Coputer ID - SAMBA
 

I have been using Linux on servers for networks for some time (using samba), however I now want to put two servers onto a network, using the second as a backup server. The problem that I have is that after installing the Suse OS and setting up Samba, both servers have the ID Linux. How can this be changed. When I installed I entered Linux2 for the second server, but somehow that has not registered or is it Samba?

I'm guessing that you are browsing the network from a Windows machine, and have just made the change. The Windows browser function will remember a machine for quite a long time, I think upto 90 minutes.

But you should also be able to see the "new" machine.

If this is the problem, you will not be able to access the "old" machine.

You can either wait for the master browser to sort this out, or shutdown and restart ALL machines at the SAME time. (They MUST all be off at the same time or this will not work.)

If you can't see the new machine or the problem machine sees itself as the wrong name this isn't the problem.

Computer id
 

Yes!, I am browsing from windows, but that is not the problem. If either of the servers is on, I am able to browse the shared folders. I think that when SuSE is installed or possibly Samba, the computer id is set to Linux. This has been fine when I have only one server on the network.

I have tried to find where the computer name/id can be amended, but have not been able (what with knowing the windows method, which is not the same for Linux). Is it possibly the Netbios id that needs to be changed? and if so, where and how can this be achieved.

Thanks in advance

/etc/smb.conf or /etc/samba/smb.conf or possibly your smb.conf is in another location, I have no idea where SuSE puts it by default. Anyhow, it has a setting that you can modify:

netbios name = linux

Id SAMBA
 

This has now given me the netbiosname when I browse, however the original name also appears. The server is now giving me two id's on the network.

I need to change the first name, which I presume is the computer name that has been assigned when the OS was installed. Where can this name be changed?

server string =

is the only other reference that Samba has to naming. It is equal to the "description" field in network properties of a windows host.

Unless you mean the hostname, which is not referenced by Samba since the naming conventions are different between netbios names and *nix hostnames.

The problem is solved, both the host name and the netbios name were showing when browsing. I then deleted the netbios name and changed the hostname which then showed only the one name on the network. I then thought about it and checked and found that the ADSL router was showing both names on the windows work station as it had not discarded the first name after the change. If I then left it for a few minutes, the first name would be removed and only the netbios name would show. If I then remove the netbios name and wait for a few minutes, then only the hostname shows.

Thanks for the help