[Samba] Strange issues with Excel & Samba

[Bill Arlofski]

Bill Arlofski wrote:
> 
> I have a client who used to have an NT server, we replaced it with 
> Gentoo Linux and Samba v3.0.9 and they are now having what appears to be 
> some sort of file-sharing issue with Excel.
> 
> When a user opens an Excel file on the file server it opens properly, no 
> errors or warnings of any  kind. But when they try to save the file, 
> Excel warns them that "the file may have changed by someone else, do you 
> want to overwrite, or make new copy" (or some such similar dialog).
> 
> The file has not changed, and they were the only one with it opened. 
> This happens to everyone, on any Excel file that they open.
> 
> Here is some smbstatus output when a user opens an Excel spreadsheet:
> 
> # smbstatus | grep xls
> 25002  DENY_NONE  0x2019f     RDWR       NONE 
> /home/shared/projects/Spreadsheet2.xls MonMar  7 11:12:16 2005
> 
> Ok, so Samba shows that the user has the file "Spreadsheet2.xls" opened 
> in read-write mode. So far so good.
> 
> BUT... What is interesting is this:
> 
> # lsof -p 25002 |grep xls
> 
> smbd    25002 louis   28uw  REG       8,3     34304    705301 
> /home/shared/projects/Spreadsheet2.xls
> smbd    25002 louis   32rw  REG       8,3     34304    705301 
> /home/shared/projects/Spreadsheet2.xls
> smbd    25002 louis   33rw  REG       8,3     34304    705301 
> /home/shared/projects/Spreadsheet2.xls
> smbd    25002 louis   34rw  REG       8,3     34304    705301 
> /home/shared/projects/Spreadsheet2.xls
> smbd    25002 louis   35rw  REG       8,3     34304    705301 
> /home/shared/projects/Spreadsheet2.xls
> smbd    25002 louis   36rw  REG       8,3     34304    705301 
> /home/shared/projects/Spreadsheet2.xls
> smbd    25002 louis   37rw  REG       8,3     34304    705301 
> /home/shared/projects/Spreadsheet2.xls
> smbd    25002 louis   39rw  REG       8,3     34304    705301 
> /home/shared/projects/Spreadsheet2.xls
> smbd    25002 louis   40rw  REG       8,3     34304    705301 
> /home/shared/projects/Spreadsheet2.xls
> smbd    25002 louis   41rw  REG       8,3     34304    705301 
> /home/shared/projects/Spreadsheet2.xls
> smbd    25002 louis   42rw  REG       8,3     34304    705301 
> /home/shared/projects/Spreadsheet2.xls
> smbd    25002 louis   43rw  REG       8,3     34304    705301 
> /home/shared/projects/Spreadsheet2.xls
> smbd    25002 louis   44rw  REG       8,3     34304    705301 
> /home/shared/projects/Spreadsheet2.xls
> smbd    25002 louis   45rw  REG       8,3     34304    705301 
> /home/shared/projects/Spreadsheet2.xls
> smbd    25002 louis   46rw  REG       8,3     34304    705301 
> /home/shared/projects/Spreadsheet2.xls
> 
> 
> It looks like Excel opens the file ONCE with "read and write access", 
> with a write lock on part of the file (28uw), then it proceeds to open 
> the file 14 more times for READ access.  What the heck for?
> 
> On the good side, when someone else attempts to open this file while 
> louis has it opened, they are properly told by Excel that the file is 
> currently in use and that they can open it it read only mode. (or some 
> such similar message)
> 
> 
> Any thoughts on how to stop Excel from telling the user that their file 
> has changed when it definitely has not?
> 
> Bill Arlofski
> waa-samba at revpol.com



Upgrading to 3.0.11 FIXED this problem.


-
Bill Arlofski
waa-samba at revpol.com