[Samba] new user introduction, and a few questions

Sun Jul 17 08:35:12 UTC 2016

hi
Ok, this is odd. Samba now works. I went to smb://blackfang, samba
prompted me for my user name and password, and then connected. There was
an smbclient update, and that must've fixed it because before that it
wouldn't work. My final question is printer sharing. Is it simple to set
up printer sharing where a printer is installed on a windows machine and
shared across the network and if so, how to configure samba for this?
There's probably docs on this and if you like you can point me to them
and I'll read up on that.
Thanks
Kendell Clark

kendell clark wrote:
> hi
> Ok, I've now got more info. Doing smbclient -L blackfang returns the
> following error. unknown name switch type dns. session setup failed.
> NT_STATUS_LOGON_FAILURE. This is frustrating. Isn't this supposed to
> work regardless of whether I have an account on the machine I'm trying
> to connect to? Hear's what I'm trying to do. I'm basically trying to
> configure samba, however I need to so that when I try to connect to a
> windows computer or a linux computer running samba, it asks me for a
> user account and password if needed, otherwise it connects without
> error. Why is this proving so difficult? I'm really sorry if I sound
> frustrated, it's not you guys at all. I've been banging my head against
> the wall with this for about a week, trying to configure samba before
> releasing  the new stable image of sonar to the public. It also doesn't
> help that most of my users are not at all understanding when something
> they expect to work doesn't. Windows just works, why can't linux work
> like windows, so on and so forth. That's what I have to look forward to
> if I get this wrong.
>
> Thanks
> Kendell Clark
>
>
> coffeeking wrote:
>> hi
>>
>> Completely agree about windows. From what I'm hearing on this list
>> there's no "default" file that will do what I want? If I'm
>> understanding this right it's not how samba is configured so much as
>> it is what the gui tools will let me do? I use the mate desktop, with
>> the caja file manager and it's caja share extension. I've tried a few
>> things, connecting to smb:blackfang. This will think for a few seconds
>> and then return with "no such file or directory". I'm sorry to keep
>> going back to the same circles, I'm just trying to understand how
>> these things work. I'd like to come up with a smb.conf file which will
>> work for most users, since a lot of them connect to windows computers
>> or linux boxes running a samba server. Is this possible? dolphin isn't
>> an option for me because orca, the linux gtk screen reader, can't read
>> it. I do know that trying to connect to windows computers over the
>> network with nautilus or caja yields  the "no such file or directory"
>> error or "connection timed out". I'm missing something, just not sure
>> what. If I'm being annoying, please don't hesitate to point me to
>> docs. It also sounds like results may vary based on what linux
>> distribution you use. Sonar is based on the manjaro linux distro which
>> is in turn based on arch, if that helps.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>> Kendell Clark
>>
>>
>>
>> On 7/16/2016 9:54 PM, Methosomega wrote:
>>> Windows is built to be generically compatible and configurable for
>>> the common person. This does not make well for stability, function,
>>> or security. Linux is built for everything but ease... To this end
>>> there are gui apps that allow you to easily configure samba. Nothing
>>> "just works" but when it does, it will never fail under most
>>> circumstances. Windows it will work one day and not the next with
>>> absolutely no reason... Now there were some changes to windows
>>> security settings that make it less interoperable with samba (not
>>> samba's fault) samba has also made security changes to make samba
>>> more secure. One utility i have used for 10 years and has been
>>> wonderful is "Webmin" its great for configuring most of the basic
>>> linux systems and most all of the basic server software. I highly
>>> recommend it..
>>> So after setting a share checking passwords and rights i spent 20
>>> hours trying to figure out why i couldnt access share and found on
>>> centos(my distro) in addition to the samba share you also have to do
>>> a "chcon -t samba_share_t /path" to turn on the samba security flag
>>> or it wont allow samba to access the directory.. Now in my browser i
>>> cannot see the samba system but i have no problem accessing it. This
>>> may be a result of that IPC$ share that you sometimes get i think its
>>> a pc share that windows does automatically that you may have to share
>>> the "computer" in order for
>>> It to be viewable like windows does. This is a function i want on
>>> mine so maybe we can work on it together... Im out and about right
>>> now but ill sent you a couple things to try when I get home.
>>>
>>> Chad
>>>
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>
>>>> On Jul 16, 2016, at 9:06 PM, coffeeking <coffeekingms at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> hi
>>>>
>>>> Not just yet. I've set up a windows 10 instance on my desktop to
>>>> test with. It's not activated so I've got a month to test, will
>>>> probably only keep it around a couple of days. How is windows doing
>>>> this? When I go to connect to mellisa's computer which is running
>>>> windows 7, even with the workgroup name changed from the default
>>>> windows finds it and connects. I try the same on linux and I get
>>>> "cannot mount windows share. No such file or directory." It's
>>>> maddening. I'm not complaining, I'm just curious. Why is windows
>>>> able to autoconfigure itself, and samba isn't? Or is it, and I
>>>> haven't set the right options?
>>>>
>>>> Thanks
>>>>
>>>> Kendell Clark
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> On 7/16/2016 9:01 PM, Methosomega wrote:
>>>>> Welcome kendell, i just signed up today my self... Have you gotten
>>>>> your issue resolved? I see a lot of info but I cant tell who is
>>>>> who, it doesn't say..
>>>>>
>>>>> Chad
>>>>>
>>>>>> On Jul 16, 2016, at 7:44 PM, kendell clark
>>>>>> <coffeekingms at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> hi
>>>>>> Basically I'm trying to come up with a default config file that will
>>>>>> allow people to access their stuff that reside on windows computers,
>>>>>> macs or linux computers from across the network. I know windows
>>>>>> uses the
>>>>>> "WORKGROUP" name by default unless you change it, but one thing I've
>>>>>> noticed is that samba can't simply query windows for the info it
>>>>>> needs,
>>>>>> it has to be set explicitly. Windows is somehow able to figure this
>>>>>> stuff out. I'm going to guess that the way windows does this is some
>>>>>> patented ultra secret method that samba can't use or it would. I
>>>>>> don't
>>>>>> know if it's possible to come up with a one size fits all config
>>>>>> file,
>>>>>> but is it possible to come up with one that will work with most
>>>>>> "default" windows installations where the user hasn't changed the
>>>>>> settings from the way they're initially set? I'm new to all of
>>>>>> this, so
>>>>>> if there's good docs on all of this, just point me to them and
>>>>>> I'll get
>>>>>> out of your hair.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks
>>>>>> Kendell Clark
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Xen wrote:
>>>>>>> kendell clark schreef op 16-07-2016 9:31:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> hi all
>>>>>>>> My name is Kendell Clark, and I've just subscribed to this list. I
>>>>>>>> thought I'd write this email to introduce myself, and ask a
>>>>>>>> couple of
>>>>>>>> questions about configuring samba. I'm a co developer of a linux
>>>>>>>> distribution for the visually impaired and disabled called Sonar
>>>>>>>> GNU
>>>>>>>> linux, which you can learn more about at
>>>>>>>> http://www.sonargnulinux.com.
>>>>>>>> I've been struggling to come up with a default samba
>>>>>>>> configuration file
>>>>>>>> that will work for at least most windows and linux environments
>>>>>>>> if not
>>>>>>>> all.
>>>>>>> Basically you want a configuration for the local systems running
>>>>>>> your
>>>>>>> distribution that will share stuff in a certain default way?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Or are you also concerned with importing stuff from the other
>>>>>>> computers?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Importing stuff might be an issue as it depends on the GUI of your
>>>>>>> distribution? What I mean is that e.g. Linux Mint (Cinnamon) is
>>>>>>> rather
>>>>>>> user friendly but I would not suggest it is ready for everything
>>>>>>> such
>>>>>>> as mounting random shares from other servers? I haven't tried in
>>>>>>> full.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I do know Mint supports the USERSHARE thing and will allow people to
>>>>>>> share their own folders from the GUI as long as you don't mess
>>>>>>> with it
>>>>>>> behind the scenes (e.g. using a net command yourself) because it
>>>>>>> doesn't sync that.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> So I do not know how good the mounting experience is from Linux.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Personally I am trying to fix it as much as possible from my own
>>>>>>> project in such a way that the names of the shares are almost
>>>>>>> incapable of being changed (by a regular user).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> A convient mount dialog, that also reinstates a mount on login,
>>>>>>> to my
>>>>>>> knowledge and mind, doesn't really exist yet.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> This is not Samba, this is mount.cifs, and the GUI configuration
>>>>>>> whatever Distro or DE uses.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> My next couple of questions have to do with the windows side of
>>>>>>>> things.
>>>>>>>> I don't use it myself I'm  strictly a linux guy but I do set
>>>>>>>> windows up
>>>>>>>> for my fiance a lot, and  I install it on my laptop periodically
>>>>>>>> to test
>>>>>>>> samba on to make sure it works like I've set it up. One thing I've
>>>>>>>> noticed is that it seems somehow able to autoconfigure most of this
>>>>>>>> stuff. If I change the work group name on mellisa's computer, a
>>>>>>>> windows
>>>>>>>> installation on my desktop or another computer finds it and
>>>>>>>> connects
>>>>>>>> with no problems, prompting for a user name and password.
>>>>>>> You mean for shares that were already configured previously and are
>>>>>>> now slightly changed on the "server"?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Samba doesn't.
>>>>>>>> It simply won't connect. Is there an "automatic" or "figure it out"
>>>>>>>> option in the config file I can use? The only reason I'm asking is
>>>>>>>> because a lot of my users are not very experienced they're mostly
>>>>>>>> windows users and they expect things to more or less configure
>>>>>>>> themselves. If they have to configure stuff their first option is
>>>>>>>> generally to complain and ask why I can't simply do it for them.
>>>>>>> This is not really Samba, again, I am not meaning to be rude.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> But Samba has very little to do with actually /accessing/ files (or
>>>>>>> shares).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Most configuration is done by GUI environments that try to make some
>>>>>>> of it work.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Now I realize the "client" side of things is also important. I am
>>>>>>> just
>>>>>>> wishing to elude that the user side of this with regards to this, is
>>>>>>> actually a componenent of your desktop environment (mate, as you
>>>>>>> call
>>>>>>> it).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> My next
>>>>>>>> question has to do with this "homegroup" stuff. I don't know
>>>>>>>> much about
>>>>>>>> windows but this seems to be a different sharing system, not
>>>>>>>> cifs, and
>>>>>>>> windows specific. Can samba take advantage of these or should I
>>>>>>>> just
>>>>>>>> disable the home group stuff on all the windows computers I want to
>>>>>>>> connect with?
>>>>>>> I personally consider the HomeGroup a very detrimental thing. They
>>>>>>> have broken network-browsing, apparently, for regular fileshares and
>>>>>>> won't even allow you to see the hosts on the network anymore,
>>>>>>> instead
>>>>>>> opening webpages to configure routers and such, if these can be
>>>>>>> found.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> If anything, I would want to change Windows computers such that
>>>>>>> regular browsing works again; that will solve a lot of problems.
>>>>>>> Even
>>>>>>> among Windows computers themselves, HomeGroup is terribly
>>>>>>> annoying and
>>>>>>> inconvenient.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> It appears the only way from e.g. a Windows 10 computer to access
>>>>>>> any
>>>>>>> shares on the network, is to use a direct access link like
>>>>>>> \\server\share. That is the most inconvenient thing there has ever
>>>>>>> been for a Windows user. I do not know how to turn HomeGroup (In
>>>>>>> Windows 10) off myself, but I would really stay away from it if I
>>>>>>> were
>>>>>>> you, rather than try to incorporate it in your system (although a
>>>>>>> best
>>>>>>> of both worlds may be possible if you do want to support it).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "Support" is not the same as "Wanting to use it".
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I don't get the Windows filesharing thing anymore. I must be getting
>>>>>>> old (35 now ;-)).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> My last question has to do with what samba shows when I do
>>>>>>>> manage to connect to my fiance's windows computer. A typical
>>>>>>>> listing
>>>>>>>> looks like
>>>>>>>> $admin$
>>>>>>>> c$
>>>>>>>> f$
>>>>>>>> Users
>>>>>>>> The only one I can successfully connect to is the "users"
>>>>>>>> folder. The
>>>>>>>> rest lock me out regardless of what user name and password I
>>>>>>>> supply.
>>>>>>> I take it your c$ and f$ are complete volume shares? I mean a
>>>>>>> complete
>>>>>>> "partition" with a drive letter is getting shared?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I have no clue why that wouldn't mount, I have not tried it myself,
>>>>>>> sorry. But in general it seems like the stuff you want to mount
>>>>>>> cannot
>>>>>>> end with a $ sign?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> If
>>>>>>>> I connect through a test windows installation windows doesn't
>>>>>>>> display
>>>>>>>> anything but the "Users" item so I'm guessing those are system
>>>>>>>> shares
>>>>>>>> that aren't supposed to be used.
>>>>>>> Ah, yes.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> In order to access flash drives,
>>>>>>>> external hard drives, etc across the network I have to set them up
>>>>>>>> explicitly to be shared. I'm wondering if samba can access these?
>>>>>>> Sure, why not. Do you mean shares from Windows computers, or shares
>>>>>>> from your own systems?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> You ask about Samba access, not samba sharing.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> There is no inhibition in Samba (mount.cifs) to mount shared
>>>>>>> directories from other hosts. The inhibition is in how convenient
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> user interface of the local system is going to be in configuring all
>>>>>>> of that (and not getting fixed with a solution that is
>>>>>>> unchangable by
>>>>>>> a regular user).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I am not knowledgeable enough yet about the GVFS system. I do
>>>>>>> know you
>>>>>>> can sufficiently configure stuff for display in fstab: there are
>>>>>>> options for choosing the name that something will have in your
>>>>>>> GUI, I
>>>>>>> take it this is the same for Mate as it is for Cinnamon.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> x-gvfs-show and x-gvfs-name come to mind. Look it up, it will
>>>>>>> help, I
>>>>>>> guess.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> But these are "root" access things that mess up fstab. I am sure
>>>>>>> it is
>>>>>>> also possible to get stuff mounted in /media/user/, I just don't
>>>>>>> know
>>>>>>> how good that will be.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> You will need to find a way to either integrate the "Gnome
>>>>>>> Automounter" (using /media/user) or by having a custom solution that
>>>>>>> adds and changes things in fstab to be able to pass those "pretty"
>>>>>>> parameters to Mate/Cinnamon.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> However, I do not know if a solution exists that will be so
>>>>>>> convenient
>>>>>>> that it asks your for a password when you log in.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> That also doesn't exist for mounting crypt shares.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Not really. Not very well. If I put something in crypttab, SystemD
>>>>>>> will bug me with its unlocking, even it is set to noauto and nofail.
>>>>>>> SystemD is not a very good beast.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> So I cannot put those shares (or cryptdevices) in fstab or crypttab
>>>>>>> the way I want to.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> And then the mounting feature from Cinnamon also won't work. Anyway.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> And if
>>>>>>>> so, how to set it up? Sorry to ask so many questions, I'm just
>>>>>>>> trying to
>>>>>>>> come up with a default samba configuration that will work in most
>>>>>>>> situations without configuration needed, if that's possible. I'm a
>>>>>>>> fairly knowledgable linux user but i'm still learning how to
>>>>>>>> develop a
>>>>>>>> linux distribution that's user friendly and does what most users
>>>>>>>> want
>>>>>>>> out of the box. My files are attached, they're both very small.
>>>>>>>> Thanks for any help
>>>>>>> Like I said, I am a little angry with myself for not making it more
>>>>>>> clear in a nice way, that most of the user interface stuff doesn't
>>>>>>> really belong to Samba in that sense ;-).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Regards.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> But you have my sympathy, I am trying to do much of the same thing
>>>>>>> currently with Cinnamon, but just dealing with a system of fixed
>>>>>>> mounts that I want to have the user to have no say about ;-).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Of course, having actual convenience would be much nicer.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Regards.
>>>>>> -- 
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