Thunar won't find smb shares (direct SMB access works, smbtree works)

Utini · 2018-12-07 19:19:55

Hello everyone,

I just finished installing Arch on my new laptop and got most things to work so far. One thing I can't figure out is why Thunar won't see any of the smb shares.
I can see all smb shared with "smbtree -b -N". Also if I access a share directly in Thunar via smb://hostname/share - it will work!
But going to "Browse Network" will show a "Windows Network" but that one is empty.

The following stuff is installed:

samba (service disabled because I don't want to share something... yet...)
smbclient
gvfs
gvfs-smb
cifs-utils
ntfs-3g
thunar
thunar-volman
Avahi (service disabled)
systemd-resolved.service enabled

No firewall installed/configured.
/etc/samba/smb.conf: https://dpaste.de/3kUE

I also tried Nemo, same problem. Absolutely no idea what I am missing.
Can anyone help?

Utini · 2018-12-07 19:27:07

Okay... after 100 google links... the 101th fixed the issue. This should be added to the wiki with a big bold highlight.

I found a "fix" for this: since samba 4.7 the default value of client max protocol changed to "SMB3_11".
I added on /etc/samba/smb.conf this:
client max protocol = NT1
Then restart the computer (looks like restarting smbd and nmbd isn't enough). It seems to work on any file explorer.

romstor · 2018-12-07 19:31:02

I had a long struggle with this issue (semi-gave up, but may be more knowledgeable folks on this forum can guide us). Network browsing doesn't work with Thunar still because it uses old libsmb that only supports 1.0 version of smb protocol (that's what "client max protocol = NT1" does). While that allows for network browsing, some caching features and other optimizations are not available, so browsing around samba folders is really, really slow to the point that I found it to be unusable. I've changed on NAS to support SMB version 2.1 and up. Like you, I can now connect to a Samba drive if I know the path, but I can't just browse the network neighborhood.

May be another file manager can though - the one that has more up-to-date SMB libraries. Since I only need to go to one NAS, I gave up -- but it would be good to hear if there is actually a solution to this in XFCE/Thunar universe.

P.S.: I see you have QHD screen and running XFCE -- are you happy with your HIDPI setup?

Last edited by romstor (2018-12-07 19:33:24)

Utini · 2018-12-07 19:44:38

romstor wrote:

I had a long struggle with this issue (semi-gave up, but may be more knowledgeable folks on this forum can guide us). Network browsing doesn't work with Thunar still because it uses old libsmb that only supports 1.0 version of smb protocol (that's what "client max protocol = NT1" does). While that allows for network browsing, some caching features and other optimizations are not available, so browsing around samba folders is really, really slow to the point that I found it to be unusable. I've changed on NAS to support SMB version 2.1 and up. Like you, I can now connect to a Samba drive if I know the path, but I can't just browse the network neighborhood.
May be another file manager can though - the one that has more up-to-date SMB libraries. Since I only need to go to one NAS, I gave up -- but it would be good to hear if there is actually a solution to this in XFCE/Thunar universe.
P.S.: I see you have QHD screen and running XFCE -- are you happy with your HIDPI setup?

Hmm is there a way to report that to the thunar developers to get the newer smb libaries added?
You are right... SMB transfer is slow as hell now.

My signature shows my old setup. For HIDPI I used GNOME because I didn't like XFCE. But the mainreason for GNOME was due to the touchscreen abilities that GNOME has.
My laptops touchscreen would work a lot better with GNOME than with XFCE

But now I have a FHD laptop again, and I am back to XFCE!

Last edited by Utini (2018-12-07 19:50:06)

romstor · 2018-12-07 21:30:39

Hmm is there a way to report that to the thunar developers to get the newer smb libaries added?

Just spent 20 min on XFCE bugzilla and couldn't find it. I need to dig out the evidence that they actually use an old libsmb before I post it. I think I just found it somewhere on stack overflow.

You are right... SMB transfer is slow as hell now.

Transfer is slower, but what really got me frustrated is that directory listings, especially long ones would sometimes take minutes. It really gets to you if you want to quickly go up and down folders and it is slow. May be it is the version of the drivers on the NAS itself to blame, who knows. As I read more about this, SMB protocols 2.1 and up do a really good job caching multiple stat calls on a lower level, so this is not an issue.

But now I have a FHD laptop again, and I am back to XFCE!

Yeah, fewer and fewer new laptops have low res screens. XFCE development cycle is pretty slow. Right now they are finishing the switch to GTK3, so hopefully after that they'll have the time to get HiDPI where it needs to be. I don't particularly care to have QHD screen - my eyes don't hurt from "seeing pixels" :-), but we are coming to a point where you can't get low res screens at all :-(

Last edited by romstor (2018-12-07 21:32:08)

Utini · 2018-12-07 21:40:27

romstor wrote:

Hmm is there a way to report that to the thunar developers to get the newer smb libaries added?
Just spent 20 min on XFCE bugzilla and couldn't find it. I need to dig out the evidence that they actually use an old libsmb before I post it. I think I just found it somewhere on stack overflow.
You are right... SMB transfer is slow as hell now.
Transfer is slower, but what really got me frustrated is that directory listings, especially long ones would sometimes take minutes. It really gets to you if you want to quickly go up and down folders and it is slow. May be it is the version of the drivers on the NAS itself to blame, who knows. As I read more about this, SMB protocols 2.1 and up do a really good job caching multiple stat calls on a lower level, so this is not an issue.
But now I have a FHD laptop again, and I am back to XFCE!
Yeah, fewer and fewer new laptops have low res screens. XFCE development cycle is pretty slow. Right now they are finishing the switch to GTK3, so hopefully after that they'll have the time to get HiDPI where it needs to be. I don't particularly care to have QHD screen - my eyes don't hurt from "seeing pixels" :-), but we are coming to a point where you can't get low res screens at all :-(

Oh wow, would be awesome if you could report the issue somwhere to XFCE.
A few other things that bug me with XFCE:

ristretto won't correctly display .cr2 images (raw canon file)
"Win+D" minimizes all open windows but then I can't bind "Win" to open the whisker-menu
I miss the feature from GNOME where "win" would give a thumbnail view of all open windows and additionally lets me instantly type e.g. "calc" + press "enter" which would open calculator.
XFCE needs some eye candy polishing.. GNOME looks just so much better. Especially GDM.
Oh and fonts... my god is the font configuration on XFCE bad

Last edited by Utini (2018-12-07 22:24:45)

Slithery · 2018-12-07 22:52:19

Utini wrote:

Okay... after 100 google links... the 101th fixed the issue. This should be added to the wiki with a big bold highlight.
I found a "fix" for this: since samba 4.7 the default value of client max protocol changed to "SMB3_11".
I added on /etc/samba/smb.conf this:
client max protocol = NT1
Then restart the computer (looks like restarting smbd and nmbd isn't enough). It seems to work on any file explorer.

Although this is a fix it's not a good one.

Arch (along with several other distros) switched to only allowing newer SMB protocols for a very good reason, all of the older versions are vunerable.
The proper fix is for you to upgrade your SMB server to something that uses a secure protocol.

romstor · 2018-12-08 02:11:54

Slithery wrote:

The proper fix is for you to upgrade your SMB server to something that uses a secure protocol.

I don't think the issue is with the server. Parts of smb.conf are used by the client as well. Client max protocol just forces smb to connect at 1.0 which is the condition for Thunar to have the Network Neighborhood browsable. In my configuration the connection protocol is 2.1. File transmissions are fast but you can't browse the network. I think the ball is squarely in Thunar's court here.

Utini wrote:

Oh wow, would be awesome if you could report the issue somwhere to XFCE.

I, unfotunately, don't have the "red phone" with direct connection to XFCE developers. Looking a bugzilla -- there is a lot of work that's going on right now and a very sizable backlog to. XFCE does need more developers. I am a die-hard XFCE fan, but I can only support them through donations.

Utini wrote:

XFCE needs some eye candy polishing.. GNOME looks just so much better. Especially GDM.

XFCE is one of the most customizable and skinnable desktop environments out there. Check out the following:

Hang out on those forums for a couple of months -- if you won't find anything you like -- it is not XFCE, it is you :-)

Arch Linux

#1 2018-12-07 19:19:55

Thunar won't find smb shares (direct SMB access works, smbtree works)

#2 2018-12-07 19:27:07

Re: Thunar won't find smb shares (direct SMB access works, smbtree works)

#3 2018-12-07 19:31:02

Re: Thunar won't find smb shares (direct SMB access works, smbtree works)

#4 2018-12-07 19:44:38

Re: Thunar won't find smb shares (direct SMB access works, smbtree works)

#5 2018-12-07 21:30:39

Re: Thunar won't find smb shares (direct SMB access works, smbtree works)

#6 2018-12-07 21:40:27

Re: Thunar won't find smb shares (direct SMB access works, smbtree works)

#7 2018-12-07 22:52:19

Re: Thunar won't find smb shares (direct SMB access works, smbtree works)

#8 2018-12-08 02:11:54

Re: Thunar won't find smb shares (direct SMB access works, smbtree works)

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