[Samba] Read Only files, Extended Attributes and Microsoft Office Documents

[Paul Littlefield]

Hello Samba gurus,

Hope you can help.

A server that has been fine for years, is now causing a small problem.

Staff cannot open a Microsoft Word or Excel file to re-edit it if someone else has created it.

This WAS possible and was working fine before a recent Ubuntu server update.

The error shown in Word or Excel is 'file compatibility mode - opening as read only'.

To debug this, they created a test folder and saved both a simple text file and a Word document in the folder.

If they go to another computer and edit the text file it works with no problem.

If they go to another computer and edit the Word document, it does not work as before.

Here is the output of 'testparm -s' from Samba version 4.3.11-Ubuntu ...


[global]
	workgroup = SANITISED
	server string = %h server (Samba, Ubuntu)
	server role = standalone server
	map to guest = Bad User
	obey pam restrictions = Yes
	passdb backend = smbpasswd
	pam password change = Yes
	passwd program = /usr/bin/passwd %u
	username map = /etc/samba/username_map.txt
	unix password sync = Yes
	syslog = 0
	log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
	max log size = 1000
	load printers = No
	domain master = No
	dns proxy = No
	usershare allow guests = Yes
	panic action = /usr/share/samba/panic-action %d
	idmap config * : backend = tdb
	printing = bsd

[homes]
	comment = Home Directories
	read only = No
	browseable = No

[shared]
	comment = Shared file space
	path = /home/samba/shared
	force group = users
	group = users
	read only = No
	create mode = 0664
	force create mode = 0664
	directory mode = 0775
	force directory mode = 0775
	inherit permissions = Yes
	guest ok = Yes


Here is the directory listing as seen from the Linux shell ...

drwxrwxr-x   2  jbloggs   users 4.0K 2021-11-10 17:41 Penguin    <-- folder permissions

-rwxrwxr--+  1  jsmith    users  22K 2021-11-10 17:40 Hello hello hello.doc
-rw-rw-r--   1  jbloggs   users   29 2021-11-10 17:39 Test 2.txt


I spotted a + symbol at the end of the Word document and some other files on the server.

Desktops are all on Windows 10 Professional and fully patched.

Is there a connection between the extended attributes and the Microsoft document?

Is there a setting in Microsoft Office I need to change?

Is there a setting on the Samba server I need to change?

As always, thanks for your help in advance.

Regards,

Paully