Samba networking problem between Winxp and Mepis 7B4

Hi

I think your samba client does not know how to access anonymous shares without supplying usename and password. to check if this is the problem try to mount shares manually.

When we are talking about microsoft CIFS then we have to remember that this protocol includes both client and server. You have problems to trying to connect as a client to a server.

 mount -t smbfs -o username=[],password=[] //ip_or_netbiosname_of_server/share /mnt/mountpoint 

To find out what shares are available on your server run

smbclient -L yourserverip

You should see your server netbios name and all available shares. Then try to mount it exactly like above leaving username and password empty.

I'm not sure also if your mepis box has to join the workgroup before it can access the shares. That's because i have mostly used samba as a server and windows machines as a clients.

I take it that you have netbeui installed?

How's my posting?

Please call: 1-800-DEV-NULL

I need to ask some questions to make sure I am following your explaination.
1) All of these are run from the mepis pc right?
2) Do these need to be run as root?
3) On command line 1, the ip_or_netbiosname_of_server this is the winxp computer name? In my case this would be //carlos
4) username=[], password=[] I do not need to put anything between the brackets?
5. On command line 2, your serverip is this the ip of winxp pc I want to see files on? ex. smbclient -L 193.168.2.6

Thanks for help with this. I will try this tonight.

Here is the results of wehat I tried.

root@simplymepis32:~# smbclient -L 192.168.2.3
Password:
Domain=[CARLOS] OS=[Windows 5.1] Server=[Windows 2000 LAN Manager]

Sharename Type Comment
--------- ---- -------
HP LaserJet 1012 Printer Black & White
E$ Disk Default share
IPC$ IPC Remote IPC
D$ Disk Default share
print$ Disk Printer Drivers
DOCUMENTS Disk SharedDocs
I$ Disk Default share
Printer3 Printer Foxit PDF Printer
F$ Disk Default share
ADMIN$ Disk Remote Admin
C$ Disk Default share
session request to 192.168.2.3 failed (Called name not present)
session request to 192 failed (Called name not present)
Domain=[CARLOS] OS=[Windows 5.1] Server=[Windows 2000 LAN Manager]

Server Comment
--------- -------

Workgroup Master
--------- -------

<< Here is what happened when I tried the mount command>>>

root@simplymepis32:~# mount -t smbfs -o username=[],password=[] //CARLOS/DOCUMENTS /mnt/mountpoint
Could not resolve mount point /mnt/mountpoint
root@simplymepis32:~#

<<<< here it did not like the mnt/mountpoint part of the command. What am I doing wrong? >>>>>

I hope this helps in explaining what I am seeing. Thanks for taking the time to try to help me. what would be good reference books for me to get for beginers Linix & Samba networking?

MEPIS newbie
Are you referring to netbeui installed on the winxp pc or Mepis pc? I could not find any package for a netbeui for Mepis. Could you explain what you are referring to?

Thanks for any help!

xp doesn't come with netbeui and, I'm positive that vista is the same way. For xp, netbeui had to be installed from resources on the xp install CD.

Where I've had issues with xp machines being seen by Linux-based machines, it has always boiled-down to the lack of netbeui on the xp machines. You can install the protocol from the link I provided (I keep the files available for my convenience) or find the resources on the xp CD (can't remember which directory they're in though).

How's my posting?

Please call: 1-800-DEV-NULL

Hello

Mountpoint has to be some existing folder you can just create it by running "mkdir /mnt/mountpoint".

I recall that netbeui does not have to be installed because microsoft does not use netbeui anymore. Having netbeui installed will slow down connection course computers are trying to use it first. Netbeui is a legacy protocol which does not use tcp/ip. Microsoft CIFS is using tcp/ip instead and has according to my best knowledge nothing to do with netbeui. CIFS is a higher level protocol which is using tcp/ip services to transfer packets over local area network.

crivera907, you asked for a good book and it is OReilly "using samba 3 edition" which covers everything about this topic.

Rainer

This is what my smbclient -L 192.168.2.3 command gave me.

HP LaserJet 1012 Printer Black & White
E$ Disk Default share
IPC$ I PC Remote IPC
D$ Disk Default share
print$ Disk Printer Drivers
DOCUMENTS Disk SharedDocs
I$ Disk Default share
Printer3 Printer Foxit PDF Printer
F$ Disk Default share
ADMIN$ Disk Remote Admin
C$ Disk Default share

I want to get to the SharedDocs folder off of CARLOS (winxp box).
Using your mount command and the info above is
//CARLOS/DOCUMENTS correct?
I am lost as far as the mnt/mountpoint portion, what do I need to do?

I tried using the man mount command to follow your command
and I think the mnt/mountpoint must be done to identify
to linix where to find the device. This is similar to
declaring network dives in winxp. Well, I'm off to the bookstore and see if I can find that Samba book.

Thanks

Just create directory "mkdir /mnt/samba" for example or just mount it on the existing directory somewhere on the filesystem. It's not hardware device node but just a regular directory. Everything else is correct just try to mount it and see if you can access (this mount point /mnt/samba) it from konqueror.

By the way what samba client are you using ?
Have you tried to use konqueror for browsing windows shares ?
What happens if you insert to konqueror address bar

 smb://CARLOS/DOCUMENTS 

IIRC, the fix was, because of the state of Samba, to install netbeui back into xp--which did work. Since I'm not working in an environment that demands anything else, add netbeui has been the solution.

Time may just have passed me by on this one.

Perhaps I should look at updating MY Samba clients.

How's my posting?

Please call: 1-800-DEV-NULL

I did the smb: //CARLOS/DOCUMENTS and get the logon and password prompt.

One of the other replys I got was to have the netbios protocol installed on my winxp pc. I checked all of my winxp computers on my home network today and found one with the netbios proctocol installed. On this pc, I can access the drives without getting a prompt for login or password! Guess I will be loading the netbios protocol on at least one more pc.
On this Pc, I had not had to reinstall the OS winxp pro in over two years.

Thanks for your help with this problem. I will be getting that book you recommended and see if I can get this to work without the netbios installed.

Carlos Rivera

You were right! I checked for one of the PCs in my network and found it had netbios installed. I easily was able to access the mapped drives.

I wonder if I will need the netbios installed on that winxp pc to access the shared printer? Using samba, I get the same prompt for login and password. I'll load netbios and hope it helps with the printer.

Thanks for help!
Carlos
MEPIS newbie