Howto: Fix Windows share browsing issues

[Paddy Landau]

So, is [winbind] actually needed [or] not?

Well, I have it installed by default on my machine. So, just install it; if it's not used, it'll do nothing, and if it's needed, it's there.

[dmizer]

In respect to the PROBLEM 3 - PART 2

But here http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1873912
bab1 points out that winbind is not needed if what we want is just netbios name resolution.

So, is it actually needed of not?

I think this solution would be fine if you wanted your Ubuntu machine to be reachable (via netbios name resolution) from other machines, but it could help for your Ubuntu machine to reach the other SAMBA servers on the network in some situations, particularly if your SAMBA servers do not include any Windows machines.

This would also be a solution if you had a Windows machine (with a winbind server) always turned on. It would also be a solution if the Windows machine was turned on before the Ubuntu machine.

So, in some situations, you do not need a winbind server but in other situations, you do need a winbind server. Furthermore, if you have a winbind server installed, it doesn't break the network so it doesn't really hurt anything to have it installed. Since this guide is an attempt to cover as many possible Windows networking pitfalls as possible, this guide includes installing and configuring a winbind server.

[fasta6]

Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see anything is this thread about changing "wins support".

sudo gedit /etc/samba/smb.conf

Look for this section:

# Windows Internet Name Serving Support Section:
# WINS Support - Tells the NMBD component of Samba to enable its WINS Server
# wins support = yes

"wins support" is probably set to "no". Change it to what is shown above, save, close, restart samba.

[mgmiller]

Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see anything is this thread about changing "wins support".

sudo gedit /etc/samba/smb.conf

Look for this section:

# Windows Internet Name Serving Support Section:
# WINS Support - Tells the NMBD component of Samba to enable its WINS Server
# wins support = yes

"wins support" is probably set to "no". Change it to what is shown above, save, close, restart samba.

If you have a line starting with a hash mark (#) it won't matter what you change the rest of the line to, it won't execute.

Perhaps you meant to say:
Look for this section:

# Windows Internet Name Serving Support Section:
# WINS Support - Tells the NMBD component of Samba to enable its WINS Server
wins support = yes

"wins support" is probably set to "no". Change it to what is shown above, make sure you remove the "#" at the beginning of the line, save, close, restart samba.

[Paddy Landau]

And yet, my smb.conf does not mention wins support, which is (by default) set to No. Yet mine works.

[teknorah]

These parts fixed my problem: Unable to browse share on Ubuntu 10.04 LTS machine from Linux Mint 12.

Thanks!

Problem 2 - part 1
Open this file for editing with the following command:

gksudo gedit /etc/samba/smb.conf

Scroll down to the section that looks like this:

 #======================= Global Settings =======================

[global]

## Browsing/Identification ###

# Change this to the workgroup/NT-domain name your Samba server will part of
   workgroup = WORKGROUP

Change “WORKGROUP” in “workgroup = WORKGROUP” to match your Windows workgroup.

Problem 2 - part 2
It may also help to add netbios name = computer-name just below "workgroup = WORKGROUP".

Your "computer-name" can be anything, but common convention is to use the name you gave it when you installed Ubuntu (everything after the "@" symbol on the CLI prompt).

For example, here's my CLI prompt:

dmizer@shinkansen:~$

And here's my smb.conf file:

#======================= Global Settings =======================

[global]

## Browsing/Identification ###

# Change this to the workgroup/NT-domain name your Samba server will part of
   workgroup = WORKGROUP
   netbios name = shinkansen

Now, save the file by clicking on "File" > "save", close gedit, and restart samba with the following command (Pre Jaunty):

sudo /etc/init.d/samba restart

If, after running the above command, you see this error (Since Jaunty):

sudo: /etc/init.d/samba: command not found

Use the following command (or reboot) instead:

sudo service smbd restart

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Problem 3:
Ubuntu is unable to reliably browse Windows host names by default. Enabling this ability will also require a conf file edit.

---CAUTION---
If you are using Firestarter, uninstall it before making this edit. Firestarter may prevent the machine from booting after this change is made. Use GUFW instead.
---CAUTION---

Problem 3 - Part 1
Open /etc/nsswitch.conf for editing with the following command:

gksudo gedit /etc/nsswitch.conf

Find the line that looks something like:

hosts:          files mdns4_minimal [NOTFOUND=return] dns mdns4

For this line, order IS important. You’ll need to add the “wins” option before dns, so the line reads like this:

 hosts:          files mdns4_minimal [NOTFOUND=return] wins dns mdns4

Now, save the file by clicking on "File" > "save" and close gedit.

Problem 3 - Part 2
You'll also have to install the winbind daemon in order to resolve hostnames. This is easily done with the following command:

sudo apt-get install winbind

Then, either restart networking or reboot.

[dmizer]

Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see anything is this thread about changing "wins support".

sudo gedit /etc/samba/smb.conf

Look for this section:

# Windows Internet Name Serving Support Section:
# WINS Support - Tells the NMBD component of Samba to enable its WINS Server
# wins support = yes

"wins support" is probably set to "no". Change it to what is shown above, save, close, restart samba.

This is a common mistake. Please refer to man smb.conf where it says:

       wins support (G)

           This boolean controls if the nmbd(8) process in Samba will act as a
           WINS server. You should not set this to yes unless you have a
           multi-subnetted network and you wish a particular nmbd to be your
           WINS server. Note that you should NEVER set this to yes on more
           than one machine in your network.

           Default: wins support = no

In Lunux, the server (allowing other computers to reach yours) and client (allowing your computer to reach others) functions of samba are separate. For the most part, smb.conf handles the server part of samba while Windows browsing is a client function and is handled by mount and cifs, or related network tools included in Nautilus or gigolo (GIO and GVfs).

With the exception of the "workgroup" and "netbios name" options in smb.conf (which aren't even necessary, just helpful), the smb.conf file has no effect on Linux ability to browse Windows networks.

[Paddy Landau]

... In Lunux, the server (allowing other computers to reach yours) and client (allowing your computer to reach others) functions of samba are separate...

... the smb.conf file has no effect on Linux ability to browse Windows networks.

dmizer, your comments are most helpful, and they clarify the situation, thank you.

I am curious, then, because I have one (minor) problem. The Windows and Ubuntu computers can access each other's public folders in read-write-create mode, with one exception: Ubuntu machines cannot create files or folders on Windows public folders. How do I solve that problem? (They are Windows 7 and Ubuntu 11.04, both fully updated.)

[dmizer]

dmizer, your comments are most helpful, and they clarify the situation, thank you.

I am curious, then, because I have one (minor) problem. The Windows and Ubuntu computers can access each other's public folders in read-write-create mode, with one exception: Ubuntu machines cannot create files or folders on Windows public folders. How do I solve that problem? (They are Windows 7 and Ubuntu 11.04, both fully updated.)

Adding your Ubuntu username and password to the Windows computer, and then including it in the allowed users for the public share should fix this problem.

[Paddy Landau]

Adding your Ubuntu username and password to the Windows computer, and then including it in the allowed users for the public share should fix this problem.

Hmm, it's already that way. Never mind, for me it is not worth the effort. I'll wait until 12.04 is here, and if it still doesn't work I'll start a new thread.

Thank you for your time.