Where to get Samba

• Samba for UNIX/Linux
  • At http://www.samba.orgl
  • At http://samba.mirror.ac.uk/samba/samba.html

Compiling and Installing Samba on Linux

• To extract the install file, grab the latest (9th April 2003) tar.gz file from the Samba website and type gzip -d < samba-2.2.8a.tar.gz | tar xvof -

• Go into the samba-2.2.8a/source subdirectory and then do:
  • ./configure
  • make
  • Then as root: make install (this installs into /usr/local/samba)
  • done!

• To have samba start on bootup, put the following in the /etc/rc.d/rc.local file:

  • #--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
    #--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
    
    #Start samba smbd nmbd
    
    echo "Starting samba smbd nmbd deamon - startup in /etc/rc.d/rc.local"
    echo "config file for samba in /usr/local/samba/lib/"
    
    /usr/local/samba/bin/smbd -D
    /usr/local/samba/bin/nmbd -D
    

• Now for the more tricky part of configuration.

Configuring Samba on the internal network

Config files are in /usr/local/samba/lib

The trick is to only have samba working on the internal network card, not the external one. This is done using the bind interfaces only and interfaces directives. Don't forget to add the encrypt passwords = yes or windows won't be able to log in and give cryptic responses.

Samba can be quite neurotic so you may have to stick with it. Much of the pain is due to how Windows PCs will want to talk with it and using or not using password encription.

• SAMBA Documentation including troubleshooting (including Correct passwords being rejected (encryption).): http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~rgm/cirsi/samba/samba.html

• Another reason why Samba can refuse connection is that your local Windows password does not match the password created by smbpasswd. Please check this out, it can save you a world of pain. It does not hurt to do the passwords again just in case

• If encrypt passwords = yes is "not" used.

• SAMBA and Windows 98 : http://www.amherst.edu/~pdchapin/access/win98samba.html

  For security reasons, Windows 98 will normally not allow you to send plain text passwords. It sends only encrypted passwords. However, (the old) Samba servers require plain text passwords, so you cannot connect to Samba servers unless you change a registry entry to enable plain text passwords. To enable plain-text passwords, add the Registry entry EnablePlainTextPassword (reg Dword) 1 in the following Registry location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\Vnetsup

• SAMBA and Windows 98 and Windows NT4 (service pack 3 or later) : http://www.med.nyu.edu/rcr/win98NTsamba.html

  For security reasons, Windows 98/NT4 will normally not allow you to send plain text passwords. It sends only encrypted passwords. However, Samba servers require plain text passwords, so you cannot connect to Samba servers unless you change a registry entry to enable plain text passwords.

  To enable plain-text passwords:

  1. Start->Run.
  2. Type regedit.
  3. Add the DWORD value to the Registry entry EnablePlainTextPassword (reg Dword) 1 in the following Registry location:
  Win98: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\VNETSETUP
  WinNT: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Rdr\Parameters

  NOTE: In the string "EnablePlainTextPassword"there are no spaces and case is important.

Config File

[global]
  workgroup = IMG
  server string = CCP14 BBK Interal Data Server
  hosts allow = 193.61. 
  hosts deny = ALL
  bind interfaces only = True
  interfaces = eth0 193.61.35.93
  encrypt passwords = yes
  domain logons = yes
  username map = /usr/local/samba/lib/users.map
  smb passwd file = /etc/smbpasswd
  local master = no
  domain master = no
  preferred master = no
  os level = 0

[tmp]
   comment = Tmp Iso Image Area
   path = /tmp/isos
   browseable = yes
   public = yes
   guest ok = yes
   read only = yes

[dataarea]
   comment = Blah for Simon Jacques
   path = /web_disc/jacques/dldata
   browseable = yes
   public = yes
   read only = yes
   valid users = blahuser
   invalid users = root bin daemon nobody named sys tty disk mem kmem users

[homes]
   comment = Home Directories
   browseable = no
   read only = no
   valid users = jacques ccp14
   invalid users = root bin daemon nobody named sys tty disk mem kmem

Adding users into Samba

Before doing this, do:

vi /etc/smbpasswd so as to create an empty Samba password file otherwise smbpasswd may not be happy.

As root, use : /usr/local/samba/bin/smbpasswd with the -a option

e.g.,

/usr/local/samba/bin/smbpasswd -a user1

Testing Samba

See if things are working from the UNIX point of view:

/usr/local/samba/bin/smbclient -L mill.cryst.bbk.ac.uk

From a Windows DOS prompt:

net use g: \\mill\tmp

smbclient copying from a user account from another UNIX machine:

smbclient \\\\computername\\username -Uusername

Killing and Restarting Samba

Config files are in /usr/local/samba/lib

killall -9 smbd
killall -9 nmbd

/usr/local/samba/bin/smbd -D -s /usr/local/samba/lib/smb.conf
/usr/local/samba/bin/nmbd -D -s /usr/local/samba/lib/smb.conf

or

killall -9 smbd
killall -9 nmbd

/usr/local/samba/bin/smbd -D 
/usr/local/samba/bin/nmbd -D 

Or create a /usr/local/bin/restartsamba script (don't forget to chmod +x /usr/local/bin/restartsamba)

#! /bin/sh
#
#  Kill and restart Samba
#
echo -n "Shutting down Samba: "
killall -9 smbd
killall -9 nmbd
echo -n "Restarting Samba  "
/usr/local/samba/bin/smbd -D
/usr/local/samba/bin/nmbd -D
echo " done"