using samb version 3.0.10 or something close to that.

Just setting up a simple share for all the users on my box just a test I have severl smb.conf's most have lots of stuff in them but I always get stuck on the same part. when I try and access any share I get a message on the windows box saying

\\servername\homes is not accessible.
The network name cannot be found

here is the most basic stripped down smb.conf I have tried.

[global]
workgroup = workgroup
server string = Samba is fantastic
security = share
encrypt passwords = Yes

[homes]
comment = Home Directories
read only = No
create mask = 0750

Any ideas?

You have to make the server a WINS server or tell samba where the WINS server is. Also you need to tell it your NETBOIS name.

netbios name = [pc name]
wins support = true
or
wins server = [ip address of WINS server]

SElinux is not installed. Using Redhat version 4.0 ES all updates are up to date
[root@eagle samba]# smbd -V
Version 3.0.10-1.4E


Changed to
[global]
workgroup = WORKGROUP
server string = Samba is fantastic
security = share
encrypt passwords = Yes
netbios name = EAGLE
wins support = true

[homes]
comment = Home Directories
read only = No
create mask = 0750


Still getting the exact same thing.

Also just to add detail.
When I open My Computer and type in the address \\eagle I get prompted for a password I type in the username and the password and it accepts it and then it show me a list of the shares, then when I click on the share thats when I am getting this message.

Try adding this to [homes]

browsable = no
writeable = yes

No space after the share when you map...
"\\192.168.1.6\foo" works
"\\192.168.1.6\foo " doesn't

I think you also need a path defined.
path=/home

To be able to browse to a share like you want your going to have to have browseable=yes

since youre able to see the share and just dont have access to it, add a Valid Users line

Valid Users = your-username

that should take care of the permission problems
oh yeah, you'll also want to make sure you have a smbpasswd file

cd /etc/samba
touch smbpasswd
smbpasswd -a your-username

restart the samba process and you should be good to go

Here is my smb.conf that I use at home. The home share works and the data share works.

[global]
workgroup = mydomain
server string = myserver
security = user
hosts allow = 192.168.0. 127.
load printers = yes
log file = /var/log/samba.%m
max log size = 10000
socket options = TCP_NODELAY
local master = yes
os level = 65
preferred master = yes
wins support = yes
dns proxy = no

[homes]
comment = Home Directories
browseable = no
writable = yes

[printers]
comment = All Printers
path = /var/spool/samba
browseable = no
# Set public = yes to allow user 'guest account' to print
guest ok = no
writable = no
printable = yes

[data]
comment = Shared Data
path = /pub/data
valid users = bob tom sam
write list = bob tom
read list = sam
public = no
writable = yes
printable = no
create mask = 0775

It is set to be the master browser and WINS server. It is setup to allow access to 192.168.0.0/255.255.255.0 network only.

Not sure what it was, but I wasn't able able to access the home directories. was very odd. but I just made a new directory in the /home and it works just fine. So I think my problem is fixed.

Where is the standard place to store shares? in var or pub? like if I wanted to make a directory called smbshares and then put a bunch f directories below that which are shared?

I think that is a personal prefference thing. I prefer to make a partition and name it /pub. I seen some distros use /usr/share/pub and /var/pub. A common file stystem hierarchy is one of the things that I would like to see all distro adopt. I know some would argue, but it would make it easier on users and programmers.