Samba Shares and Networking

[Guest]

Hi everyone

I'm a bit of a newbie so please be gentle!

I have 2 computers running Kubuntu - with Windows VMs. I also have one laptop. I had made it possible to share various folders via samba shares.

This looks and feels like a messy way of doing it and one that is pretty insecure. Moreover today on my list of accesible compters in the network appeared one whose name i had never heard of.

I couldn't access it so I couldn't get any info on it.

My question is: what is the best way to have a secure home network and should i be worried about this latest problem.

Thanks in advance.

[oshunluvr]

Start by not using Samba at all. Then work on dumping Windows all together.

If you must keep windows, here's my suggestion:

Set up file sharing between the two Kubuntu computers using NFS. Once that's working, then set each of your Windows VM's to share a local folder on the host machine. By sharing a folder locally with each VM and then also sharing the same folder between both Kubuntu install's using NFS - you effectively can copy files from any of the four OS's to any other. No samba required.

Another solution is to use a cloud service like Dropbox, Box or Ubuntu One on all four OS's.

[pieter]

I have only problems with Kubuntu and samba too. I think you answer is not helpful oshunlivr, Kubuntu is also used in mixed production enviroments. It is very important that samba works. The GNU worked on it for years and it should be the easiest and most reliable way to create a network. In fact in Ubuntu Saucy it works 100%, both the server and the client.
I discovered that the installer of Ubuntu and Kubuntu invented a hostname for my computer that is longer than 15 letters. This MUST be reversed. Once the hostname is small enough, samba works perfect on Ubuntu but very unreliable on Kubuntu.
It is impossible for me to make a reliable connection between two computers with samba if one of them has Kubuntu (Saucy) installed.
I tried all kinds of suggestions I found on the Internet but nothing worked. I start thinking that the Dolphin samba management is totally broken.

[oshunluvr]

So it's not helpful to suggest using a more secure and more stable (and easier to set up IMO) file sharing protocol - NFS, rather than SAMBA - the one you describe as broken? ? Clearly, you and I have different meanings for the word "helpful."

I work in a mixed environment everyday both at work and at home. SAMBA and Dolphin work fine for me. SAMBA isn't "totally broken." It's just difficult to setup and use. Since the OP is using Windows strictly in VM's and not on bare metal, there's no reason to use SAMBA at all.

Furthermore, the OP queried for the "best" and "secure" way to do things. My suggestion answers those needs IMO.

[SteveRiley]

I discovered that the installer of Ubuntu and Kubuntu invented a hostname for my computer that is longer than 15 letters. This MUST be reversed.

SMB is a Microsoft file sharing protocol; yes, SMB imposes a 15-character limit on hostnames. DNS hostnames can be up to 63 characters, and fully-qualified domain names up to 253 characters. Why should any Linux distribution impose upon itself a limit that is entirely Microsoft's problem?