SAMBA PDC user passwords

[blobaugh]

Ok here's the deal. I have a few Windows98SE computers on my network that are for general usage, and some that are for multiple users. The general usage computers automagically login with a username(lets say grunt1) but there is not passsword. I want to setup a SAMBA PDC server so the users can logon from anywhere and have all their information at hand. So my question is: Is there someway to setup SAMBA to have certain users(grunt1) logon without a password and have access to certain files only.

[cowanrl]

To use null or blank passwords in Samba you need to do 2 things. In the [global] section of smb.conf include the line "null passwords = yes". When you create your Samba users with smbpasswd, use the -n switch. For user grunt1, ececute as root:

smbpasswd -n grunt1

Of course grunt1 will also need a Linux user account created in the normal manner.

You can then assign grunt1 access to files and directories just as you would any other user.

As you can guess, if you set up grunt1 in this manner, it won't be hard for anyone to impersonate grunt 1 on your network and access whatever grunt1 has permissions to.

[Magueta]

You should probably create a group just for those logins as well.

Joe

[blobaugh]

Thanks alot. I didn't actually think that it was possible to have logins with no passwords, but you have opened my eyes. But I was wondering Magueta, could you explain to my why should make a group for users with null passwords? I don't think I understand what your getting at.

Thanks again

[Magueta]

Setting up a group allows them all to access each other's files while limiting their access to regular user's files. For example, if you let them have the same group permissions as users who require passwords, they will have access to files that should be only for members of groups of users with passwords. In effect creating their own group will help limit their access to the system somewhat.

Joe