Invisible Windows network shares w Mint 18.3

[PJO3]

I've been running Mint (previously Ubuntu) for some years, accessing Windows shares on a Synology NAS using Samba.

I discovered a few days ago that I can no longer browse the "Windows network" folder ; it comes up with a blank screen. I've updated both my Diskstation and my laptop -- currently running Mint 18.3 w Cinnamon -- lately, and I'm not sure at what point things broke or which might be responsible. The shares remain browsable and visible from a Windows 7 PC.

I've read this on using Samba with Mint 19: viewtopic.php?f=42&t=270442. I can confirm that I can access the shares if I connect to them using File/Connect to Server, and bookmark the shares, however, I'm unclear from that page if I should be able to restore the earlier functionality, or how. Adding

client max protocol = NT1

to smb.conf didn't work. Something else is wrong I think. (I had changed the smb min and max versions to 2 and 3 on the NAS and in smb.conf earlier, without result)

smbclient -L ip_of_net_interface -U your_user_name

lists the shares ok, so I don't think there's anything wrong on the NAS. Suggestions?

[altair4]

I read your post a couple of times and it's not clear to me if you are running Mint18 or Mint19.

I had changed the smb min and max versions to 2 and 3 on the NAS and in smb.conf earlier,

Note: SMB1 ( aka NT1 ) and netbios name browsing are linked. Cannot have one without the other. It's not a netbios name resolution issue it's a netbios name discovery issue.

If you disabled SMB1 on the NAS:

** Mint18 will not be able to connect to it - at least not through the file manager - because it's limited to NT1 ( SMB1 ).

** Mint19 will not be able to discover it but it will be able to connect to it because it can use either SMB2 or SMB3.

** Something like the smbtree command can list the shares on a Mint19 system because it is owned by Samba and they changed its behavior to drop down to NT1 to do the scan of the network.

** The file manager uses gvfs which is owned by Gnome to scan the network and that apparently is where the problem is located.

I've read this on using Samba with Mint 19: viewtopic.php?f=42&t=270442. I can confirm that I can access the shares if I connect to them using File/Connect to Server, and bookmark the shares, however, I'm unclear from that page if I should be able to restore the earlier functionality, or how.

It's unclear because it's a paradox. If you set the client max protocol back to NT1 you will be able to browse the network but cannot access anything that disabled SMB1. If you leave it at it's new default ( SMB3 ) it will not be able to browse the network but it can access the server if connected explicitly by name.

[PJO3]

Thanks. I'm using 18.3 (it is in the subject, sorry). Will review this and revert.

Later: OK, paradox understood. Thanks.

I'm down to one Windows machine; beginning to think about just switching to NFS only.

[Gaugamela]

I read your post a couple of times and it's not clear to me if you are running Mint18 or Mint19.

I had changed the smb min and max versions to 2 and 3 on the NAS and in smb.conf earlier,

Note: SMB1 ( aka NT1 ) and netbios name browsing are linked. Cannot have one without the other. It's not a netbios name resolution issue it's a netbios name discovery issue.

If you disabled SMB1 on the NAS:

** Mint18 will not be able to connect to it - at least not through the file manager - because it's limited to NT1 ( SMB1 ).

** Mint19 will not be able to discover it but it will be able to connect to it because it can use either SMB2 or SMB3.

** Something like the smbtree command can list the shares on a Mint19 system because it is owned by Samba and they changed its behavior to drop down to NT1 to do the scan of the network.

** The file manager uses gvfs which is owned by Gnome to scan the network and that apparently is where the problem is located.

I've read this on using Samba with Mint 19: viewtopic.php?f=42&t=270442. I can confirm that I can access the shares if I connect to them using File/Connect to Server, and bookmark the shares, however, I'm unclear from that page if I should be able to restore the earlier functionality, or how.

It's unclear because it's a paradox. If you set the client max protocol back to NT1 you will be able to browse the network but cannot access anything that disabled SMB1. If you leave it at it's new default ( SMB3 ) it will not be able to browse the network but it can access the server if connected explicitly by name.

I changed client max protocol back to NT1, and indeed I can now browse samba shares. But then I can't connect to the servers that I want.
Adding to that the samba Canon printer (iR-Adv C2230i) that I want to use in another samba server is reported as available but when I try to connect to it it gives the following error: Processing - Tree connect failed (NT_STATUS_ACCESS_DENIED).

It's the same username and password in both cases.