No SMB/Samba support on Windows Home Editions

[Ted Mittelstaedt]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org
> [mailto:owner-freebsd-questions at freebsd.org]On Behalf Of Derek Ragona
> Sent: Friday, April 27, 2007 2:50 PM
> To: L Goodwin; FreeBSD-questions at freebsd.org
> Subject: Re: No SMB/Samba support on Windows Home Editions
> 
> 
> At 03:49 PM 4/27/2007, L Goodwin wrote:
> >I've been working feverishly to set up a Samba share
> >on FreeBSD 6.2 server to provide file storage for
> >clients running Windows XP Pro and Windows Vista Home
> >Premium.
> >
> >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:
> >
> >1) Windows "Home" editions (including XP and Vista)
> >have support for SMB protocol disabled in Active
> >Directory Domain Connections functionality!
> >Is this true?
> 
> Not exactly.  Home edition CANNOT log into a domain or active 
> directory.  If you need that functionality, upgrade to XP Pro.
> 
> 
> >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.
> 
> I've never done that so am no help.
>

There is a hack for HP home that makes it join a domain.  You can
google for this.  It is a violation of the license agreement, of course.
Not recommended for a business to do this.

The only realistic option here is to run share-level security under
a workgroup style network.  The downside is that there is no centralized
password management.  But, in a smaller network that really doesen't 
matter.
 
> >3) Other options discussed:
> >
> >1) Replace Vista Home with Windows XP Pro (or Vista
> >Pro) or exchange computer for one with a "Pro"
> >edition.
> 
> Vista licenses can be downgraded to XP.  You need to check on which 
> versions can be downgraded to XP Pro.
>

Only the Vista Business versions have downgrade rights to XP Pro.
The Vista Home versions can only downgrade to XP Home.

Additionally, there are no downgrade rights with OEM licenses.
 
> 
> No one I know is jumping to vista until service pack one ships.
> 

One of the Intel VPs during an interview accidentally let it slip
out that Microsoft has scheduled SP1 for Vista for 4th quarter 2007.

Ted