windows workgroup via SAMBA??

jon · 2003-02-19 18:23:18

how can a access windows shares via my archlinux laptop? do i need samba in the kernel? as a package? and i think i played around with samba before but couldnt use the "SWAT" config program. do i need SWAT? what if i want to make shares on my linux box that my windows box can acesss. I would like to add my linux box to my windows workgoup. what is the difference between SAMBA in the kernel and SAMBA as a package?

thanks sooo much.
jon

BluPhoenyx · 2003-02-20 00:18:35

There is no simple answer for you but I will try and give some help. I must mention this first though. You should read all the documentation you can, especially regarding Windows security (???) I haven't used Samba itself in quite some time. I don't have much need to share to Windows and from Windows is fairly easy.

The simple answer first. Yes, keep the smb options in the kernel, modules are ok. Yes, install the Samba package. You will need to add the samba daemon to the rc.conf file if (and only if) you plan to share your Linux printer or a path on your filesystem.

The smb options in the kernel are strictly for mounting/accessing filesystems. I have always included these as modules and IIRC, they are required. Of course I could be wrong. By themselves they do nothing else though.

Samba is a suite of programs which allows the sharing of disks and printers both from and to Windows machines. For simple access to shared disks on other systems, all you need to do is have the Samba system installed. You can then use a program called LinNeighborhood to mount/unmount them. This GUI is very easy to use.

Ok, so the GUI doesn't help when you want to use the CLI and this is the beauty of the Samba system. It uses the *nix philosophy of single programs for specific purposes. For example, smbmount to mount a Windows share which you can then access with standard methods. I would use Midnight Commander or ROX-Filer.

As for SWAT, no you don't need to use it. There are also other GUI configuration programs available but I no longer have any URLs handy. Quite honestly, if you understand the Windows networking and shares system, you should have little trouble editing the /etc/samba/smb.conf.default file. Start with only the info you know to be required such as workgroup and pc-name and a simple share. Samba has some options which are the same as other options so you may wind up duplicating things if you start getting too fancy.

To get an idea of what's available, use Midnight Commander to open the Samba package (press enter on the archive) then browse through the directories to learn the names of the programs. You then can either use MC or the man function to read the man pages.

Lots of luck.

apeiro · 2003-02-20 19:18:51

If you want to access Windows shares from a linux box, then you will need both. Install the 'samba' package first, then head to /etc/samba and copy smb.conf.default to smb.conf. Since you're not running a samba server on the linux box (or are you?) the only thing you'll probably want to change is the 'workgroup' setting.

Again, since you're not running a samba server, you don't need to start the daemon or anything (you just need the client utilities). Once samba is installed, you should be able to mount shares from your windows boxen:

# mount -t smbfs //mywinbox/sharename /mnt

You can also view all available shares with the 'smbclient' utility.

[jvinet@saturn jvinet]$ smbclient -L neptune
added interface ip=192.168.0.2 bcast=192.168.0.255 nmask=255.255.255.0
Password: 
Anonymous login successful
Domain=[ZEROFLUX] OS=[Unix] Server=[Samba 2.2.7]

        Sharename      Type      Comment
        ---------      ----      -------
        mp3            Disk      MP3's
        IPC$           IPC       IPC Service (Samba Server)
        ADMIN$         Disk      IPC Service (Samba Server)

        Server               Comment
        ---------            -------
        MARS                 
        NEPTUNE              Samba Server

        Workgroup            Master
        ---------            -------
        ZEROFLUX             NEPTUNE
[jvinet@saturn jvinet]$ su
Password: 
[root@saturn jvinet]# mount -t smbfs //neptune/mp3 /mnt
Password: 
Anonymous login successful
[root@saturn jvinet]#

You can also pass addition options to the mount command if you need to. You may have to use a special username to access certain shares:

# mount -t smbfs -o username=jdoe //windowsbox/sharename /mnt

You get the picture. HTH

BluPhoenyx · 2003-02-22 06:36:42

I sort of mis-stated the smb/kernel options, it is actually SMB over tcp. While it may not make much difference over all, the modules are certainly necessary for systems such as mine where I sometimes need to access a smb mount. For example, the wife's laptop. Anyhow, I can do this with the kernel modules, and smbmount and my favorite text mode file manager, Midnight Commander which makes vieweing the files easier.

jon · 2003-03-03 18:48:47

thank you all... i now have it working.

Arch Linux

#1 2003-02-19 18:23:18

windows workgroup via SAMBA??

#2 2003-02-20 00:18:35

Re: windows workgroup via SAMBA??

#3 2003-02-20 19:18:51

Re: windows workgroup via SAMBA??

#4 2003-02-22 06:36:42

Re: windows workgroup via SAMBA??

#5 2003-03-03 18:48:47

Re: windows workgroup via SAMBA??

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