Samba shareing files, but read-only. Writeable?

[dpeirce]

I've used Linux for 5 years now but never tried networking and sharing files between the two machines on my LAN. I tried to use the documentation but found I didn't know enough to understand what I read, so I stumbled through it. For the purpose of this question, I'm using Kubuntu 7.10 on both ends of the sharing. Sharing goes through a Linksys WRT54G wireless router. Internet connections are fine to/from both computers.

Using the procedure below, which I wrote up for a friend who is even farther behind the learning curve on this than I am, I got samba/nfs installed and configured, and enabled sharing for ~/public on both computers. I can SEE files on either machine from the other, and can copy them over, but I can't write from one to the other.

Correction: If I write something new from A to B, I could not work on that file from B. So I disabled "writable" to keep from getting confused. See the procedure below.

Is there a way to make the files writable in both directions and useable by both machines?

In faith, Dave
Viva Texas <><

------------- procedure ----------------

At the moment, this yields read-only access.
a. Writable, it writes from A to B but then B can't work with the file. So writable is disenabled in steps 4b and 5a.


1) Install samba and its recommended pkgs, and nfs and its recommended pkgs.
(Optionally install swat).

2) Configure sharing (Kub710: Menu > system settings > sharing.
(Configure both file sharing and local network browsing).
(In file sharing, use simple if *only* stuff in home folder to be shared).
(If the shared folder has symlinks to stuff outside home folder, use advanced).
(Allowed Users is everybody).

3) Decide or create what folder you want to share. (~/public for example).
Put the shared things in this folder, or symlinks to the shared things.

4) Right click in konqueror on ~/public > share
a. Enable share folder in local network
b. Enable share with NFS, public, but not writable <---------
c. Click OK

6) Right click again on ~/public > share
a. Enable share with samba, public, but not writable <--------
b. Click OK
(It only accepts enabling for one [samba or nfs] at a time).

7) Right click *again* on ~/public > share. Make sure all options are still enabled.

8) Check in Menu>system settings>sharing>file sharing:
a. make sure there's a share listed for /home/user/public.
b. make sure both samba and nfs are enabled.

9) Repeat 1-8 for the other machine.

10) Click system menu > remote places > samba shares
a. One of the entries will show the shared folder for the other computer.

[Snowhog]

Re: Samba shareing files, but read-only. Writeable?

Have you checked your /etc/smb.conf file? This post from the Ubuntu Forum may be useful. Simple to follow.

[dpeirce]

Re: Samba shareing files, but read-only. Writeable?

Snowhog, thanks for the response. OK, I looked at Fleixius' post; there's more there that I don't understand than that I do! ^_^ But...

Re the Share Definitions section of /etc/samba/smb.conf:

I'm behind a router so think I'm fairly safe (do you agree?). So I'd really like to give full access in both directions.

1) I don't want the entire home folder to be browseable from the LAN, just the public folder. So, would this be what I need to enter (both machines):

comment = Public Stuff
path = /home/public
public = yes
writable = yes <--- This means I can write in both directions
printable = yes

2) There's not anybody but me, so I don't need to do anything about group parameters? And the operation is pretty simple so I don't need domain logons, user profiles, and etc?

3) Fleixius mentions a nobody account. While I had 'writable' enabled in konq>public>share I noticed the new files I wrote from computer A to B were owned by nobody; I could edit the files from A but not from B. I don't understand what this is for.

4) Do I need a temporary file space?

5: This section is at the bottom of /etc/samba/smb.cong:

[DAVE_PUBLIC]
path = /home/dave/public/
comment = /home/dave/public
guest ok = yes
case sensitive = no
strict locking = no
msdfs proxy = no
inherit permissions = yes

Do I need to make any changes here?

I apologize for the questions, but I don't understand what I'm doing. I got this far with much sweat and don't want to do something stupid. Your help is appreciated.

In faith, Dave
Viva Texas <><

[Snowhog]

Re: Samba shareing files, but read-only. Writeable?

I'd be guessing 'yes' here. As you are only make a single change to the file, you aren't going to be putting anything at risk. And, you still are accessing only the folder specified.

I don't think you need to make any other changes at this point. Just 'do it' and see if the write ability works. You will need to restart the samba server after the change. If you don't know how to do that, then just perform a normal shut-down and reboot.

[Fintan]

Re: Samba shareing files, but read-only. Writeable?

I don't know about using samba for sharing between linux machines bt I do know this line:

msdfs proxy = no

screwed up my lin / win sharing.

There is plenty mor reading here:
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...action=search2

So maybe you want to comment that out and see what happens.

[dpeirce]

Re: Samba shareing files, but read-only. Writeable?

I'll be back with you guys. I had a power failure this morning and somethiing changed. On rebooting my tower, it can see the laptop but the laptop can only see itself. Gotta get back to where I was, and then try the remedies y'all suggested.

Thanks.

In faith, Dave
Viva Texas <><

[Snowhog]

Re: Samba shareing files, but read-only. Writeable?

As a matter of experience, the fewer 'changes' you make it trying to solve a problem, the easier it is to keep track of the results. So, my advise is to do one or the other and see how it affects things. If one doesn't fix the issue, set the change back to what it was, and make the other change. Test and see how it goes. Given that two suggested changes have been made, each with two states possible, you have four possible combinations that can be tested.

[dpeirce]

Re: Samba shareing files, but read-only. Writeable?

Looking at the two /etc/samba/smb.conf files, which had been identical, I discovered that the laptop's smb.conf was now different and it had not saved the previous. The tower's file looked intact so I changed the laptop's to match, and added the two changes referenced above. On reboot, the laptop and tower could see each other but each insisted the public folder in the other didn't exist. I ran through the system settings>sharing configurations several times with no change. Then I tried de-enabling share for the public folder in Konqueror; the name given to the share was different so I changed it back. Konqueror said that share already existed, then crashed.

Now Konq crashes every time I try to access either the share or properties options. I reinstalled Konq but the same. I tried to de-install Konq or Samba... either way, Synaptic says I lose the Kubuntu desktop.

Only thing I can think of is reformat/reinstall K7.10 on both machines.

I'm starting to wish I hadn't tried this. My friend who uses windows is laughing at me. He says, "but networking is SOOOO easy! It just works".

In faith, Dave
Viva Texas <><

[Snowhog]

Re: Samba shareing files, but read-only. Writeable?

Before you go that route, try the following. Open a console shell and type:

sudo apt-get install --reinstall konqueror

--reinstall
Re-Install packages that are already installed and at the newest
version. Configuration Item: APT::Get::ReInstall.

[dpeirce]

Re: Samba shareing files, but read-only. Writeable?

I had already reinstalled konq in synaptic, but it continued crashing. I now did it in terminal "sudo apt-get install --reinstall konqueror", it still crashes instantly on trying either the properties or the share options.

You're right, I'd rather not reinstall K7.10. Is there something else I can try? Thanks.

I need more beer ^_^.

In faith, Dave
Viva Texas <><

[Snowhog]

Re: Samba shareing files, but read-only. Writeable?

I've only used Samba once - quite some time back - and only have one laptop now, so ...

Have you tried shutting the Samba daemon off before you try to use Konqueror to look at the folder?

[dpeirce]

Re: Samba shareing files, but read-only. Writeable?

It didn't work.Konq still crashes instantly on trying to click either the share or properties options.

In faith, Dave
Viva Texas <><

[Snowhog]

Re: Samba shareing files, but read-only. Writeable?

Before I put foot-in-mouth, when you say 'click on either the share or properties option' in Konqueror, do you mean on the folder in question, or any time you try to select these options?

[dpeirce]

Re: Samba shareing files, but read-only. Writeable?

On any folder (I haven't tried clicking on a file). Also, I tried deleting the public folder but that didbn't work. Now if I click on properties or share for any folder, Konq instantly crashes.

In faith, Dave
Viva Texas <><

[dpeirce]

Re: Samba shareing files, but read-only. Writeable?

I just re-created the public folder. It still shows the little red "shared" thingee on its icon. I click it and try either properties or share and Konq crashes. So I deleted it again and clicked on another folder properties or share... it crashed.

In faith, Dave
Viva Texas <><