Samba: Windows 2000: browsing network shows non-existent server

checkmate3001 · 09-01-2008, 02:26 PM

Hello guys,

I've been having this problem for a while. Everytime I think I've fixed it, it comes back. I've search around, but I really know know what to look for and haven't found anything that has worked 100%.

Here's my problem:
I have a samba server running on a debian box. Everything seems to be functioning just fine. However, on my Windows 2000 client it keeps showing a server that doesn't exist... or does it?
When I go to:
"My Network Places" > "Entire Network" > "Microsoft Windows Network"
I see my server (named "cpsinc") and a server named "debian".
To my knowledge debian doesn't exist. I can't find the word "debian" in any of my configuration files. I can't get it to go away and can't figure out where this machine is getting the name "debian" from. When I double click on "debian", after a very long pause (20 seconds) I get an empty folder. I was going to try to create a file and then search for it on my server to see where this was going... but that isn't an available option from the windows machine.

Here is my smb.conf:

Code:

[global]
        workgroup = CPSINC
        netbios name = CPS_SERVER
        server string = %h Server
        interfaces = 192.168.10.0/24, eth1
        bind interfaces only = Yes
        passdb backend = tdbsam:/var/lib/samba/passdb.tdb
        pam password change = Yes
        passwd program = /usr/bin/passwd %u
        passwd chat = *Enter\snew\sUNIX\spassword:* %n\n *Retype\snew\sUNIX\spassword:* %n\n *password\supdated\ssuccessfully* .
        username map = /etc/samba/smbusers
        unix password sync = Yes
        log level = 1
        syslog = 0
        log file = /var/log/samba/%m
        max log size = 50
        smb ports = 139
        reset on zero vc = Yes
        name resolve order = lmhosts hosts bcast
        time server = Yes
        printcap name = cups
        show add printer wizard = No
        add user script = /usr/sbin/useradd -m '%u'
        delete user script = /usr/sbin/userdel -r '%u'
        add group script = /usr/sbin/groupadd '%g'
        delete group script = /usr/sbin/groupdel '%g'
        add user to group script = /usr/sbin/usermod -G '%g' '%u'
        add machine script = /usr/sbin/useradd -s /bin/false -d /tmp '%u'
        logon script = logon.bat
        logon path =
        logon drive = H:
        logon home =
        domain logons = Yes
        os level = 31
        preferred master = Yes
        domain master = Yes
        panic action = /usr/share/samba/panic-action %d %T
        sync always = Yes
        printing = cups
        cups options = Raw
        print command =
        lpq command = %p
        lprm command =
        veto oplock files = /*.doc/*.xls/*.mdb/

[homes]
        comment = Home Directories
        path = /home/%U
        valid users = %S
        read only = No
        browseable = No

[data]
        comment = Data for Databases
        path = /home/samba/shares/data
        read only = No

[frontend]
        comment = Frontend for Databases
        path = /home/samba/shares/frontend
        read only = No

[public]
        comment = Public Directory
        path = /home/samba/shares/public
        read only = No

[netlogon]
        comment = Network Logon Service
        path = /home/samba/shares/netlogon
        guest ok = Yes
        browseable = No
        locking = No

[HP_LJ_2100]
        comment = HP LaserJet 2100 Primary Printer
        path = /var/spool/samba
        read only = No
        guest ok = Yes
        printable = Yes
        printer name = HP_LaserJet_2100
        use client driver = Yes
        share modes = No

marozsas · 09-01-2008, 03:59 PM

Do a NetBIOS scan and try to figure out by IP/MAC address which computer is:
(xxx.yyy is just to obfuscate my own network)

Code:

[root@babylon5 ~]# nbtscan -r 192.xxx.yyy.0/24
Doing NBT name scan for addresses from 192.xxx.yyy.0/24

IP address       NetBIOS Name     Server    User             MAC address      
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
192.xxx.yyy.0	Sendto failed: Permission denied
192.xxx.yyy.137  <unknown>                  <unknown>        
192.xxx.yyy.31   STC-093          <server>  <unknown>        00-12-34-56-78-c0
192.xxx.yyy.25   STC-086          <server>  <unknown>        00-12-34-56-78-43
192.xxx.yyy.51   STC-059          <server>  <unknown>        00-12-34-56-78-18
192.xxx.yyy.22   STC-104          <server>  <unknown>        00-12-34-56-78-ff
...

nbtscan is part of nbtscan-1.5.1-2.fc9.i386 package on fedora 8.

checkmate3001 · 09-01-2008, 07:26 PM

I tried it. I think something is being done when I install samba. I removed and purged samba. I re-installed and now I am getting another server which happens to be named the same name as my hostname for my server. It seems that when I install samba debian has nmbd get the hostname from the machine and either hard-codes it in or puts a configuration file somewhere with that hostname in it.

Damn debian... you would think they wouldn't do something like that.

marozsas · 09-02-2008, 03:38 PM

Damn Windows I would say.
This is a information on Windows cache somewhere. I don't known how to clear this info on windows, but I bet a new windows machine plugged on your network, will not show that debian ghost.

Well, in fact, it is not fair to bet with you about this because I am sure it is a windows cache problem.
Some machines here still show the original name of my server ("newserver" during the transition). After a while the old server was de-commissioned and the new server was renamed to just "server".
Some old windows machines, still show both names "server" and "newserver".
The windows machines that was re-installed since then only shows "server".

Try your self !

checkmate3001 · 09-03-2008, 09:42 AM

Related to my issue, I was attempting to use srvtools.exe which decompresses to SvrMgr.exe and usrmgr.exe. These two little progs are nice and handy if you just want to add a user or change their group really quick from a windows box on the network.

Well, everytime I would start one of these programs it would stall for about a minute and then complain about not being able to connect to the domain. It would ask if I wanted to select a different domain to work with. I would enter the name of my domain and be on my way.

Well... I got nosey. I am using tdbsam backend for my passdb. I was checking out some of the users by doing:

Code:

pdbedit -Lv

and getting output like:

Code:

Unix username:        root
NT username:
Account Flags:        [U          ]
User SID:             S-1-5-21-3186852441-2316212002-2913414458-1000
Primary Group SID:    S-1-5-21-3186852441-2316212002-2913414458-513
Full Name:            root
Home Directory:
HomeDir Drive:        H:
Logon Script:         logon.bat
Profile Path:
Domain:               INTRANET
Account desc:
Workstations:
Munged dial:
Logon time:           0
Logoff time:          Sat, 06 Feb 2106 22:28:15 PST
Kickoff time:         0
Password last set:    Tue, 02 Sep 2008 23:38:28 PDT
Password can change:  Tue, 02 Sep 2008 23:38:28 PDT
Password must change: Sat, 06 Feb 2106 22:28:15 PST
Last bad password   : 0
Bad password count  : 0
Logon hours         : FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

That's when I noticed that under Domain was INTRANET. Originally I was naming the server CPS_SERVER, and finding a ghost network called DEBIAN, then I changed some stuff around and was calling it just SERVER and getting a ghost of INTRANET. I went through a few iterations with different configurations...

Well it seems that when I created the user names they were getting the Domain of whatever was the Domain at the time, so when I changed domains they were still holding on to the (old) original Domain name.

I used pdbedit to change all the users to the correct domain - now there is no more problems.

Code:

pdbedit -I <domain name> <username>