[Samba] Sorry for all the messages, I'm just trying to get a few answers here

[Doug VanLeuven]

Eric Evans wrote:
> Hello Craig et al,
> 
>> I didn't think it was possible that you would refute everything that I
>> said without checking a single bit of information but you definitely did
>> that.
> 
> Jeez, what did I say that was objectionable?  I believe that everything 
> I said was factual, and I certainly didn't think I was contesting 
> anything that you said.  I'm really really not trying to get into an 
> argument here.  I'm just trying to find out what's going on.
> 
>> It's obvious that you merely want to debate and that your request for
>> help wasn't really a desire to learn anything or fix anything...just a
>> soapbox.
> 
> Not at all, that is absolutely not the case.  I'm way, way too busy to 
> waste time in needless debates.  I'm in a bind here, I'm under a lot of 
> pressure and I'm just trying to clarify some things so I can get things 
> working ASAP.  Please let me summarize the points that I'm confused about:
> 
> 1. Why do I need to use wins support in my smb.conf?  I don't see the 
> point of this since it seems to me we are not using WINS.

Windows can resolve netbios names by client broadcasts, but only on the
local subnet.  Since even small networks seem to grow beyond this,
most people use WINS to resolve names.  Besides, it's faster and
generates less network traffic.  In addition, as the smb.conf doco
states, browsing over multiple subnets will not work without it.
Your ipconfig indicates you have a multiple subnet network, so you
need WINS for the windows machines to resolve netbios names.

To get samba to be the WINS server, use this line:
wins support = yes

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, then point samba at itself
(I've been using windows servers for WINS)
wins server = 127.0.0.1

Default for how samba resolves netbios names:
name resolve order = lmhosts host wins bcast

At your stage, I wouldn't worry about changing it unless your netbios
machine names are wildly different than the DNS names.

> 
> 2. If I don't have access to the DHCP server to modify its 
> configuration, how can I accomplish Craig's suggestion of putting the IP 
> address of my Samba server in the WINS server list on the DHCP server, 
> and how can I define the node type?  Surely there must be other Samba 
> users who don't have configuration access to their DHCP server.  How do 
> they deal with this?

Then in each windows client, under network properties, Internet
Protocol (TCP/IP), advanced properties, WINS tab (whew) add the IP
address of the samba server.  You can do this even if you are
getting everything else from DHCP and have no control over what
DHCP sources.  Otherwise, run the WINS server on samba and have the
DHCP server provide the WINS addresses during registration.  Once
the DHCP machine is configured, force a renewal on the client
or reboot to load it into the client.  Once you get the bugs
worked out, your own people ought to do this for you.

> 
> 3. Why is my windows client trying to send to a WINS server anyway?

see above
It won't try unless configured to.

> 
> 4. The [homes] share, at least in Samba 2, always had a special 
> meaning.  It was always interpreted by Samba as mapping to the user's 
> home directory.  Does Samba 3 no longer give this special meaning to the 
> [homes] share?

It shows up as the users name.

> 
> 5. PDC or BDC was not necessary in Samba 2 to connect to the [homes] 
> directory.  Why is it necessary in Samba 3?  Are there any other special 
> shares in Samba that one MUST have PDC or BDC access in order to use?
Been so long since I ran a standalone samba workstation, I can't answer
thet.

> 
> I'm truly sorry if I've caused anyone any aggravation.  I'm just trying 
> to figure out what's going on, and I hoping I won't have to tell my boss 
> that we can no longer use Samba after we've been using it without any 
> problems for the past 3 years, and that I have no idea why it's not 
> working!

 From one crusty old guy to another.  I spent a couple months planning
for the migration from 2.x to 3.x more than 2 years ago.  That included
a test development system to experiment on before any users were
subjected to my learning curve.  Won't get much sympathy for
self inflicted injuries here.

Regards, Doug

PS - You could have migrated your server with just about an identical
configuration to the 2.2 one and had just about identical characteristics.