Failed to retrieve share list from server (again)
 

This is yet another version of the "Unable to mount location - Failed to retrieve share list from server" problem when I attempt to browse (Windows) shares and mount them on my Linux machine. Internet searches indicate many of occurrences of this problem. This has a bit of a different twist and I'm thoroughly baffled. I appreciate any help/suggestions and if we're able to solve the issue, hopefully it will be of use to somebody else...

My scenario: I'm running LinuxAV v6.0.1b (a Debian build). I'm trying to connect it to a domain (not a workgroup) and access files on a server running Windows Server 2008 R2.

What is unusual is that it was working properly and then stopped. I was able to click on Network from Nautilus (2.30.1) -> Microsoft Network -> see share and click/mount them. Suddenly it stopped. In fact, for a period of time I had a mounted link to the Microsoft server working just fine, I could see/access files, but my Nautilus browse of the network gave me the "... failed to retrieve share list..." error. This became permanent after I dismounted the working share (via reboot).

I've tried the usual fixes of editing the smb.conf file with the "name resolve order = bcast host lmhosts wins" line, accessing my server from Nautilus using "smb://192.168.1.2", and fidgeting with firewall settings - none of these worked. I've installed some smb futilities (utilities :) ); I've installed some Windows compatibility features but none have helped. Again, all was working before I've tried these fixes.

What may be of interest is that the first time I attempt to access the network from Nautilus, I get the message: Could not display "network:///" Error: Location is already mounted Please select another viewer and try again. At this point the "Windows Network" icon appears. If I subsequently click on the Windows Network icon I always get the "standard" Unable to mount location Failed to retrieve share list from server message. I have no idea what "network:///" is or if it has any relevance to this issue.

Since it was working, what changed? I added a network printer on the Windows Server machine and I defined a computer ("LinuxAV") and user ("LinuxUser") also on the Windows Server. I don't remember if it was at that point that things went sour. Subsequent to that, I've tried many things (the above and other things - many of which were additional smb.conf edits/additions). I have restored my smb.conf file to its original form and removed the LinuxAV (computer) and LinuxUser (user) definitions from the Windows Server (Active Directory). As best I can tell/remember, my Linux and Windows machines are as they were when things worked (although I might have missed something?). Network browse for shares and access still don't work.

I can ping the Windows server just fine. Printing to the network printer (attached to the Windows server) from the Linux machine works just fine. I can't imagine how removing the network printer would help. In my latest attempt I actually got a "Opening Windows Network you can stop this by hitting cancel" message/window but it ultimately reverted to the "Unable to mount location - Failed to retrieve share list from server" message.

I appreciate any thoughts/ideas/explanations! (Thank you!)

hope this one help:
places -> connect to server -> windows share
then type the ip address of your windows machine.

First - thank you to Z99 for a very good suggestion. Unfortunately it didn't work but... In the course of trying this my printer (on the server) share stopped working and about a half hour later, I couldn't access the internet (e.g. my entire networking failed). Admittedly this is very(!) strange but what it ended up being was a bad Cat-5 cable. I replaced it and everything works just fine. Now why the disk mounts/shares would fail while printing & internet still worked, then printing & disk/mounts failed while internet worked will forever be a mystery. Perhaps the disk binding is less tolerant to a sporadic (hardware) fault?

I'm not sure my adventure will help anybody else but that's what happened. Thanks again Z99 for "getting me there". :)

You might want to double check that your linux computer is actually joined to the windows domain correctly. Windows is very fussy about non-authenticated users/computers accessing shared resources.

IT_Elder, you're bringing up a good point...

Allow me to share (bad pun) my latest tussle with Windows Server/shares/network access. First, I have a good cable. :) From Nautilus I can see "Microsoft Network" and clicking on it gets me a "Opening Windows Network, You can stop... <cancel>" window/prompt. This screen will wait for Godot (e.g. basically nothing happens). In the interim, I can surf the internet fine, I can even print to the network printer located on the Windows Server machine (<- that doesn't seem to impose any difficulty with connections and/or credentials). My recollection is that in the past I had gotten a prompt for a user/password for the domain (I'm not getting that far today - why not today?), I'd enter them (as defined on the Server), and at that point I could see the shares and subsequently attach/mount them. Indeed at this point I have not joined the domain as viewed from the server (but yes, I can print). I'm at a loss (not the first time that's happened :)) but it'll be the weekend before I can experiment a bit more. Don't know why (1) I can't see/access shares once again (2) it's so slow in reporting anything - the print access is just fine/fast (3) why anything would change?

People have made good money writing books about mysteries. :) I'd appreciate any insight - I thought I had logged into the domain - I did set up both a "computer" and "user" in the Server's Active Domain ("computer" matches "hostname"; the "user" matches my "user") for the Linux machine...

Ah, hot off the press - a new error message after waiting ad infinitum for the shares: Unable to mount location. DBus error org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.Noreply: Did not receive a reply. Possible causes include: the remote application did not send a reply, the message bus security policy blocked the reply, the reply timeout expired, or the network connection was broken.

More after this weekend...