[CONFIGURATION] Samba shares will not show on my network

[charles052]

Well, I'm finally back to Kubuntu. I absolutely loved 12.04 but just couldn't adjust to the new plasma desktop or whatever so I moved on. Tried a bunch of different distros and now am back here. I'm going to give this a good try before I give up.

Now, onto my problem, which is a big one- Okay, I've heard about the move from smb1 to smb2 and that it might cause a bit of a headache. I don't believe the problem is my smb.conf files but I could be wrong. Here's the config file:

[global]
workgroup = WORKGROUP
netbios name = Kubuntu
security = user
map to guest = Bad User
dns proxy = no
ntlm auth = ntlmv1-permitted

[media]
comment = Guest access share
path = /media/home/Media
read only = no
browseable = yes
guest ok = yes
force user = home
force group = home

[Shared]
comment = Guest access share
path = /home/home
read only = no
browseable = yes
guest ok = yes

I've ran testparm and all came up good and I've also allowed Samba through the UFW, but the shares still won't show on my windows computer, my android phone, or my Lubuntu HTPC. The only place they'll show up on is if I go through the network folder on this computer I'm trying to share. Router worked fine and allowed the shares before and I've made no changes to it since I ran Lubuntu 16.04 on this one.

Any ideas.

Computer is a Dell Optiplex 9020 with i3 and is practically brand new.

[Snowhog]

Not to suggest that you don't know what you are doing.....

Take a look at https://computingforgeeks.com/instal...debian-ubuntu/ just to ensure that the steps you've taken didn't overlook something.

[charles052]

Don't think so. This config worked before when it was a helluva lot simpler. You should see my last smb.conf file:

[media]
comment = Guest access share
path = /mnt/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
read only = yes
browseable = yes
guest ok = yes

[Shared]
comment = Guest access share
path = /home/home
read only = yes
browseable = yes
guest ok = yes

It worked like a charm. I didn't need to do anything else.

If it's not going to be simple, or at least explained in a way that's easily understood, then I'm not going to do it. I'm no longer a linux guy or computer enthusiast, just a blue collar guy that wants my computer to work for as long as it can.

[MoonRise]

Under [global]

I always add this --> min protocol = NT1

To date I have had no issues.

Also be aware that the new protocols seem to force the ".local" to be added so when browsing and you see a share and try to open it, it will have the .local added to end of PC name which could cause issues. Just remove that portion.

[charles052]

Under [global]

I always add this --> min protocol = NT1

To date I have had no issues.

Also be aware that the new protocols seem to force the ".local" to be added so when browsing and you see a share and try to open it, it will have the .local added to end of PC name which could cause issues. Just remove that portion.

Well, it didn't do any harm but still not working. Still nothing showing anywhere but this computer. I got a bad feeling that I'd have to do all that crap in the link the Snowhog posted in order to get this to work and that's not the configuration that I want.

Might have to install Windows.

[Snowhog]

In [global] try setting min protocol = SMB2

[charles052]

In [global] try setting min protocol = SMB2

Thanks. Tried that too.

I have a feeling the problem is with permissions or users/groups. Somehow, it's either not broadcasting my shares or it's not allowing other computers to see them. I even typed in the address in Dolphin and tried to connect manually. Nothing.

Now, here's something else: this happened with Ubuntu Mate 20.04 as well, so it's not just one distro, I think this problem might be with all new Ubuntu/Linux derivatives. Lubuntu 16.04 worked great, no issues. I think I did have an issue but it was solved by adding sambashare to my usergroup, but I can't find where you can do that in Kubuntu. Might try the command line with that one.

[charles052]

I'm going to try downloading lubuntu 20.04 and Kubuntu 18.04. see if this if this is a new issue or something.

[MoonRise]

The only other thing I do is actually instal Samba proper. Not sure if you have done that or not but that's what I have always done.

[DoYouKubuntu]

@charles052, I don't know if this will help you, but it did for me: install gadmin-samba [via Synaptic or whichever other method you prefer] and then use it. It's a GUI front-end for Samba, and by using it I was able to figure out why I was having the problem I had, and fixed it.

If you've already tried that...never mind!

[charles052]

@charles052, I don't know if this will help you, but it did for me: install gadmin-samba [via Synaptic or whichever other method you prefer] and then use it. It's a GUI front-end for Samba, and by using it I was able to figure out why I was having the problem I had, and fixed it.

If you've already tried that...never mind!

Yeah, I already tried that.

I decided to abandon my efforts and install Windows 10. I don't necessarily like it more than Kubuntu, but I know that Windows works. It's a PITA to set up with a 2tb drive formatted to Ext3 as a storage drive which I need to use for sharing, but the thing is that there's constant progress, I'm not stuck on the same problem for hours on end pulling my hair out. Even given the fact that I had to start with installing and activating Windows 7, which was an Odyssey all in itself.

I'll revisit Kubuntu one of these days. I just like Linux too much to stay away from it, but right now my computer needs and entirely utilitarian so it just needs to work.

Thanks for trying to help guys. I do appreciate it. I'll see you guys again in the future.

[DoYouKubuntu]

Yeah, I already tried that.

I decided to abandon my efforts and install Windows 10. I don't necessarily like it more than Kubuntu, but I know that Windows works. It's a PITA to set up with a 2tb drive formatted to Ext3 as a storage drive which I need to use for sharing, but the thing is that there's constant progress, I'm not stuck on the same problem for hours on end pulling my hair out. Even given the fact that I had to start with installing and activating Windows 7, which was an Odyssey all in itself.

I'll revisit Kubuntu one of these days. I just like Linux too much to stay away from it, but right now my computer needs and entirely utilitarian so it just needs to work.

Sorry to hear that. I have the exact opposite opinion! I cannot imagine using window$, with its ridiculous limitations and everything, but different strokes! For me, Kubuntu just works. Sure, sometimes something needs a little help, but that's definitely not foreign to the window$ world. I've used Kubuntu as my default OS since version 5.04 and just love it. I try other distros from time to time, because it's fun to see what others are doing, but I never leave Kubuntu. I love its endless customization abilities, its speed, its beauty, its UNIX guts, all of it!

Thanks for trying to help guys. I do appreciate it. I'll see you guys again in the future.

I wish we could've done more. I hate to lose someone...especially to window$, but you need to do whatever works best for you. Hope to see you back one day, happily using Kubuntu!

[charles052]

Sorry to hear that. I have the exact opposite opinion! I cannot imagine using window$, with its ridiculous limitations and everything, but different strokes! For me, Kubuntu just works. Sure, sometimes something needs a little help, but that's definitely not foreign to the window$ world. I've used Kubuntu as my default OS since version 5.04 and just love it. I try other distros from time to time, because it's fun to see what others are doing, but I never leave Kubuntu. I love its endless customization abilities, its speed, its beauty, its UNIX guts, all of it!

I wish we could've done more. I hate to lose someone...especially to window$, but you need to do whatever works best for you. Hope to see you back one day, happily using Kubuntu!

I'm not out of the woods yet. I've got the partition manager from the Kubuntu usb moving stuff around right now. Won't be till tomorrow that I'll know if everything's working the way it should. Still have to find a way to share the folders and see if they stream the way they should, otherwise it's right back to Kubuntu or Lubuntu.

Windows is okay. I hate having to update every program individually whereas Kubuntu did it all with either a software manager or simple command. The command line in Windows comes in handy too. I prefer going through it rather than the guis alot. The powershell (as they call it) can actually format drives that Windows Explorer can't. I just copied a ton of files using the xcopy command.

It seems as though MIcrosoft really stepped up their game with 10. One big problem is that you get ads. They don't just pop up right in front of your face, but they're somewhere. During installation, a window pops up asking you about your ad preferences, location and all that stuff. I turned off what I could. I guess you could say the entire OS is adware, Microsoft's just a whole lot more discreet about it.

I am a little sick with worry of some issue popping up while I'm away from home with this new setup. You never know what the heck's going to pop up from nowhere. At least with Kubuntu, I knew it would be fine. I had the dang thing running for years with zero problems. It was perfect! Which is why I liked Kubuntu and Lubuntu for all these years. Few issues, great reliability. It's like owning a Toyota.

As for my actual problem in the OP, I think I know what it might have been. The network adapter kept turning off my connection for some reason, which was weird since it was a wired ethernet. It was terribly unstable. I didn't have that issue with Lubuntu 16.04, but I did with Mate 20.04 and Kubuntu. I wondering if it was a network card issue rather than anything with smb.conf. It was an intel controller and the computer was made by the manufacturer to be compatible with Ubuntu 12.04, so you'd think it'd work fine with no problems.

Now, here's another thing: I didn't install Lubuntu 16.04 on that computer. What happened was I just simply swapped hard drives from my old home computer to my new Dell. No problems with Samba at all. When I installed Windows 7, the driver for the network adapter wasn't there, so I had no internet for a while. I had to put in a wifi usb and install it's driver before I even had internet. Now I can't help but wonder if just using the usb wifi at some point would've solved everything.

That's something to look at later.

Anyways, thanks again!