I read the big fat Official Samba Howto (and then tried to read up on LDAP, less successfully), and decided I'd throw up a simple Samba server/configuration to get a feel for the program.

My smb.conf looks as follows:
# Global parameters
[global]
workgroup = SCHOOL
netbios name = SUSIE
wins support = yes
server string = Visko's Server
security = USER
guest account = visko
encrypt passwords = yes
log file = /var/log/samba/%m.log
max log size = 50
socket options = TCP_NODELAY SO_RCVBUF=8192 SO_SNDBUF=8192
load printers = No
printcap name = /etc/printcap
dns proxy = No
idmap uid = 16777216-33554431
idmap gid = 16777216-33554431
guest ok = Yes
cups options = raw

[homes]
comment = Home Directories
read only = No
browseable = No

[printers]
comment = All Printers
path = /var/spool/samba
printable = Yes
browseable = No

[media]
path = /Media
browseable = Yes
guest ok = Yes
writable = no
[music]
path = /Data/Mp3
browseable = Yes
guest ok = Yes
writable = no
--------------------------

When I try to connect via smbclient/localhost, I get the following:
[root@localhost samba]# smbclient //susie/media
Password:
Domain=[SUSIE] OS=[Unix] Server=[Samba 3.0.14a-2]
tree connect failed: NT_STATUS_BAD_NETWORK_NAME
---------------------------

A quick check of the log files shows this:
[root@localhost samba]# tail /var/log/samba/susie.log
[2005/10/15 15:54:32, 0] smbd/service.c:make_connection_snum(615)
'/Data/Mp3' does not exist or is not a directory, when connecting to [music]
[2005/10/15 16:01:21, 0] smbd/service.c:make_connection_snum(615)
'/Media' does not exist or is not a directory, when connecting to [media]
[2005/10/15 16:05:42, 0] smbd/service.c:make_connection_snum(615)
'/Media' does not exist or is not a directory, when connecting to [media]
[2005/10/15 16:09:07, 0] smbd/service.c:make_connection_snum(615)
'/Media' does not exist or is not a directory, when connecting to [media]
[2005/10/15 16:42:28, 0] smbd/service.c:make_connection_snum(615)
'/Media' does not exist or is not a directory, when connecting to [media]

Note: I assure you, /Media does exist. It is also a directory.
---------------------


When I try to access any share from a Windows machine, I get Error 53: could not find network path.

Most tutorials I've found so far claim that error code 53 implies a netbios resolution failure, but I get the same error using IP addresses, and I can see the computer (and its published shares) regardless of whether I use an IP address or a netbios name.

Does anyone know about firewalls/selinux/something I'm more obviously doing wrong that could be causing the lack of connectivity?

-Visko

Figured it out. Here's the information for anyone else who is interested:

Pull up system-config-securitylevel, and click on the selinux tab.

Scroll down to samba, and disable all SElinux handling of SMB. Core 4 selinux seems to seriously hamper the ability of samba to resolve folders back to computers requesting that information.

If anyone knows specifically where in selinux to allow for access to shares without disabling selinux for samba completely, I'd be interested in that information. I'm not versed in selinux at all, but the security suite seems to be becoming ubiquitous, and I'd better learn it eventually.

-Visko

Read the samba_selinux man page. It explains how to set the correct label on the share directory.

Hope this helps!