[Samba] Why does simple smb.conf demand password?

[Larry Alkoff]

Thanks for your reply Rashkae.

I have leaving the password field and it doesn't work.
Perhaps it has to do with the fact that, when I click on the netbios name (linda) 
the share it ask the password is labeled \\LINDA\IPC$ for some unknown
reason.  Linda is the netbios name but there is nothing like IPC$ in my smb.conf.


On Tue, 23 Dec 2003 14:41:20 -0500, Rashkae wrote:

>Hi Lary
>
>You can get around it by sending a blank password.  (ie, just press
>enter).  Since you enabled guest ok, logins with bad passwords will go
>to guest account (default is nobody) and all should be well. (If the
>login prompt asks for a Username as well as a password, just put anything)
>
>As for why you need the password prompt at all, it is because Samba's
>default security model is "User", which closely resembles a Windows NT
>server.  The server requires a valid user for all connections.  If you
>wanted to change this behaviour, you could change security to "share",
>but I would not suggest doing that until you are more familiar with
>those mysterious password issues.
>
>
>
>On Sun, Dec 21, 2003 at 11:22:34AM -0600, Larry Alkoff wrote:
>> I am trying to setup a simple Samba server using the instructions in the O'Reilly book
>> "Using Samba" first edition on a Slackware 9.1 system which uses Samba 2.2.8a.
>> The windows machine uses windows 98SE.
>> 
>> The instructions under Server Configuration starting page 93
>> and Disk Share Configuration starting page 96
>> had me setup a very simple smb.conf which should then appear in Network Neighborhood.
>> It it does appear in NN and also using the command "net view".
>> 
>> Then I should be able to click on the icon in NN and see the disk single share I have setup.
>> When I try to do this I get a logon screen that demands a password.
>> 
>> The instructions say that 
>> "We set the guest ok parameter to yes which is not very security conscious but there are some password
>> issues that we need to understand before setting up individual users and authentification.  For the moment,
>> this will sidestep these issues and let anyone connect to the share."
>> 
>> This is fine with me and in fact, it's the password issues that I don't understand yet and want to get straight later.
>> 
>> Why can't I connect without the demand for a password?
>> How can I get around it before getting into the complexities of password management?
>> 
>> Here is the short smb.conf:
>> 
>> [global]
>> netbios name = linda
>> server string = Samba %v on %L
>> workgroup = lanet
>> 
>> [data]
>>   path = /export/data
>>   comment = data drive
>>   volume = sample-data-drive
>>   writable = yes
>>   guest ok = yes
>> 
>> I also made sure to setup the subdirectory /export/data and chown it to 777.
>> 
>> Larry Alkoff



Larry Alkoff N2LA - Austin TX