[Samba] Issues configuring Samba

[Andy Pont]

Hello!

I have been trying (unsuccessfully) to track down an issue with my Samba 
configuration and in the process I have created another issue!

To try and resolve the original issue I upgraded Samba on my Debian 11.3 
server from version 4.13.13 to 4.16.1 using the package available in 
bullseye-backports.  Having done that, the home directories are not 
visible when browsing the server from either Finder on macOS or Windows 
Explorer.  The configuration for [homes] is:

[homes]
         comment = Users Home Directory
         browseable = no
         valid users = %S
         read only = no
         acl allow execute always = true

If I add the user name to the global “preload” option then the home 
directory is visible.  If I change the value of “browseable” option 
under [homes] then I get my home directory shared as “homes”.   The 
smb.conf file, on this server, is one that has evolved from when the 
previous incarnation of the server was originally installed (probably 
back in Debian 8 or 9 days).  Is there some configuration option that 
has changed or needs setting to make home directories visible as they 
were before?

The actual issue I am trying to resolve is slightly bizarre.  When I run 
Eclipse based IDEs under macOS (latest Monteray) to access a workspace 
on a Samba share the IDE will completely lock up either when saving a 
file or when it writes the workspace, etc. on exit.  It won’t 
necessarily do it every file save, sometimes it will work OK for a few 
saves before it locks up.  The same IDEs are fine working with 
workspaces on the local hard drive.

Using the Force Quit option in macOS will close the IDE but doesn’t seem 
to clean everything up properly as the only way to re-open the IDE and 
the workspace on the share is to do a full reboot of macOS.

Any guidance would be much appreciated.

-Andy.