Questions from a Total samba Novice.

[Dimitri Yioulos]

On Friday 09 May 2008 9:49 am, Ivan Voras wrote:
> Martin McCormick wrote:
> > 	I just found out that I will need to copy some files
> > from a FreeBSD system to a Windows shared drive on our network so that
> > Windows users can have access to the files.
> >
> > 	After reading a little documentation and talking to a
> > cowworker, I was under the impression that this would allow
> > windows clients to access files on the FreeBSD system, kind of
> > the reverse of what I wanted. Then I read the man page for the
> > samba suite and it says:
> >
> >        smbclient(1)
> > 	  The smbclient program implements a simple ftp-like client.  This  is
> > 	  useful for accessing SMB shares on other compatible servers (such as
> > 	  Windows NT), and can also be used to allow a UNIX box to print to  a
> > 	  printer  attached  to  any  SMB server (such as a PC running Windows
> > 	  NT).
> >
> > That sounds like I could push a file across when needed and be
> > done with it rather than trying to coordinate the remote users
> > to get the file at some time after I left it in a given
> > directory.
> >
> > 	Is that just wishful thinking or will it work that way
> > when properly configured? I need to be able to tell others in
> > this group what is possible and that one little paragraph seems
> > to say one can copy out from the UNIX box to the shared drive.
>
> Hi,
>
> After reading all this I'm still not certain about what do you want to
> do. If you are trying to just transfer some files from a FreeBSD machine
> to a Windows machine (or in the other direction) once, without much
> configuration, smbclient will let you do that. Run it on the FreeBSD
> machine and connect to a Windows machine.
>
> If you want to make the FreeBSD machine into a server for Windows
> machines (i.e. the files will always be on the FreeBSD machine but
> Windows users can access them, i.e. the FreeBSD machine will share
> files), then you need to configure Samba properly (edit smb.conf).
>
> > 	Any particular gotchas regarding XP which soon will be
> > Vista in this neck of the woods?
>
> No particular problems. Once configured, Samba works without additional
> maintenance.

If you just want to transfer files to the Win box on an ad hoc, periodic 
basis, why not just set up ssh on your FreeBSD box and use WinSCP on the Win 
box?  Simpler than setting up Samba (though we use it very successfully 
here).

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