[Samba] netbios aliases ?

[Simon Hobson]

At 5:37 pm +1000 7/9/04, ip.guy wrote:
>wow, not a single taker on this one !!!
>
>
>>hi all
>>
>>I have a samba server acting as a domain member server providing 
>>file/print services to our SME
>>
>>As i want to provide users with a list of available printers for 
>>installation, i need to give them a win32 shortcut to 
>>"\\samba-server\" so they can see the available printers and 
>>install as required BUT... doing so will also show them all of the 
>>available shares... not a major issue but would rather just list 
>>the printers (i am using "browseable = no" to hide all shares) but 
>>am now running into another problem.
>>
>>I'm using a web interface to smbclient to allow staff to access the 
>>file server from home.
>>
>>Making all shares inviable effectively makes the use of the web 
>>smbclient pointless
>>
>>Is it possible to use a netbiios alias and force the printers to 
>>list under the alias ?
>>
>>Any other suggestion welcome

Look up the %L substitution and include files.

You can do something along these lines :

         netbios name = fileserver
         netbios aliases = printers

         include = /etc/samba/smb.conf.%L

Your main smb.conf file contains ONLY the global section (and 
anything you specifically want to appear on each virtual server). You 
then have additional files in the form smb.conf.<servername> which 
contain the relevant shares for each server. You might have to 
experiment a bit with the case of the servername and include files, I 
can't remember whether takes the servername as written, or if any 
case conversion happens.

What happens is that when a client connects to any of the servers, 
Samba loads the smb.conf file as it starts the server process to 
handle the client. %L is substituted with the server name that the 
client connected to, and so the include statement will include the 
relevant file for the servername.

Downsides :

1) You can no longer administer the server with SWAT or Webmin. Later 
versions (of Webmin IIRC) warn you, earlier ones just write out a new 
smb.conf and leave you wondering where the f*** your shares just went 
- guess how I found out about that :-(

2) It doesn't work with pure IP - only with Netbios ? Hopefully 
someone else can fill in that one, I can only remember bits that have 
been on this list. I think it was something to do with the client not 
giving a server name when it connects directly with IP (on port 445 ?)

3) All the virtual servers have the same server comment.

4) I don't know if it's still recommended practice, or if it's 
something that's likely to stop working in the future.

Simon

-- 
Simon Hobson MA MIEE, Technology Specialist
Colony Gift Corporation Limited
Lindal in Furness, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 0LD
Tel 01229 461100, Fax 01229 461101

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