[SOLVED] LAN: Mint can browse XP, but XP cannot browse Mint

[thekenyan]

Newbie>>Hi,
Installed Linux and i appreciate the great help Linux users have been through use of forums and tutorials that are all over the internet.
I was able to install and configure samba on mint 10. The challenge is that Mint is able to see the two other XP computers and browse their shared folders but the same is not true about XP being able to browse Mint shared folders. The three computers are on a work-group. On Xp i get an error message concerning permission.
The computers with Xp can print from a printer connected to the Mint Computer, but the reverse does not work. You cannot see network printers connected to XP ( although shared in XP).
Regards,
thekenyan

[altair4]

Please go through the following checklist:
Samba Browsing Problems Checklist: viewtopic.php?f=42&t=88146&start=0

If problems remain post the output of the following commands so we can see how you are set up:

Code: Select all

testparm -s

Code: Select all

net usershare info --long

[thekenyan]

Hi,
I went through the post you had suggested and it didn't work. ....



Load smb config files from /etc/samba/smb.conf
rlimit_max: rlimit_max (1024) below minimum Windows limit (16384)
Processing section "[printers]"
Processing section "[print$]"
Processing section "[Music]"
Processing section "[Centrif Documents]"
Loaded services file OK.
WARNING: You have some share names that are longer than 12 characters.
These may not be accessible to some older clients.
(Eg. Windows9x, WindowsMe, and smbclient prior to Samba 3.0.)
Server role: ROLE_STANDALONE
[global]
workgroup = CENTRIF_LIMITED
server string = %h server (Samba, Ubuntu)
map to guest = Bad User
obey pam restrictions = Yes
pam password change = Yes
passwd program = /usr/bin/passwd %u
passwd chat = *Enter\snew\s*\spassword:* %n\n *Retype\snew\s*\spassword:* %n\n *password\supdated\ssuccessfully* .
username map = /etc/samba/smbusers
unix password sync = Yes
syslog = 0
log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
max log size = 1000
dns proxy = No
usershare allow guests = Yes
panic action = /usr/share/samba/panic-action %d

[printers]
comment = All Printers
path = /var/spool/samba
create mask = 0700
printable = Yes
browseable = No

[print$]
comment = Printer Drivers
path = /var/lib/samba/printers

[Music]
comment = Music
path = /media/E6B07B83B07B594F/Music
read only = No
guest ok = Yes

[Centrif Documents]
comment = Documents
path = /media/E6B07B83B07B594F/moved
guest ok = Yes





And......................


net usershare info --long does not give an output.

Also, the work-group is the same in all the three computers.

Thanks,

[altair4]

I went through the post you had suggested and it didn't work. ....

You may have read it but you didn't implement any of it based on your output of testparm so we'll go though it step by step.

but the same is not true about XP being able to browse Mint shared folders.

** Aside from firewalls check the host name. Run the following command and count the number of characters:

Code: Select all

hostname

If it's 16 characters long or longer fix it by adding to /etc/samba/smb.conf a line under the workgroup line in the [global] section:

Code: Select all

netbios name = something

something must be 15 character or less in length
** You also need to add another line right under the previous one:

Code: Select all

name resolve order = bcast host lmhosts wins

On Xp i get an error message concerning permission

Your shares generically look like this:

[Music]
comment = Music
path = /media/E6B07B83B07B594F/Music
read only = No
guest ok = Yes

E6B07B83B07B594F is the UUID of an NTFS partition and one that is mounting automatically when you either select it in Nautilus or insert it if it's an external usb drive. The problem is that an ntfs partition will mount with owner = your-user-name and permissions of 700 meaning only you can access it and no one else. To fix that add another line to your share definition:

[Music]
comment = Music
path = /media/E6B07B83B07B594F/Music
read only = No
force user = your-user-name
guest ok = Yes

your-user-name is your linux login user name.

Then restart samba:

Code: Select all

sudo service nmbd restart
sudo service smbd restart

[thekenyan]

Hi altair4
worked beautifully... that was brilliant. I realized where i had gone wrong. Had replaced with "name resolve order = lmhosts wins host bcast " with " name resolve order = bcast host lmhosts wins" as opposed to adding the latter under the [Global] section. Also, added "force user = my linux user name".

Worked great, Thanks.