Cannot Access Microsoft Workgroup on Windows 7 PC with SAMBA

[SeijiSensei]

My first reaction is that oldeffoxx may not be a user on my wife's pc. Likely my real name was used on her machine, which is my First M. Last. I could add that as a user on Ubuntu, or go with Administrator, but neither is currently a Ubuntu user or a smbclient.

You don't need a matching user on the client. Just pass the username string like this:

smbclient -U "First M. Last" -L Betty-HP

I avoid usernames with embedded spaces, so I can't guarantee this will work, but give it a try.

If you continue to have authentication problems, I'd rename the account on Windows to oldefoxx for simplicity.

[bab1]

oldefoxx@oldefoxx-Satellite-L355:~$ smbclient -d3 -L Betty-HP
....
E2BIG: convert_string(UTF-8,CP850): srclen=24 destlen=16 - 'OLDEFOXX-SATELLITE-L355'
Connecting to 192.168.1.106 at port 139
samba_tevent: EPOLL_CTL_DEL EBADF for fde[0xb9425a60] mpx_fde[(nil)] fd[7] - disabling
...
session setup failed: NT_STATUS_LOGON_FAILURE
oldefoxx@oldefoxx-Satellite-L355:~$

It helps if you post the output of your commands between [CODE] [/CODE] code blocks. That can be easily done by clicking on the # icon located at the top right of the advanced reply editor.

This is what catches my eve as I go over the above:

tdb(/var/cache/samba/gencache.tdb): tdb_open_ex: could not open file /var/cache/samba/gencache.tdb: Permission denied

tdb(/var/cache/samba/gencache.tdb): tdb_open_ex: could not open file /var/cache/samba/gencache.tdb: Permission denied

samba_tevent: EPOLL_CTL_DEL EBADF for fde[0xb9425a60] mpx_fde[(nil)] fd[7] - disabling

Got challenge flags:
Got NTLMSSP neg_flags=0x628a8215
NTLMSSP: Set final flags:
Got NTLMSSP neg_flags=0x60088215
NTLMSSP Sign/Seal - Initialising with flags:
Got NTLMSSP neg_flags=0x60088215
SPNEGO login failed: Logon failure
session setup failed: NT_STATUS_LOGON_FAILURE

IMO there are only 2 pertinent sections. The one in blue above is caused when you have a computer name (NETBIOS NAME) of more then 15 characters. Ultimately the error noted in red above is the problem at hand.

My first reaction is that oldeffoxx may not be a user on my wife's pc. Likely my real name was used on her machine, which is my
First M. Last. I could add that as a user on Ubuntu, or go with Administrator, but neither is currently a Ubuntu user or a smbclient.

You can map those names if you don't want to change thats what the /etc/samba/smbusers file is for. The format is

<Linux user> = <Windows user>

Thank you for joining the discussion, Bab1. I've long known and appreciated the fact that under the right circumstance, the more active minds involved, the more certainty of eventual success.

Hmmm, I find multiple opinions bothersome. I'd be looking to diagnose the problem from facts.

[oldefoxx]

The Ubuntu Software Center tells me that Nautilus can be removed, but it does not show up in Dash. What comes up is Nautilus-Action Configuration Tool. Launching that shows all choices greyed out. Typing nautilusin the terminal pops up a ~/<userid> view and goes right back to the terminal.. Typing gksudo nautilus brings up another view of Home which only shows the Desktop. If I select Network/Browse Network returns an error that This Location could not be displayed. Sorry, could not display all the contents of "network:///". Operation not supported.

Whatever Nautilus is meant to be, it does not equate to the way it responds on my current setup of Ubuntu. Nothing suggested thus far has done much to stear me towards a solution. Any solution. So what's the answer to my situation? More in depth help is needed.
But all efforts thus far are appreciated.

[coldraven]

Running Ubuntu 14.04 on laptop,

The Ubuntu Software Center tells me that Nautilus can be removed, but it does not show up in Dash

If you are running the default Ubuntu 14.04 then Nautilus is the file manager that opens when you click the second icon from the top in the launcher. If you hover over the icon it says "Files". If you have somehow deleted it,run this to restore the launcher icons.

unity --reset-icons

[oldefoxx]

My wife and I are both challenged physically, I can't stand and walk without a walker, she has lung and heart issues, so I am restricted as to when she feels capable of fetching my narrow walker, and she then helping me to her crafts room where her pc is. Sometimes we go days or weeks between periods when she is up to it. We are in a bad episode period right now. Just trying to explain why I can't immediately rush to her pc to check things out there. What I can do from my laptop I am up to trying daily.

Now I have something else to relate.

Trying some examples of how to do certain things, I have at last gotten Connect to Server to return a dialog box which says this:

Password required for betty-hp

Username oldefoxx

Domain WORKGROUP

Password ____________

[x] Forget password immediately
[ ] Remember password until logout
[ ] Remember forever

Cancel Connect

I've tried using my oldefoxx name and password, First M. Last name and password, and Administrator with Windows7 passwprd. None of these work. What should I be loking for now?

Oh, as to what I tried that seemed to halp, I tried using a cat command to copy my passwprd file over my samba passord file. I just did a copy and paste of the provided example.

[oldefoxx]

I found where I can access the smbusers file. getting to it with sudo gedit, I find only the followinf in it:

# Unix_name = SMB_Name1 SMB_Name2 ...
root = Administrator
nobody = guest smbguest pcguest

[oldefoxx]

Okay! Finally made some progress. You know, my posts and yours have gone over to page 2, and I was still going to page 1, so I fell behind recent activity. Now I am a bit caught up. That info about my Ubuntu host name being too long made me look at how to change the name permanently, and I changed it in the /etc/hostname and the /etc/hosts files and did a reboot. Now I see my pc, my wife's pc, and the SmartWiFi, as well as the Windows Workgroup folder.

But when I click on my wife's pc, I get this error response:

Unable to access location

Failed to retrieve share list from server. No route to host.

So what have I got to do to fix this? While I await a possible reply, I will conduct my own search. I mean I have to try to so some things for myself, right?

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Dang! Trying to fix this problem, I made a small change I am back where nothing shows up under Network except a Windows Network folder, and it show nothing under it either. Loots like my wife is resting on the couch, so she probably turned off her pc.

When she gets up, I guess I will ask her to leave it on during the whole of the day until I get this resolved.

[oldefoxx]

I am looking at a tutorial on sharing a workgroup printer, and this is part of what I read:

Step 3: Configure Ubuntu to Access the Printer

From your main panel, go to 'System -> Administration -> Printing' to open the printer configuration manager.

Problem is, I don't have the option of Printing appearing there. In fact, I don't know where it is under 14.04. Can someone help with this?

[bab1]

I am looking at a tutorial on sharing a workgroup printer, and this is part of what I read:

Step 3: Configure Ubuntu to Access the Printer

From your main panel, go to 'System -> Administration -> Printing' to open the printer configuration manager.

Problem is, I don't have the option of Printing appearing there. In fact, I don't know where it is under 14.04. Can someone help with this?

This question is OT (off topic); not relevant to the original problem. It deserves its own thread. I think your should concentrate on the original problem as it may help you with this problem.

Never the less; you can look at System Settings>>Printers>>Add>>Network Printer. On the other hand (again), if the instructions are incorrect, how will you ever know when you drive off into the weeds?

[oldefoxx]

Years ago I rejected the move to XP and beyond, and went with Ubuntu instead. But I still wanted Windows 2000 as an option, so I also adopted Virtuallbox and installed Win2K as a client. Been a rewarding experience. However, other members of the hamily moved on to Windows 7/ This includes my wife. She paid the Geek Squad at Best Buy to clean up my brother-in-laws pc for her use after he died. She remembers the fact that I did not reach out and clean the pc for her, so now she rulws that I can't have hands on her pc with this shared workgroup issue. Fair enough. That limits my entitled access to remote and only while she is using it herself. In between times, her pc shuts down and there is no remote access to it.

You may think I should talk her out od her position, but she a wonder to live with, and entitled to hold with her preferences/