one to another.
> This customer does not want to change the windows side so I need to 
> simulate de same functions. Is it possible? And how?
> Thanks a lot!
> 
> Adilson.
> 
> P.S. Hey Jeremy! I'm the brazilian guy you met at linuxconf this year :) 
> You're great man!
> 
> -- 
> TWT Embedded Solutions
> 
> 

-- 
Samba Team -- http://www.samba.org/     -)-----   Christopher R. Hertel
jCIFS Team -- http://jcifs.samba.org/   -)-----   ubiqx development, uninq.
ubiqx Team -- http://www.ubiqx.org/     -)-----   crh at ubiqx.mn.org
OnLineBook -- http://ubiqx.org/cifs/    -)-----   crh at ubiqx.org