Hey everyone,
I've tried everything I can think of to get file sharing working. All I want to do is read files that are on my windows computer from my linux computer and get the network printer to print. I've installed Samba and gone through endless hours of configuration and sifting through messages on here for some idea why it isn't working. I need to get this working if i'm going to use linux yet and nothing seems to help. When I browse the network I can see the drives on my windows computer but can't access them... it either gives me an "unknown error" or just hangs until the the network browser crashes.

I'm using Mandrake 9.1 and a friend of mine said you can't read FAT32 file system with Samba but I've seen other posts here and there that say you can with Mandrake.

Please help me! I want to fight the MS giant but when I can'y get something as simple as file sharing to work it doesn't give me much hope.

Alrighty now...calm down. Take a deep breath. There...that's better!

now let's start with some basics:

1. Samba doesnt read FAT32 partitions...Windows does. Samba allows a LinuxPC to talk with a WinPC and gain PERMISSION TO ACCESS that WinPC's files just like WinPCs do with each other. Samba allows a unix/linux PC to PRETEND that it's a WinPC and share files with WinPCs.

2. Most problems like this usually have to do with:
a. rights on the WinPC
b. missing features on the WinPC (like "File and Printer sharing")
c. intrusive programs on the WinPC (like Internet Firewall or anti
-virus software)
b. network configuration on BOTH/EITHER the WinPC and the LinuxPC
(i.e., making sure that both PCs are on the same subnet, etc.)
c. rights on the LinuxPC
d. missing programs on the LinuxPC

3. Samba is a LOT easier for a newbie to configure if you have CONFIGURATION TOOLS like SWAT (which requires that the Apache web server is running on your LinuxPC) or other utilities.

4. Samba is a LOT easier for a newbie to use if you have the Linux equivalent of Network Neighborhood (yes! such programs exist!)

At this point i think it would serve everyone who wants to help you with some information about your situation:

your NETWORK HARDWARE (network cards on your PCs, hub, router, wireless access point, etc.)

your NETWORK CONFIGURATION (ip addresses, subnet masks, default gateways, file-sharing configuration on the WinPC, Samba config file on the LinuxPC)

your LINUXPC DISTRIBUTION AND VERSION (including the version of your distribution, the version of your linux kernel and the version of your samba install).

Post these to the discussion, and we'll see who bytes!

P.S. EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE OK!

If your files are on Windows, you do not need a Samba server. Instead, use the Samba client.

On Windows, set up file sharing for the directories with your files.
And on Linux, at the command line, use the following syntax:
Or, if you are using KDE, you can use Konqueror. In the location bar, use the following syntax:

if you still have trouble with it ,
there is excellent tutorial http://samba.netfirms.com/ . as Mathieu said, you can simply used smb client to connect your windows files from linux

*sniff* ok i'll calm down... I feel better already.

Here's a visual representation of my network:

[Internet in]-->[Windows 98se computer]-->[Linux/Windows 98 dual boot computer]

Ok as far as hardware goes my NIC card was a built in one on an Intel motherboard, along with my sound and video. (That's what I get for buying a Compaq)

Network config: the win computer IP is 192.168.0.1, the linux computer is 192.168.0.3. I have the win computer setup for internet sharing so the gateway on the linux computer is 192.168.0.1. I had a bunch of problems getting windows to even do file sharing with the win 98 boot of the linux computer so I had to install a bunch of redunant protocalls like IPX/SPX and NetBeui as well as TCP/IP. Would that have anything to do with that. I'll need to boot into Linux to get the samba config so that'll have to wait a bit (working on a school project right now).

Finally I'm using Mandrake Linux 9.1

I have Zonealarm on the Win98 computer but even if I disable it, it still doesn't work.

Mathieu thanks but when I try that it just hangs. Although it can see the drive letters, and even made the floppy drive click when I try to access it.

the samba cofig file is smb.conf right? Isn't it a little too big to post in a message board?

So yeah it still doesn't work... i'm desperate for suggestions here. I'll try anything. I'll even log in as root if I have to!

the HOW-TO suggested earlier is wonderful, I just used it to finally get samba working on my machine. Depending on what you want to do, your easiest option maybe to follow the HOW-TO and setup your linux machine as a samba server with write permissions granted to the user you log onto windows with (as the tutorial points out, you'll have to create this user in linux and samba with the same password). Then create a folder on the linux box to use as a staging point of sorts. Any files you want to move from one computer to the other you can copy into this folder.

I don't understand.

Where are the files you want to share ?

If they are on Win98, you do not need to configure Samba.
My previous post is the key. In win98, make sure you have "File sharing" enabled.

If your files are on Linux, you will definitely need Samba.
To learn Samba configuration, take a look at "Using Samba" -- Both the First and Second Editions are available for Free.
http://www.oreilly.com/openbook/

Thank you O'Reilly & Associates.
http://www.oreilly.com/

Yes file sharing is enabled, and I can share between computers when both are in windows. When I boot into Linux I can't read the files on the windows computer. I can see the drive letters but that's it. Windows can read the files on the linux computer no problem. I'll read the how-to on that website in depth too to see if anyone else has had my problem.

To Matthiew:

Thanks for the konqueror smb:// info...I DIDN'T KNOW THAT!

To Everyone:

Wait a minute...when i look at Marq's descriptions of his network, it looks like he's using Internet Connection Sharing to link his linuxPC to the Internet through his WinPC...is that kosher? is that supposed to work? Could this be the cause of his grief???

you're correct about the setup but the internet works fine, i'm actually using a program called Sygate on the windows computer to provide the gateway to the other computer, the linux computer didn't require any internet config other than typing in the IP address of my other computer

To Marq:

So what you saying this that the LinuxPC can get out to the Internet through the WinPC using a third-party routing utility, but the samba client on the LinuxPC cannot access the shares you've already created on the WinPC...?

if that is the case, i believe you should re-examine your shares on the WinPC...trying sharing without any passwords. Also check the configuration of Sygate to make sure nothing's happening there that would impede the SMB protocols between the two PCs.

Uhm. Going through the same computer as gateway you want to connect to? Wouldn't he need to setup routing correctly for LAN to be able to access? 'su -' and try to type 'route -n' -- I assume * is 192.168.0.1 - Make sure there is another route for 192.168.0.0! It should be set to *. Otherwise your linux will always try to go over WAN to connect to another machine! Can you ping your windows host? Try that first. If you can, then use 'nmblookup' to see if the server is running. If that works, try without passwords on win host, as was said. If it still doesn't work.. Hmm... I'd have to think

For what it's worth, I'd like to share my small victory. Samba is now working perfectly -- finally! After about 6 hours!

My particular problem was that for some reason samba-swat wouldn't set up my users correctly. But after a quick trip to the command line, all is well.

If you're certain that Samba is running:
(smbd -V should echo version number)

And you're confident that your smb.conf is okay, but still no joy...

Try adding a samba user at the command line instead of using swat:
smbpasswd -a johndoe

MAKE SURE that johndoe is already a valid user on the system. Hope this helps someone.