[Samba] Simple Samba

[Jay Ts]

> I have simple needs, as I am my only user.  I am in transition between
> Linux and Windows.  I need to get Samba running.  I DO NOT need any
> security between machines (except to the internet.)

Use share mode security (security = share in smb.conf) and have your
firewall block (at least) ports 137, 138, 139 and 445.

> So, I need to get around that IPC$ password demand that Windows 98SE
> insists on receiving.

This is usually caused by a disagreement between using "encrypted"
passwords and plaintext passwords. Make sure your server and clients
are using the same method. Win98SE by default will expect to use
encrypted passwords, so put

	[global]
		security = share
		encrypt passwords = yes

in your smb.conf. That is not guaranteed to fix your symptom, but
it's likely to.  BTW, run testparm to check your configuration file,
if you haven't already.

> I have tried RedHat's instructions (did not work), I have tried the
> instructions from the Samba website, I have read USING SAMBA from
> O'Reilly publishing, I have read SAMBA FOR DUMMIES and the list goes on
> and on.  None of these have clear cut instructions THAT WORK.

This would suggest that it is you who don't "WORK", rather than the
books. Perhaps there is something in the books and other documentation
that you've been misunderstanding somehow.  I know the instructions in
Using Samba (even the somewhat sloppy and out-of-date 1st edition) "work"
because that's what I used to get my own Samba server running for the
first time, and it was a quick and relatively painless operation. (As
for the soon-to-come 2nd edition, I've checked it pretty carefully,
and it "works" too. ;)

A suggestion: try running through the DIAGNOSIS.txt help file, or
the "Fault Tree" section in Using Samba, and see if you can find
your problem that way. Maybe you have some oddity in your network
configuration that is causing the problem with Samba to appear.

Jay Ts
jay at jayts.cx
author, Using Samba, 2nd edition