Samba connection fails

[L Goodwin]

Gee, it works a lot better once I add server name to /etc/hosts! 8-D

Derek Ragona <derek at computinginnovations.com> wrote:   At 03:38 PM 4/24/2007, L Goodwin wrote:
 I installed the samba-3.0.23c_2,1 package on a server destined for a small office network running Windows clients. Have not yet configured the network settings.
 Am trying to test the Samba configuration "offline" before connecting it to the network (router connected to cable modem, clients connected to router via Cat-5e Ethernet).

 Issues/Questions (see Samba configuration details at end of email):
 This is a bit off-topic here.  There are samba lists that will better serve you.

 
 1) "smbclient -L <hostname>" fails with "Connection to SERVER failed".
 Get same error for "smbclient //SERVER/sambavol". What does this mean?

 2) What value to assign "netbios name" in smb.conf?
 The netbios name is the server's name your client pc's will see for those shares.  It will be case insensitive and needs to be a unique name for the LAN.

 
 3) What degree of network configuration is necessary for "smbclient -L <hostname>" to work?
 You need a proper IP stack running that will hit the gateway for your LAN.

 
 4) How to verify that Samba3 package was installed successfully (other than lack of warnings/errors during install)?
 Use a client computer and test the connection.  There are utilities to help, but they don't always completely test a windows client connecting.

 
 SAMBA CONFIGURATION DETAILS:

 1) Create smb.conf file in /usr/local/etc:

 [global]
 workgroup = office
 netbios name = tbd (is this required, and how/where to get/set it?)
 It is the server name you will use on your LAN.  Make it up.

 security = share

 [sambavol]
 path = /sambavol
 browseable = yes
 writeable = yes
 printable = no

 2) Add entry to start samba in /etc/rc.conf:
     samba_enable="YES"

 3) Start Samba:
     /usr/local/etc/rc.d/samba start
 (to stop samba: /usr/local/etc/rc.d/samba.sh stop)
 Or it will start on boot-up.

 
 Note: Need to keep the file server synced with Internet standard time (see NTPD(8) man page).

 Tests:
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1) Verify that smb.conf file is in the right directory (gets read):
     which smbd    # Get location of smbd
     (output: usr/local/sbin/smbd)
     cd /usr/local/sbin    # cd to the directory containing smbd!
     smbd -b | grep smb.conf    # Get location of smb.conf (verify path is correct)
     (output: CONFIGFILE: /usr/local/sbin/smb.conf)
 RESULT: OK

 2) Test Samba configuration file:
     cd /usr/local/etc
     testparm smb.conf
 RESULT: OK

 3) List shares available on server: 
     smbclient -L <hostname>
 RESULT: FAIL ("Connection to SERVER failed")

 Additional Samba Configuration Steps:
 1) Uncommented the following lines in /etc/inetd.conf and rebooted:
     #netbios-ssn    stream    tcp    nowait    root    /usr/local/sbin/smbd    smbd
     #netbios-ns    dgram    udp    wait    root    /usr/local/sbin/nmbd    nmbd
 On reboot, get these boot messages:
 ...
 Removing stale Samba tdb files: ...... done
 Starting nmbd.
 Starting smbd.
 Starting usbd.
 ...
 RESULT: Still getting "Connection to SERVER failed".
 Depends on how you are trying to do your authentication.  Check your smb.conf.  If you are going to authenticat against an existing windows domain or active directory you need to compile windbind in your samba.

         -Derek
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