I looked around this site but couldn't really find anything that sounded like my problem.

I am running Mandrake 10 on a small office network. We are using the linux box as a file server and have configured Samba to allow Windows 2000 computers the ability to save and pull from a central location. The problem is this, If I open "Network Neighborhood" it does not show the server, only the other client PC's. In order to see the server I have to manually enter the IP address of the server. I can map drives this way too and they work great, I just cannot browse to find them. I must manually enter the entire address.

In other words, Win2k is able to connect to the server, read and write to the proper shares, map the folders, etc.. but the server name (file-server) is never visible under network neighborhood. I would like to be able to click on it from a windows box and see the folders without having to manually enter the IP. I will be adding more linux boxes and want to be able to see them in the tree as well.

By the way, I can see the server, by name, using SMB4k.

What am I doing wrong here?

Thanks Peacedog for the starter smb.conf file. I pasted and built mine from it. It worked great and got me up and running.

can you just post your smb.conf file

ok< sorry about that. here is my smb.conf
it is based on the one peacedog posted as his starting point.


[global]

workgroup = MDKGROUP
netbios name = localhost
server string = Samba Server %v
security = SHARE
encrypt passwords = Yes
map to guest = Bad User
log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
max log size = 50
socket options = TCP_NODELAY SO_RCVBUF=8192 SO_SNDBUF=8192
printcap name = cups
dns proxy = yes
printer admin = @adm
printing = cups

[homes]
comment = Home Directories
path = /home/user1
public = yes
browseable = yes
writable = yes


[HPofficeJetT]
comment = HP OfficeJet T
path = /var/spool/samba
read only = No
create mask = 0700
guest ok = Yes
printable = Yes
print command = lpr-cups -P %p -o raw %s -r # using client side printer drivers.
printer name = HPOfficeJetT
oplocks = No
share modes = No

Now, just so you know. everything is working great. All of the users login and access their folders just fine. We just cant "see" the server name listed anywhere or login using the "name" we have to manually type \\192.168.0.1\home and map it that way.

Thanks for any help

change this

netbios name = localhost

to

netbios name = <anyname>

and insure nmbd is running. remember after any changes to restart both smbd and nmbd.
good luck.

Ok, I changed the name of the netbios and restarted SMBD. NMBD is also running. I still have the same situation.

I can map the drives and they work fine but the computer does not show up in the workgroup lists of the XP or win2k boxes. The workgroup only shows two computers.

are you running any firewalls, if so have you made provisions for the network? just checking, have you restarted the windows machines?

I am running a firewall in my router. I turned it off and had similar results. I have rebooted the Windows boxes and have, of course restarted smbd.

Its one of those things that only bothers me because I don't know the answer. The truth is, I like it ok like this because nobody can poke around. Once I map the drives with the Windows boxes, they work fine and I only had to do it once because I set them up to automap when they boot.

I still want to know why though...

You also need to change the default workgroup name, MDKGROUP, to whatever your Windows computers use.

Did this originally and it didn't do a thing. I then changed the windows boxes to mdkgroup and rebooted each one of them. They all see the group fine and see eachother fine. The server just doesn't show up.

Are you using static ip addresses? If the subnet mask is different on the clients and server it could explain this problem eg if the server is using 255.255.0.0 and the clients re using 255.255.255.0

They must all be using the same braodcast address to show up in network neighbourhood

try changing

dns proxy = yes

to

dns proxy = no

I don't think that's what PEACEDOG meant, when he ask you to check it.
Firewall/Router, doesn't block traffic w/in, it only block the perameter.
What he meant was check if you have any firewall services on your linux box, eg: ipchains, iptables.