No SMB/Samba support on Windows Home Editions

[L Goodwin]

--- Andrea Venturoli <ml at netfence.it> wrote:
> L Goodwin wrote:
> > I just had a long talk with the ISP's tech
> > support, and was told a number of things that I
> > would like to confirm or deny:
> 
> I don't think you are that clear, but I'll try and
> answer anyway...
> 
> > 1) Windows "Home" editions (including XP and
> Vista)
> > have support for SMB protocol disabled in Active
> > Directory Domain Connections functionality! 
> > Is this true?
> 
> Depends on what you mean.
> You can access Samba share from Win XP Home, but you
> cannot join a domain.
> I guess Vista Home should work the same, but I don't
> really know: there 
> might still compatibility issues in Samba, but we
> are a bit OT here; you 
> should ask on a Samba list.

Good suggestion, I'll do that once I resolve the issue
with DHCP client on FreeBSD vs. DHCP server on the
router (they can't agree on the hostname). I guess I
should just edit /etc/rc.conf and change hostname to
whatever I want, then do the same in the router. I'd
like to know why this happened, though...

> > 2) The only way to make Samba work for Windows
> Home
> > editions is to change the Samba server's domain
> > configuration to "peer-to-peer". 
> > Is this true? If YES, how do I do that?
> > Could not find reference it in the Official
> Samba-3
> > HOW TO and Reference Guide.
> 
> AFAIK there is no such switch in Samba.
> A Samba server can be a PDC, a BDC, a domain member
> or a stand-alone server, but the concept of 
> peer-to-peer is quite out of scope.
> Besides I've succesfully connectectd many WinXP Home
> to a PDC/BDC, so I guess that setting is irrelevant.

I just found the chapter on Domain Control. I'll read
it and see how far that gets me.

> > 3) Other options discussed:
> > 
> > 1) Replace Vista Home with Windows XP Pro (or
> Vista
> > Pro) or exchange computer for one with a "Pro"
> > edition.
> 
> Quite expensive. Might be worth or might be not.
> Either way it's not the solution for you; I fear
> your problems lies 
> somewhere else and you would still get them, unless
> what you are trying 
> to achieve is a central account/password management.
> If that is in fact the case, this is *the only*
> solution.

What I want is for the users not to have to do
anything special to get to their files on the server,
while at the same time, having a reasonable level of
security. 
Don't know enough about Samba configuration options to
know what I am aiming for yet.

> > 2) Repartition the RAID 1 Mirror/Duplex as NTFS
> (or
> > DOS) partitions (and don't use Samba)?
> 
> What has this to do with the rest?

The idea was if Samba won't work for Windows "Home"
editions, use a file system that does not require it.

> > 3) Change FreeBSD server to a Windows server
> (ugh).
> 
> I dub your (ugh).
> Besides this is not gonna help, if what you want is
> a domain. Win Home 
> will still be unable to join it; it's just crippled
> like that.

Good, I'm glad for that. :-)


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