[Samba] Windows 2000 workstations can't open Excel files on Samba-2.2.7(a?) after "ServicePack-ing 4" on them.

[Kurt Pfeifle]

Hi, Samba-friends

I am not very deep in Samba *file* services, so please bear with me.

The network admins of my employer alarmed me (being the local "Linux
Guy") with this problem:

* they run a 2-node fileserver cluster, based on RedHat (version?)
   with a Samba version announcing itself "2.2.7-security-rollout"
   or similar.

* Samba runs in a chrooted environment. It was set up and configured
   by some external contractor. Everything run smoothly and stable
   until recently.

* The now have upgraded 100 Windows 2000 workstations to ServicePack
   4 (after some testing, they say).

* Now these workstations' users can't open any Excel files on the Samba
   shares any more. The error message speaks about "missing memory".

* If they copy the files to the local box, they are able to open
   them. The files also do open after being copied over to the previous
   WinNT 4.0 file server, which was resurrected now for the purpose.

I was able to have a look at it last night. I took notes about versions,
config settings etc, but   - rats! -  left the paper in the server room,
so I can't be much more specific at the momeent. (My notes are locked
in there now since it is a bank holiday in Germany.)

One strange thing is this:

--> After increasing the debuglevel to 5 (using smbcontrol), one
     workstation could open the files. *That* connection was made as
     "root". Decreasing debuglevel to 1, 2, 3 and 4 re-produced the
     problem. Increasing to 5 and 10 made it go away again.

--> Trying to repeat the same from a different workstation (where
     the connection was made as a normal user) recreated the problem,
     but in all debuglevels, including 5 and 10.


My questions:

* Is this an already known problem ?
* What could possibly cause it? What could I do for a remedy ?
* What exact tests could I run and what info could I give
   (apart from the obvious smb.conf, version no. etc.) to help
   trace it ?  [I have the log files for levels 1, 2, 3, 4 and
   5 reflecting attempts to open the Excel files from the workstation
   that connected as "root"].


Any help and hint is much appreciated.
Thanks for your efforts.
Cheers, Kurt