Simple newbie explination to samba and xp setup

[PranksterO]

First of all I would like to point out that I am a newbie and I am not very good with linux. Ok now that everyone knows that I can get on to my problem. What I want to do is setup filesharing on my XP machine and my Linux RedHat 7.3 laptop. I am running the network off of a linksys calbe router w/4 port switch. The samba version ( the one that came with the redhat distribuition ) 2.2.3a-6. I have setup linux exactly how this tutorial (http://samba.netfirms.com/index.htm) says to. My config file is setup the same way. My problem is that I can see the linux computer in the XP's network neighborhood but I cannot access it. Every time I do a message says that I do not have access to this network resource. I have read dozens of threads, man pages, tutorials on the net, etc etc... but I cant find a solution to a problem that I know can be solved. Can someone please help me out with this that has actually done it? Thanks a lot!

[C-Wad]

are you trying to access files on your linux laptop from your windows machine, or access files on your windows machine from your linux laptop?

post your smb.conf file.

check to make sure the correct users are already created (with 7.3 i had to go in and make the smbuser account).

[michaelk]

You need to add a smbuser as c-wad suggested. Also RH installs the firewall by default. You might have to disable it.

[chi_chen]

I recently got my Samba to work by following the instructions provided by Red Hat Linux Bible authored by Christopher Negus. The instruction in the book is mostly correct, except that you don't need to use NetBEUI, just TCP/IP.

You also need to turn off ipchains and iptables from your System->Service Configurator. This is the firewall mentioned by michaelk. Once I turn off the firewall rules, I was able to see the Linux box and share printers.

BTW, the Red Hat Bible also provides instructions on setting up samba user and password.

[PranksterO]

I am trying to access the linux machine from my windows desktop. I can see the computer but I cannot access it. My config file is as followed:

#Global parameters
[global]
workgroup = WORKGROUP
netbios name = linux
encrypt passwords = yes

[homes[
read only = no
browseable = no

[music]
path = /home/mp3
public = yes
write list = mw

[everyone]
path = /home/everyone
read only = no

Also, how do I add a smbuser???

[Gerald Cox]

You must perform several tasks as root from the terminal console.

1. Make sure that you have a Linux account on the server.
2. Make sure that you have read, write, & execute priveleges to the directory to be shared.
3. populate the smbpasswd file by entering the following at the terminal:

smbpasswd -a <smbuser or Linux user>

You will then be prompted to enter a password. Enter the password & be sure to pay attention to capitalization & spacing as these must be exact.

4. Restart smb & nmb to make changes take affect.
5. Once the initial entry is made into the smbpasswd file, smbusers & smbpasswds can be synchronized with Linux accounts by setting it up using SWAT.

I hope that this helps.

Jerry

[recursive_green]

okay. . .I already went through my smb.conf

now I know I need to run "smbpasswd -a foo"

but, in the previous post, it was mentioned: "smbpasswd -a <smbuser or Linux user>"

now, I edited my smbusers file to accomdate the linux usernames to the windows usernames because they ARE different. . .

my question is this: if I run smbpasswd and add a user using the linux username, will it automatically store/use that password for the cooresponding windows username(s) mentioned in the smbusers file?

hope this is understandable, any help would be appreciated. . .thanks!

-Josh

[PranksterO]

Ok I got it to work! What I had to do was shutdown the firewall in Linux in order to access its shares from the xp computer. Just one other thing. How do I get samba to load at startup. What I have to do now is type /etc/rc.d/init.d/smb restart ever time i want to share. Is there a way around this?

[Hena]

Since your using RH, you might to check out chkconfig "man chkconfig". The easier version is "ntsysv", which controls your current runlevel.

[chi_chen]

If you like GUI, you can use RH's Service Configurator via System->Service Configurator menu. It allows you to enable services at boot time.