[CLUE-Tech] Confused about Samba

[Dave Anselmi]

Matt Gushee wrote:

> Hi, folks--
>
> I am having trouble getting started with Samba. All I want to do right
> now is set up file and printer sharing on my home network.

Hopefully Jed's post will get you going.  There are two issues I can think
of that might be causing you grief.  First, if the samba box wants to
authenticate the other boxes, it needs a way to do that.  There are several
ways that can be done but for you the easiest is probably to allow any local
machines based on IP, as Jed suggested.

Second, your machines need to be able to find each other.  Since you're
using dhcp, and probably not dynamic dns, you're left with WINS.  That's a
type of dns windows can use, and is handled through a "master browser".
This usage predates the world wide web and refers to a machine that keeps
track of all the other machines on the network.  When you open Network
Neighborhood et. al. on a windows box, you're looking at the browse list
which is pulled from the master browser.

Any of your boxes should be able to be the master browser, and if you get
all the machines in the same workgroup/domain, they should all show up in
the browse list.  I have a linux box that runs samba for the sole purpose of
getting it to show up in the browse list of our all windows network.  That
way I can call it by name rather than its dynamic IP.

Probably this is either stuff you don't understand, or already know.  I
recommend "Linux Samba Server Administration" (Craig Hunt Linux Library) by
Roderick W. Smith.  It has an excellent section on what the heck all this
Windows stuff is, and should get you started quickly.  It will definately
make the docs make sense.  May even be able to get it from your local
library if you like to try before you buy.

Dave