nmb not running - how to start/diagnose?

[CentaurHauler]

I'm getting back to this and starting a new thread.

According to SWAT, the nmb component of SWAT is not running on 2 of my v7.10 installs. The one that reports it as running has functioning networking, so I believe it.

Anyone have any advice on how to diagnose or start it?

[Snowhog]

Re: nmb not running - how to start/diagnose?

Sometimes Samba may have an ancillary nmb daemon that also needs to be started. The syntax is the same as that for the smb daemon.
[root@bigboy tmp]# service nmb start
[root@bigboy tmp]# service nmb stop
[root@bigboy tmp]# service nmb restart

[CentaurHauler]

Re: nmb not running - how to start/diagnose?

Yeah, I saw a reference to that command on some web page, but this is what I get:

[sudo] password for cmf:
root@VIAC3:~# service nmb start
The program 'service' can be found in the following packages:
* debian-helper-scripts
* sysvconfig
Try: apt-get install <selected package>
-su: service: command not found
root@VIAC3:~#

I'm assuming i'm doing something wrong.

[Snowhog]

Re: nmb not running - how to start/diagnose?

The location from which I got the below post, was Quick HOWTO : Ch10 : Windows, Linux, and Samba A quick find on my system for nmb* discovered that the file in question is acutally nmbd Man nmbd, Description:

DESCRIPTION
    This program is part of the samba(7) suite.

    nmbd is a server that understands and can reply to NetBIOS over IP name
    service requests, like those produced by SMB/CIFS clients such as Win‐
    dows 95/98/ME, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP and LanManager
    clients. It also participates in the browsing protocols which make up
    the Windows "Network Neighborhood" view.

    SMB/CIFS clients, when they start up, may wish to locate an SMB/CIFS
    server. That is, they wish to know what IP number a specified host is
    using.

    Amongst other services, nmbd will listen for such requests, and if its
    own NetBIOS name is specified it will respond with the IP number of the
    host it is running on. Its "own NetBIOS name" is by default the primary
    DNS name of the host it is running on, but this can be overridden by
    the netbios name in smb.conf. Thus nmbd will reply to broadcast queries
    for its own name(s). Additional names for nmbd to respond on can be set
    via parameters in the smb.conf(5) configuration file.

    nmbd can also be used as a WINS (Windows Internet Name Server) server.
    What this basically means is that it will act as a WINS database
    server, creating a database from name registration requests that it
    receives and replying to queries from clients for these names.

    In addition, nmbd can act as a WINS proxy, relaying broadcast queries
    from clients that do not understand how to talk the WINS protocol to a
    WINS server.

[CentaurHauler]

Re: nmb not running - how to start/diagnose?

Yes, you're right, it is nmbd. I had seen that write-up too, and I had tried that command before. However, it appears that what it is objecting to is the "service" command:

[sudo] password for cmf:
root@VIAC3:~# service nmbd start
The program 'service' can be found in the following packages:
* debian-helper-scripts
* sysvconfig
Try: apt-get install <selected package>
-su: service: command not found
root@VIAC3:~#

But then again, I may not be interpreting it properly.

[Snowhog]

Re: nmb not running - how to start/diagnose?

Have you tried it without "service"?

nmbd start

[CentaurHauler]

Re: nmb not running - how to start/diagnose?

Uh, yeah.....that works I don't know if it will run on restart yet.

The other machine where nmbd was not running seems to be fixed now - I removed samba, and deleted most of the files, then re-installed it.

I'm still having a strange browsing problem with those machines, as I cannot access other network machines directly through, say Dolphin, but I can access them using smb4k. I guess I'll work that out eventually.

Anyway, thanks for the help!

[Snowhog]

Re: nmb not running - how to start/diagnose?

You're welcome. When you get everything 'working as you expect/want' it to, please post back with what you ended up doing.