First steps in Ubuntu and a problem...

Hi all,

Today I've decided to get started with Ubuntu. I've installed it next to my current WinXP setup and partitioned the drive manually. This all went rather smooth.

Now I'm fiddling around a bit in this OS. I've found the network icon and to my surprise my Windows laptop connected to the same LAN was found immediately. (I guess Samba is installed by default in Ubuntu?) The correct workgroup was also found. I can see the shared maps, but when I click on one of the maps, a window pops up asking me for my login name, workgroup (which is wrong 'cause it uses the standard workgoup name and not the current one - but that's easily corrected) and password. No matter what I fill in here, I don't get access to the map. Not even if I fill in 'Administrator' and my admin password. I always get the error message 'The map contents could not be displayed. - You don't have the necessary rights to view this map'

Anybody got any idea what I'm doing wrong here?

Maybe try the Windows laptop's name as the workgroup/domain?

Yup, that's very likely the thing.

In windows, "Domain" means "...the security database that hosts your user name and password."

In the case of machines joined to a corporate domain, the domain, user name and password are the corporate ones, i.e., MYCOMPANY\TFabris.

In the case of machines that have not ever joined to a corporate domain, the domain, user name and password are the local computer ones, i.e., COMPUTERNAME\TFabris.

The workgroup is not related to domains or security in any way, so the workgroup should not be included in the user name or domain fields at all. Workgroups only sort things into groups for browsing a group of computers.

Tried that, but it doesn't work. I keep getting the error. The stupid part is that, after trying and entering the data once (and receiving the error), I can't try again. Then I receive the error immediately, not giving me the chance to simply try a different option. I need to log out and back again again before I can try again.

I also tried to install Samba via Synaptic (I guess it wasn't installed after all?), and since that the correct workgroup is shown, but it doesn't make any difference in connecting to the windows share.

OK, this may be one cause for the problem.
When I had installed Windows Home Server and the WHS connector utility, I had noticed that my shares menu under XP had changed. All of a sudden, there was a menu added to it in which I could set permissions on a user level. (usually I chose 'everyone'). Since a couple of weeks I have uninstalled the WHS connector software and installed XP SP3. I see I now have the 'old' Windows XP shares menu again, without the possibility of selecting permissions on a user level. (I know it used to be a separate tab)

Is this permissions tab something that needs to be activated separately in XP? If so, how?

My guess is this is the reason why Ubuntu refuses to connect to the share. It hasn't got the rights to, and for me, without that permissions tab, it's impossible to set them.

Anybody know how I can get that permissions tab back? I'm using XP Pro SP3.

I believe that setting is the difference between normal file sharing and something called "Simple File Sharing".

Also, you might need to fiddle with permissions for the individual files and folders that you're sharing.

In any case, first, check from another windows computer to make sure you can access the shares before worrying about Ubuntu. If another Windows box can't reach it, then neither can Ubuntu.

I don't think you need Samba just to connect to some SMB shares.

I rarely use the GUI to connect. Try manually mounting it instead.

For example, say I'm logged in as andy.marriott on a domain called WINDOWSDOMAIN and I usually connect to a share in windows like //somecomputer/some_share from Run in the start menu. I would connect to it on a random linux box using the following.



If you're not using domains then substitute the WINDOWSDOMAIN bit with whatever your workgroup is. If you know the name of the one of the local users on the machine providing the share then you could use that info instead, just replace the WINDOWSDOMAIN bit with the name of the machine instead.

I do quite a bit of connecting to Windows shares using domain authentication from linux and osx boxes and it does work pretty well.

Picking a nit: In the example you cited, with the WINDOWSDOMAIN being part of the username in that format (WINDOWSDOMAIN\Username) then that's never the name of the workgroup, it's always either the name of the domain or the name of the local computer you're logging into.

I stand corrected, said the man in the orthopaedic shoes.

At work it's either local machine or domain, so I don't have a tonne of experience at workgroup level.

Surely you need two backslashes there. (Not Windows-double-backslash-ness; one to escape the other from the shell.)

"smbfs" is no longer called that. It's now called cifs. I'm not sure where Ubuntu is in that but if it says smbfs is unknown use cifs. Fedora 8 is like this for example.

Also you don't need samba as mentioned to connect to shares. You probably do need "samba-client" though.

Sorry, typo.

The machine I have to hand is running Dapper on a 2.6.15 kernel and smbfs is accepted without any quibbles.

EDIT: It appears that 8.04 JEOS on 2.6.22 accepts that as well.

Yes, after reading through that article, I'm sure that is what I'm experiencing. WHS will have disabled the simple file sharing option after install. Once I removed the WHS connector software again, everything went back to what it was.

I can connect to the share via other windows PC's, that's not a problem.

I also read that, if the PC is part of a workgroup, simple file sharing is enabled by default. It's disabled if it logs onto a domain.

I also found this quote very interesting:

"When Simple File Sharing is turned on, if you configure specific user ACEs, remote users are not affected when Simple File Sharing is turned on because all remote users authenticate as Guest when Simple File Sharing is turned on".

Doesn't this mean this should 'just work'? (it does with another Windows PC anyway - I'm guessing Linux is different en needs regular permissions, not a guest account?)

I'll also try Andy's suggestion when I get home in a few hours.

I hope this'll fix it. Not sure why this doesn't work. This is still the reason why most people are afraid to get started with Linux I guess: when relatively simple things like this turn into problems. I've made up my mind now: I really want to understand more about Linux and will push through this time, but I can understand other just giving up. I've worked in DOS for years, so I understand command lines. But I have to admit: the Linux prompt is a whole different ballgame, looking quite daunting with all those switches and options. But I guess it's just different than what I'm used to and it'll grow on me.

Thanks! I'll try it this afternoon when I get home!

I find that a particularly strange point of view.

-ml

Heh.. I can imagine, this coming from someone who wrote some nice chapters in the book they call Linux.

Just had to teach a two day course on Unix. Most of the class have only ever worked with windows (if any experience at all)

The frustration in trying to help them understand logaical ways to do things, and not just trusting a crazed GUI to do the right thing. Gahhhh!

Oh yeah. By default, the account "GUEST" is disabled, so anyone trying to authenticate as guest doesn't get in...

Simple File Sharing is more correctly known as Broken File Sharing...