[Samba] Samba, Samba PDC and slow XP if user not in admin group.

[Bradley D. Larson]

Like many I ran into the slow winXP client when attached to a samba server. Access 
times were extremely slow and windows explorer was almost unusable (especially if 
there were a large number of files in the directory).

The XP users authenticated properly and rights were applied as expected via the 
samba configuration. Every thing worked properly... except really slow.

I went through all the usual suggestions found on various lists (changes to the 
registry, shutting things off, reducing the view in explorer) as well as doing some 
serious linux and server tuning.  All provided minor improvements but nothing 
significant until.......

I noticed that I (as an admin) was not having the problem (even when I was on an XP 
box).  So I added the group in question (engineering) to the "admin users" and 
presto... all latency is gone!

This works in this particular case as the engineering group has all rights to this 
share, but if they didn't I'd still have the problem.

How can this be fixed properly....

I'm guessing that unless a user is admin the access rights are checked against 
everything in the directory (which can take a bit of time). If they are an admin 
(to the share) samba blindly gives them access, thus avoiding the long access lookups.

I would think that there would only be the need to check access on two things.
     1. the directory in question and
     2. the file being accessed.

Below are the changes and share setup...

  changed:
    admin users = @admins
  to:
    admin users = @admins, at engineering, at fixedprod

[eng_shared]
    comment = engineering shared files
    path = /export3/eng_shared
    valid users = @users
    write list = @engineering, at fixedprod, at admins
    # general settings -- all shares should use these
    force user = %U
    admin users = @admins, at engineering, at fixedprod
    hide unreadable = yes
    browsable = no
    public = no
    writable = yes
    printable = no
    create mask = 0770
    directory mask = 0770






-- 
Bradley Larson
Terramarc / Crary -- Manager of Information Systems
PO Box 849
NW 12th St
West Fargo  ND  58078  USA

voice: 701-282-5520  ext 352         fax: 701-282-9522
www.terramarc.com                    blarson at crary.com