More SAMBA trouble

[nilsA]

Re: More SAMBA trouble

From my point of view, the problem with these "GUI aids" is that they merely attempt to hide the given complexity (which is huge - Samba is a reverse engineering of sorts of a rather obsure M$ protocol ...), thus factually adding even more (read: another layer of) complexity - instead of trying to make things more transparent, thus better understandable.

From a programmer/engineer p.o.v. I can see this; however, from the p.o.v. of someone who discover a CD that just is put into the PC, answers a few simple questions, and then just go for dinner or whatever - and returns to a fully operational PC system - no need for drivers, installing extra programs to get started?

Well, another thing. I did discover why there was no connection yesterday, and ok this morning: We use two wireless routers, and the two PC's yesterday was on different. THere's a firewall built into at least one of them.

Now, the next problem: Security.

It seems I can just access from both sides, no need for passwords. From what was said here yesterday, I guess that's because I have the same accound (nils) on both PCs; even though I am not logged on to the other as "nils".

Does that mean that anyone who discover what my workgroup is called and know one of my accounts that is on all my PC's can get in too? Or do they need to know the passwords?

[Ant2ne]

Re: More SAMBA trouble

Does that mean that anyone who discover what my workgroup is called and know one of my accounts that is on all my PC's can get in too? Or do they need to know the passwords?

That is a good damn question! > My kubuntu PC can wirelessly access both of my Windows PCs. Both have a "Tony" account One has no password, the other (that the kids use) has a very strong password. But samba can get into both, and I don't recall it ever asking for the Windows PS's password.

[Detonate]

Re: More SAMBA trouble

When you "share" a folder in windows, it's shared to everyone with access to the network.
In Linux it's easy to restrict shares to specific users.

[Ant2ne]

Re: More SAMBA trouble

When you "share" a folder in windows, it's shared to everyone with access to the network.
In Linux it's easy to restrict shares to specific users.

but to get access to the network you SHOULD need an authorized User with Password. It seems that samba allows one authorization with just the user name.

[Detonate]

Re: More SAMBA trouble

On my network, to access the shared directories on Kubuntu, you must provide a valid smb user and password. My security level is set to "user". To access the shared folders on the XP boxes, anyone can just click on the folder and it opens. I have not investigated a way to make the XP folders more secure, there probably is a way but I don't know it.

One other thing, is when you do enter the smb user and password in XP to open the shared directory on the Kubuntu machine, you only have to do it once, until one of the machines leaves and rejoins the network, such as in a reboot.

[Detonate]

Re: More SAMBA trouble

Let me add that all of the computers on my home network have no problem accessing the other computers, and all of the printers (three, two attached to an XP machine and one attached to the Kubuntu machine) can be used by anyone on the network. And my smb.conf file is just about as simple as it gets.

[global]
workgroup = HOME
server signing = Auto
printing = cups
printcap name = cups


[Gramps]
case sensitive = no
strict locking = no
guest ok = yes
read only = no
path = /home/gramps

[PRINTERS]
comment = All Printers
path = /var/spool/samba/
printable = yes
guest ok = yes
case sensitive = no
strict locking = no
read only = no

[print$]
comment = Printer Drivers
path = /var/lib/samba/printers

[Ant2ne]

Re: More SAMBA trouble

Detonate, you say that you are prompted for a user name and password when a Win machine tries to access the linux machine. What about the other direction? Where in you smb.conf do you give authentication (and store passwords) for these Windows Machines to access your data.

[Detonate]

Re: More SAMBA trouble

Detonate, you say that you are prompted for a user name and password when a Win machine tries to access the linux machine. What about the other direction? Where in you smb.conf do you give authentication (and store passwords) for these Windows Machines to access your data.

I am never asked for a user name or password when accessing the Windows machines. There is nothing in the smb.conf file pertaining to user names or passwords.

User names and passwords are entered using smbpasswd. If the windows user uses a user name and password that has been entered, they can connect.

[Ant2ne]

Re: More SAMBA trouble

Detonate, you say that you are prompted for a user name and password when a Win machine tries to access the linux machine. What about the other direction? Where in you smb.conf do you give authentication (and store passwords) for these Windows Machines to access your data.

I am never asked for a user name or password when accessing the Windows machines. There is nothing in the smb.conf file pertaining to user names or passwords.

User names and passwords are entered using smbpasswd. If the windows user uses a user name and password that has been entered, they can connect.

EDITED for clarity: (I was babling I think)
I wonder if this lack of real security is due to simple file and folder sharing. Which is the only setting XP home allows, and is the default setting for XP-pro. I don't have another machine in my home network with XP-pro installed to test this theory.

I would really like to from hear someone who does have XP-pro, and has disabled simple file and folder sharing and how they access the Win-XP pro's shared resources from samba.

[Detonate]

Re: More SAMBA trouble

All of my XP machines are running the Home Edition.

[nilsA]

Re: More SAMBA trouble

Found two issues with Windows, thanks to using, or rather, struggling wiht, Samba.

First, in Win2000 (at least my recently reinstalled PC), the disks are more or less wide open - while the folders must be shared.

To fix this - just left-click on the disk(s), go to sharing, and uncheck the sharing.

In XP things are a little better - sort of.

But after trying both ways, I prefer to uncheck simple file sharing in Explorer, tools, file properties. That way I am able to log on to the entire PC - using the presently running user/password.

[Detonate]

Re: More SAMBA trouble

I don't want to get into a "howto" on widows security here, but the advantage to Linux is, you can easily customize each shared directory to restrict access to specific users. You may be able to do that in windows, maybe with XP Pro, but I don't know how to do it. If you share a folder, everyone on the network can access it.

[Ant2ne]

Re: More SAMBA trouble

I don't want to get into a "howto" on widows security here, but the advantage to Linux is, you can easily customize each shared directory to restrict access to specific users. You may be able to do that in windows, maybe with XP Pro, but I don't know how to do it. If you share a folder, everyone on the network can access it.

Windows can restrict access via NTFS ACL or through file sharing, (but not in simple file or folder sharing) in a very similar way as you describe the advantage to LInux.

I'm wondering how a linux machine can access a share that does have these windows sharerestrictions.

[penguin.ch]

Re: More SAMBA trouble

I'm wondering how a linux machine can access a share that does have these windows sharerestrictions.

Linux simply doesn't understand Windoze "permissions" (and vice versa), as I dare to say :P

[Ant2ne]

Re: More SAMBA trouble

I'm wondering how a linux machine can access a share that does have these windows sharerestrictions.

Linux simply doesn't understand Windoze "permissions" (and vice versa), as I dare to say :P

I'm sure there has got to be a 3rd party program to decode permissions and make the two OSs friendly. Kind of how Samba does with shares.

What your saying is linux can only access a Windows share only if it is shared to the "Everyone" group.