[Samba] upgraded 3.0.28a-2 to 3.4.7-0.2, profile desktop configuration no longer saved

[David Mathog]

Upgraded a Samba server from 3.0.28a-2 to 3.4.7-0.2.  Initially the XP
workstations could not log on (not finding machine account) then
discovered a new "passdb" variable, so added to smb.conf:

 passdb backend = smbpasswd

and also changed all browseable -> browsable.  Restarted the server. 
Domain logins worked.  Test files saved to desktop are retained between
logins (are stored in the profile).  Logins take about 30 seconds.

HOWEVER, changes to the icon layout and desktop, for instance the
background color, are NOT retained.  Those default back to the original
settings on each logon. They used to be saved.  No change to the XP
client has been made.

After logout, if no files were explicitly saved, the only files with new
data stamps in the profile are:
  ntuser.dat, ntuser.dat.LOG and ntuser.ini.

Looked at the event viewer as Administrator on the XP machine and found
an application warning for the test account which might be relevant (or
a red herring):

  Windows has detected that Offline Caching is enabled on the Roaming
  Profile share - to avoid potential profile corruption, Offline
  Caching must be disabled on shares where roaming user profiles are
  shared.

Part of the smb.conf (unchanged since the older server other than
spelling change on browsable) :

[homes]
        comment = Home Directories
        read only = No
        create mask = 0700
        directory mask = 0700
        browsable = No

[netlogon]
        comment = Contains login script which just mounts PDB area
        path = /u1/usr/netlogon

[pdb]
        comment = PDB database directory
        path = /u4/pdb

[profiles]
        comment = user's profile directories
        path = /u1/usr/people/%u/profile
        read only = No
        create mask = 0700
        directory mask = 0700
        browsable = No

The one script contains just this line:

  net use p: \\safserver\pdb /persistent:no

Desktop settings used to be retained in the roaming profiles.
What has changed between these Samba versions to account for this
difference?


Thank you,

David Mathog
mathog at caltech.edu
Manager, Sequence Analysis Facility, Biology Division, Caltech