Windows and Ubuntu network - need password

[archie456]

Hi,

I have a Windows 7 network at home and one Ubuntu machine which holds my network shares.

When I access the Ubuntu machine from a Win 7 machine I get "Enter Network Password" - if I enter a password from te Ubuntu machine I can access the shares fine.

But I don't want a password, I want to be able to browse straight in - is there any way I can 'turn off' the password feature.

I edited smb.conf and changed:
guest ok = yes
guest account = an account on the Ubuntu box

but that hasn't changed anything.

Any ideas??

Cheers.

[BBQdave]

But I don't want a password, I want to be able to browse straight in - is there any way I can 'turn off' the password feature.

Perhaps I misunderstand... but that is part of security, whether it is samba, vsftp, or any data server - to protect a user, there is a password. Hence a password to access the data in your user account.

Generally, guest accounts are read only, and you can download files. If there was open access - no password, you can imagine what might be uploaded by any guest user

[archie456]

Agreed, but the other accounts are accessed by my wife only and (generally) I trust her.

Also, by Media Center PC tends to forget the password every so often and then it requires be to enter it again.

The passwords are just an annoyance.

If I could get the Win 7 computers to remember the password and never ask again, I'd be happy with that, but it remembers for a while and then prompts again.

[luvshines]

What's the output of 'testparm -s' command on Ubuntu ?

Also thinking, as a workaround till this is solved, you may hook a single line script in windows startup to map network drive using hard coded username/password

[archie456]

I'm new to Ubuntu, so I don't know what testparm does, but it returns this:

Load smb config files from /etc/samba/smb.conf
rlimit_max: increasing rlimit_max (1024) to minimum Windows limit (16384)
Processing section "[printers]"
Processing section "[print$]"
Processing section "[FileStorage]"
Loaded services file OK.
Server role: ROLE_STANDALONE
[global]
	workgroup = PARTRIDGE
	server string = %h server (Samba, Ubuntu)
	map to guest = Bad User
	obey pam restrictions = Yes
	guest account = kevin
	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
	name resolve order = lmhosts wins bcast host
	dns proxy = No
	usershare allow guests = Yes
	panic action = /usr/share/samba/panic-action %d
	idmap config * : backend = tdb
	guest ok = Yes

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

[print$]
	comment = Printer Drivers
	path = /var/lib/samba/printers
	valid users = kevin
	read only = No

[FileStorage]
	path = /media/kevin/FileStorage
	read only = No

Is there anything of use?

(Regarding the script to map the drives with a coded password - thats a good idea - If I cannot get free access into the network I'll do that).

Cheers.

[audiomick]

I'm new to Ubuntu, so I don't know what testparm does,

You can always use man to find out what a command and it's options do.

In the terminal

man man

to find out what man is.

man testparm

for the case in point.

Generally

man <command name>

[coldcritter64]

OP, how I read your earlier posts is the password box is in Windows, not Ubuntu. If that is the case, have you looked into permanently mounting the shares in Windows as a network drive available in "My Compuer" (using older Win system term)? The Windows system should then permanently store your credentials and allow more "easy" access to the Ubuntu shares. I'm reading your OP as a Windows issue. Cheers.

Edit: if there is an issue from Ubuntu with the password requirements, credentials can also be stored to access smb password protected shares (using gnome-keyring). Rather than turning off passwords and their associated security protection OP, research storing credentials in Windows and Ubuntu for "easy & safe" access. It can be done

[luvshines]

[global]
...
guest ok = Yes

[FileStorage]
path = /media/kevin/FileStorage
read only = No

Your share is FileStorage, right ?

Try moving the 'guest ok' from [global] section to the [FileStorage] section since 'guest ok' is a share specific option.
Then restart smbd service and give it a shot.

To check if a share is accessible with guest account can be tested from Ubuntu terminal itself.
Use following command from terminal

smbclient //<server-ip>/<share-name> -U%

BTW, testparm -s will simply pick up the relevant config parameters defined in your /etc/samba/smb.conf file and display them. You can always choose to filter out any personal details it might display before posting them here

[archie456]

Audiomick - Thanks for the info on the MAN command - that will save me a lot of time!

Coldcritter64 - Yes thats my plan B, the problem I had was that my Media Centre box kept forgetting the remembered password every so oftern, but as someone above mentioned, the answer would be to add the password to the script which maps the drive.

Luvsshines - Reading the smb.conf file, the [FileStorage] section does have guest ok = yes, but looking at the output of testparm it doesn't seem to be reading it...

[luvshines]

Luvsshines - Reading the smb.conf file, the [FileStorage] section does have guest ok = yes, but looking at the output of testparm it doesn't seem to be reading it...

Oh ok !!
Did you try the guest access to the share from terminal ?

Also, can you check the permission for the path starting from /media

ls -ld /media
ls -ld /media/kevin
ls -ld /media/kevin/FileStorage