Need help getting Windows Vista to see my Linux machine running Samba

Dark Jirachi · 04-03-2008, 04:58 PM

Alright, I have a Linux machine running OpenSUSE, and another machine running Windows Vista Home Basic, both of them are connected to my modem via a network hub. I can get both of them on the internet just fine, but I'd like to be able to see the Linux machine in my Windows network. OpenSUSE comes with Samba, but I can't seem to get it configured right, and no matter how many different tutorials I follow, Windows will not see my Linux box. I don't know what to do.

jschiwal · 04-03-2008, 05:35 PM

Run the firewall setup program in YaST2 and make sure that the samba ports are open.
Also make sure that both computers use the same WORKGROUP.
See if you can ping back and forth.
Make sure both computers are on the same subnet. ( e.g. 192.168.1.xxx ).

Post the [global] and the share definition of your /etc/samba/smb.conf file. Put them in [ code ] blocks to make it easier to read.

Make sure that filesharing is enabled in Vista. Also check Vista's firewall setting as well.

Part of the problem could be using an old version of Samba. If you aren't using openSUSE 10.3, consider upgrading. MS intentionally tried to "f#$k with samba". (Source: Jeremy Elleson, who was told of a memo by an MS programmer.)

Dark Jirachi · 04-04-2008, 09:35 PM

I finally found a tutorial that actually worked. I am able to get the computers to see each other. But when I try and access Windows from Linux it asks for a user name and password. When I try and access Linux from Windows, it shows up in the network, but if I try and access it I get an error saying that //LINUXBOX (what I named it) does not exist, yet it still shows up as being in my network.

I'm not sure which ports samba uses, so I don't know what to open.

Both computers are in the same workgroup.

I've never pinged anything before, but if I try and ping the IP of my Windows machine, nothing seems to happen at all.

I don't know how to tell what my IP or subnet and that kind of thing is from Linux (I'm kind of a newbie), so I don't know about that. I am fairly certain that they are though.

Here's my smb.conf:

Code:

# Samba config file created using SWAT
# from 127.0.0.1 (127.0.0.1)
# Date: 2008/04/03 17:37:59

[global]
	netbios name = LINUXBOX
	guest account = pcguest
	os level = 2
	preferred master = No
	local master = No
	domain master = No
	hosts allow = 192.168.0.0/255.255.255.0

[dj]
	path = /home/darkjirachi/share
	read only = No
	guest ok = Yes
	available = Yes

File sharing is enabled, but again I don't know what ports to open in the firewall.

I am using openSUSE 10.3.

I can ping the Linux machine from Windows and get a response, but I cannot access it from the network.

ZeroCool42 · 04-05-2008, 05:45 AM

While I'm afraid I know relatively little about the subject at hand, I feel obliged to try and lend a hand, so apologies in advance if I hinder rather than help.

First of all, I must agree with jschiwal, have you tried upgrading to the latest version of samba (if you don't have it already), I say this because I set up a bunch of samba shares recently, in my usual way, and have had no problem connecting to them with a friend's vista laptop (they do take AAAAGES to show up in the vista networking window tho).

Secondly, the hosts allow = 192.168.0.0/255.255.255.0 line intrigues me, have you tried commenting, removing this line. I'm afraid I haven't a clue if this will help, but its got to be worth a try.

If nothing else, know this, its definetly possible, you've just got to keep trying

PS. I will try and post the tutorial I used to setup my samba shares if I find it!

Lord Matt · 04-06-2008, 04:57 AM

Like ZeroCool42 I'm not an expert in such matters but I have had a heck of a time getting a vista laptop that Toshiba gave me (I was a very happy boy about that) to talk to my network. Vista does not play nicely with other systems (not even windows ones) on a network. If you play with the settings it will start to scream about insecure this that and the other and warn you about "public" this and so forth (forgive me I can not remember the exact details).

I found a lot of very helpful tutorials when I Googled variants of "network vista and XP". It seems that the Windows world is trying to get Vista networked and having a hard time too so it's not just you. You may be as well to look at some of these xp-vista tutorials and make sure that the vista device is singing from the right hymn book. That at least will eliminate a bunch of potential issues.

Hope that helps.

jschiwal · 04-06-2008, 05:47 AM

By the way, which openSuSE distro are you using. I guess that you need 10.3 to be able to network with Vista.
If you have SuSE 10.3 and samba-3.0.26a-3.5 then the samba version isn't the problem.
Also try to enable one or more of these ports in SuSE's firewall:

Code:

Samba
    135/TCP: epmap [DCE endpoint resolution]
    137/UDP: netbios-ns [NETBIOS Name Service]
    138/UDP: netbios-dgm [NETBIOS Datagram Service]
    139/TCP: netbios-ssn [NETBIOS Session Service]
    445/TCP: microsoft-ds [Microsoft-DS]

This link may help as well:
http://www.swerdna.net.au/linhowtosambasecure.html

sikandar436 · 05-09-2008, 11:51 PM

I was having the same problem and allmost the same scenario.

Solution: Vista comes with an AntiVirus (Norton) right! (Thats what my Toshiba Satelite came with). I went to the Norton settings and opened Inbound NetBios ports from there and a couple of other related ports and the things worked for me..

Remember: Learning new things involve a lot of practices and try again and again... so give a try to every possible solution that comes in the way...

Best of luck

Sikandar

G4george · 05-12-2008, 01:59 PM

Ok. In smb.conf for each share you need "valid user = username"
you will need to do a "smbpasswd -a username" and give password.
This is the username / passwork Windows is asking for.

If installed try using "swat" to configure samba.