Is WINBIND really needed?

[BarryDocks]

Might be a bit of a basic question, but do I really need winbind on my server? Server fell over last night and the only thing I can find in the logs is a winbind error. My thought is that is not required but I'm not sure what will happen if I uninstall it?:confused:

Thanks for any help/suggestions.


8.04 server 64-bit edition acting as a file for a MS-Access DB, print and zoneminder server with 6 xp clients via samba.

Samba config:
[global]
netbios name = FileServer
workgroup = WORKGROUP
server string = %v
password level = 8
log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
max log size = 50
socket options = TCP_NODELAY IPTOS_LOWDELAY SO_KEEPALIVE SO_RCVBUF=8192 SO_SNDBUF=8192
dns proxy = No
security = user
encrypt passwords = yes
printcap name = cups
load printers = yes
printing = cups
cups options = raw
local master = yes
preferred master = yes
os level = 65
; hosts allow = 10.1.0.0/255.255.255.0

[printers]
comment = All Printers
path = /var/spool/samba
browseable = no
# to allow user 'guest account' to print.
guest ok = yes
writable = no
printable = yes
create mode = 0700

[print$]
path = /var/lib/samba/printers
browseable = yes
read only = yes
write list = root

# A useful application of samba is to make a PDF-generation service
# To streamline this, install windows postscript drivers (preferably
# colour)on the samba server, so that clients can automatically install
# them.

;[pdf-generator]
; path = /var/tmp
; guest ok = No
; printable = Yes
; comment = PDF Generator (only valid users)
#print command = /usr/share/samba/scripts/print-pdf file path win_path recipient IP &
; print command = /usr/share/samba/scripts/print-pdf %s ~%u \\\\\\\\%L\\\\%u %m %I &

# Case Preservation can be handy - system default is _no_
# NOTE: These can be set on a per share basis
; preserve case = no
; short preserve case = no
# Default case is normally upper case for all DOS files
; default case = lower
# Be very careful with case sensitivity - it can break things!
; case sensitive = no

# a service which has a different directory for each machine that
# connects this allows you to tailor configurations to incoming
# machines. You could also use the %u option to tailor it by user name.
# The %m gets replaced with the machine name that is connecting.
;[pchome]
; comment = PC Directories
; path = /usr/pc/%m
; public = no
; writable = yes

;[homes]
; comment = Home Directories
; read only = No
; browseable = No

[Adrian]
comment = Adrians Files
path = /media/disk/adrian
valid users = adrian, consulting
read only = No
create mask = 0777
force create mode = 0777
directory mask = 0777
force directory mode = 0777

[Music]
path = /media/disk/music
read only = No
guest only = Yes
guest ok = Yes
create mask = 0777
force create mode = 0777
directory mask = 0777
force directory mode = 0777

[CCTV]
path = /media/disk/cctv
read only = No
guest only = Yes
guest ok = Yes
create mask = 0777
force create mode = 0777
directory mask = 0777
force directory mode = 0777

[Staff]
path = /media/disk/staff
valid users = adrian, reception, dispensing, imaging, office, consulting
read only = No
create mask = 0777
force create mode = 0777
directory mask = 0777
force directory mode = 0777

[Focus Data]
comment = Data files for Focus and clinical records
path = /media/disk/focus_data
valid users = adrian, reception, dispensing, imaging, office, consulting
read only = No
create mask = 0777
force create mode = 0777
directory mask = 0777
force directory mode = 0777
kernel oplocks = no
oplocks = false
level2 oplocks = false

[Practice Documents]
comment = Practice documents and files
path = /media/disk/practice_documents
valid users = adrian, reception, dispensing, imaging, office, consulting
read only = No
create mask = 0777
force create mode = 0777
directory mask = 0777
force directory mode = 0777

[HoyaLog]
comment = HoyaLog files
path = /media/disk/hoyalog
valid users = adrian, dispensing, office
read only = No
create mask = 0777
force create mode = 0777
directory mask = 0777
force directory mode = 0777

[Clinical Images]
comment = Clinical image files
path = /media/disk/clinical_images
valid users = adrian, imaging, office, consulting
read only = No
create mask = 0777
force create mode = 0777
directory mask = 0777
force directory mode = 0777
kernel oplocks = no
oplocks = false
level2 oplocks = false

[SAGE]
comment = SAGE accounts files
path = /media/disk/sage
valid users = adrian, office, consulting
read only = No
create mask = 0777
force create mode = 0777
directory mask = 0777
force directory mode = 0777

[Drivers_etc]
comment = Windows drivers & device settings
path = /media/disk/drivers_etc
valid users = adrian, reception, dispensing, imaging, office, consulting
read only = No
create mask = 0777
force create mode = 0777
directory mask = 0777
force directory mode = 0777


daemon log:
Oct 10 09:57:09 fileserver winbindd[5625]: [2009/10/10 09:57:09, 0] nsswitch/winbindd_passdb.c:sid_to_name(130)
Oct 10 09:57:09 fileserver winbindd[5625]: Possible deadlock: Trying to lookup SID S-1-1-0 with passdb backend
Oct 10 09:57:09 fileserver winbindd[5625]: [2009/10/10 09:57:09, 0] nsswitch/winbindd_passdb.c:sid_to_name(130)
Oct 10 09:57:09 fileserver winbindd[5625]: Possible deadlock: Trying to lookup SID S-1-5-2 with passdb backend
Oct 10 09:57:40 fileserver winbindd[6021]: [2009/10/10 09:57:40, 0] nsswitch/idmap.c:idmap_alloc_init(750)
Oct 10 09:57:40 fileserver winbindd[6021]: ERROR: Initialization failed for alloc backend, deferred!
Oct 10 09:57:40 fileserver smbd[7824]: [2009/10/10 09:57:40, 0] auth/auth_util.c:create_builtin_administrators(792)
Oct 10 09:57:40 fileserver smbd[7824]: create_builtin_administrators: Failed to create Administrators
Oct 10 09:57:40 fileserver winbindd[6021]: [2009/10/10 09:57:40, 0] nsswitch/idmap.c:idmap_alloc_init(750)
Oct 10 09:57:40 fileserver winbindd[6021]: ERROR: Initialization failed for alloc backend, deferred!
Oct 10 09:57:40 fileserver smbd[7824]: [2009/10/10 09:57:40, 0] auth/auth_util.c:create_builtin_users(758)
Oct 10 09:57:40 fileserver smbd[7824]: create_builtin_users: Failed to create Users
Oct 10 09:57:40 fileserver winbindd[5625]: [2009/10/10 09:57:40, 0] nsswitch/winbindd_passdb.c:sid_to_name(130)
Oct 10 09:57:40 fileserver winbindd[5625]: Possible deadlock: Trying to lookup SID S-1-1-0 with passdb backend
Oct 10 09:57:40 fileserver winbindd[5625]: [2009/10/10 09:57:40, 0] nsswitch/winbindd_passdb.c:sid_to_name(130)
Oct 10 09:57:40 fileserver winbindd[5625]: Possible deadlock: Trying to lookup SID S-1-5-2 with passdb backend

[swerdna]

I don't see anything in smb.conf that calls for winbind.

OTOH you have "kernel oplocks" calls in [Focus Data] and in [Clinical Images]. Kernel oplocks is a [global] parameter, not a [service] parameter. You should move it.

I like your [global] structure -- just right for a SOHO workgroup, except perhaps for "name resolve order = bcast host lmhosts wins"

[BarryDocks]

I don't see anything in smb.conf that calls for winbind.

OTOH you have "kernel oplocks" calls in [Focus Data] and in [Clinical Images]. Kernel oplocks is a [global] parameter, not a [service] parameter. You should move it.

I like your [global] structure -- just right for a SOHO workgroup, except perhaps for "name resolve order = bcast host lmhosts wins"

Thanks for this, I didn't realise kernal oplocks was a global parameter, it's needed for multi user access to the access db which is in those shares.

So if I uninstall windbind nothing will happen?

Just out of interest what will "name resolve order = bcast host lmhosts wins" do exactly?

Also what is a "SOHO workgroup"? sorry to show my ignorance.

[swerdna]

Thanks for this, I didn't realise kernal oplocks was a global parameter, it's needed for multi user access to the access db which is in those shares.
So put a hash mark (#) at beginning of those two lines and put the call instead in [global] and test if everything still works as per before moving it.
So if I uninstall windbind nothing will happen?Why don't you test first by temporarily turning it off. Start the network and when it settles down and is working nicely, turn winbind off with this command in a terminal window:sudo /etc/init.d/winbind stopThen see if the network keeps running or falls over.

Just out of interest what will "name resolve order = bcast host lmhosts wins" do exactly?This property is an instruction to Samba on how to resolve netbios names to IP addresses. Least effort is for me to quote from here: http://us1.samba.org/samba/docs/man/manpages-3/smb.conf.5.html
This option is used by the programs in the Samba suite to determine what naming services to use and in what order to resolve host names to IP addresses. Its main purpose to is to control how netbios name resolution is performed. The option takes a space separated string of name resolution options.

The options are: "lmhosts", "host", "wins" and "bcast". They cause names to be resolved as follows:

*

lmhosts : Lookup an IP address in the Samba lmhosts file. If the line in lmhosts has no name type attached to the NetBIOS name (see the manpage for lmhosts for details) then any name type matches for lookup.
*

host : Do a standard host name to IP address resolution, using the system /etc/hosts , NIS, or DNS lookups. This method of name resolution is operating system depended for instance on IRIX or Solaris this may be controlled by the /etc/nsswitch.conf file. Note that this method is used only if the NetBIOS name type being queried is the 0x20 (server) name type or 0x1c (domain controllers). The latter case is only useful for active directory domains and results in a DNS query for the SRV RR entry matching _ldap._tcp.domain.
*

wins : Query a name with the IP address listed in the WINSSERVER parameter. If no WINS server has been specified this method will be ignored.
*

bcast : Do a broadcast on each of the known local interfaces listed in the interfaces parameter. This is the least reliable of the name resolution methods as it depends on the target host being on a locally connected subnet.

You are using the default which is:name resolve order = lmhosts host wins bcast So by default the Samba naming daemon will try first your lmhosts file which likely doesn't exist or is empty. Then it will try the file /etc/hosts which won't contain any info on your machine names and IP addresses for the network (unless you hand-coded it in)....and so on. So to cut down on confusion for your server in trying to locate the network machines, you might as well use something meaningful, and the list I wrote down is meaninful in your case, unlike the default. You see, these three lines: local master = yes
preferred master = yes
os level = 65
instruct your Server to assemble a list of machines and their IP addresses for the LAN and to serve those names out to the other machines on the LAN so they can all find each other. But it depends for good working on Broadcast Name Resolution -- and that requires the naming daemon to use "bcast" as it's first port of call when assembling the list of machines on the LAN, instead of what you are using now, which puts "bcast" as the last thing to try.

Also what is a "SOHO workgroup"? sorry to show my ignorance.

Acronym for Small Office or Home Office, meaning anything that doesn't have complex systems like multiple subnets (multiple IP masks) and Domain Controllers, wins servers etc, such as are found in large companies or multi-floored, multi-building, government departments. Maybe ,= 20-30 computers might define a SOHO LAN, sort of.

FFI on small business LANs here: The Samba LAN Primer for Ubuntu (http://ubuntu.swerdna.org/ubulanprimer.html)

[BarryDocks]

I have uninstalled winbind and everything seems ok!

Thankyou for taking the time to answer my queries, very helpful