Problems browsing multiple domains

[David Bustos]

The problem
-----------
The Windoze users in my dorm would like to be able to browse other
workgroups/domains in other subnets on campus.  This requires a DMB to
collect domain browse lists.  For the past year, this functionality has
been fulfilled by a student's PDC, since we don't have a school-supplied
one.  However, the task is loading his machine too much, so he wants to
stop.  I would like to replace it with a Samba server.

All machines should be using NetBIOS over TCP/IP, and should be using a
campus-wide WINS server.

Unfortunately, the WINS server is a Windoze NT 4 machine, so it doesn't
respond to nmbd queries for *#1b, which is how nmbd collects domain
names.

My solution
-----------
So I downloaded the Samba 2.2 alpha1 sources and hacked nmbd so that
when the WINS query for domain names failed (in nmbd_browsesync.c:
find_all_domain_master_names_query_fail()), it would pretend that a
known PDC (for the main campus domain) had been returned (by feeding
cooked data to find_all_domain_master_names_query_success()).

At first, this seems to work great.  smbclient -L on the server lists
all the domains that the other PDC knows about, and they even show up in
Network Neighborhood for a Windoze 98 machine.

The new problem
---------------
None of the new domains are browseable.  Furthermore, two NT 4 boxen
can't even browse the local subnet, never mind seeing the other domains.
The guy who used to run the PDC tells me:

> [a] browstat check reveals:
> 
> Status for domain RUDDOCK on transport \Device\NetBT_CE2XPS1
>     Browsing is active on domain.
>     Master browser name is: ALEX
> Could not open key in registry, error = 201326626        Unable to
> determine build of browser master: 201326626
>     \\\\ALEX          .  Version:04.02  Flags: 9a03 NT SERVER
>     1 backup servers retrieved from master ALEX
>         \\ALEX
>     Unable to retrieve server list from ALEX: 1240
> 

So it looks like the machines are trying to look up registry keys on the
server.  Via RPC, I suspect.  Is this retarded, or what?

And now the real question: Is there any hope?


Thanks,
David Bustos