I just can't get Samba-Swat to work.
What I have is 2 boxes, one linux and one win98 and they are connected by a Linksys 5 way hub.

The win98 shows " Pen-II" but if I doulbe click on it say
" \\ Pen-II is not accessible.
The computer or sharename is could not be found. Make sure you have typed it correctly, and try again. "

However after a period of time the "Pen-II" machine disappears off the win98 machine and I can not get it to show up again.

As far as checking from the linux box, other then ping it I do not know how to check.

I have provided as much info as I know.
I can not see where the problem is.


The info on the linux box is alis " Pen- ii " ip address is 192.168.0.3
No firewall running. No anti-virus.

eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:C0:F0:56:44:2B
inet addr:192.168.0.3 Bcast:192.168.0.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:503 errors:1 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:120 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:100
RX bytes:66240 (64.6 Kb) TX bytes:16931 (16.5 Kb)
Interrupt:5 Base address:0x4000

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:775 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:775 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:465784 (454.8 Kb) TX bytes:465784 (454.8 Kb)

ppp0 Link encap:Point-to-Point Protocol
inet addr:12.76.47.217 P-t-P:199.70.80.13 Mask:255.255.255.255
UP POINTOPOINT RUNNING NOARP MULTICAST MTU:1514 Metric:1
RX packets:533 errors:1 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:621 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:3
RX bytes:291787 (284.9 Kb) TX bytes:90756 (88.6 Kb)

Copy of my smb.conf :

# Samba config file created using SWAT
# from UNKNOWN (127.0.0.1)
# Date: 2004/04/06 08:28:46

# Global parameters
[global]
workgroup = HOME1
netbios name = PEN-II
interfaces = 192.168.0.3
guest account = ftp
hosts allow = iwill

[lin_book]
comment = Linux bookmarks
path = /home/me/bookmarks
read only = No
guest ok = Yes

[ed]
comment = ed's homedir
path = /home/ed
read only = No
guest ok = Yes

A check to show " ed " is part of ' home1 " group.

[root@localhost root]# groups ed
ed : ed nobody users me home1

Copy /etc/host
# Do not remove the following line, or various programs
# that require network functionality will fail.
127.0.0.1 localhost.localdomain Pen-II

Informatiion from Network device setup.

The info on the win98 box is alis " iwill " ip address is 192.168.0.2
No firewall running. Anti-virrus is " avast ! "

IP address : 192.168.0.2
Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0
DNS = disable
Gateway=(blank)
Wins Resolution=disabled

Hi -

A couple of suggestions:

1. Make sure you have the *same* username with the *same* password
on *both* Linux and Win98.

If you don't have a password - then make one.

Log on as that user to both hosts.

2. Make sure both hosts (Win98 and Linux/Samba) are in the same
workgroup.

3. Make sure your host names, workgroup names and share names
are all short, simple NetBIOS-compatible names (i.e. no dashes or
or special characters).

4. Use the SWAT GUI (e.g. "mozilla http://localhost:901"). Don't mess
with any configuration files (until you're more comfortable with Samba).
(It sounds like you're already doing this).

5. From Samba, create a test share with a simple name (e.g. share
"/tmp" with the NetBIOS name "tmp"). Leave it "read-only" (the
default). Keep your names short and simple (no dashes, etc). Take
the defaults.

6. From Win98, go to "[Start], Run" and type in the name of your
Linux host (*not* "\\host" + "share": just "\\host").

7. If you're still having problems, try a "Google" search - there are
*lots* of great tutorials out there. For example:
- http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplan...orials/2047/1/

Hope that helps .. PSM

Both username and password are the same on both machines

Both machines have the same workgroup that being home1
name for both boxes are simple names.
win98=iwill
linux=pen2

I am attemping to use Swat GUI to get sharing to work

I have as simple share home/ed

[i] I typed in \\pen2 , the reponse was \\pen2
No network provider accepted the given network path;

[i] I typed in \\192.168.0.3 , the reponse was \\192.168.0.3
No network provider accepted the given network path;

[i] I typed in \\ localhost.localdomain , the reponse was \\localhost.localdomain
No network provider accepted the given network path;

So you see everything seems to be ok. I can not identify the problem.

Good - it sounds like you're very close:

1. You've got both PCs communicating with each other

2. You're using the Samba "SWAT" GUI (at least for starters)

3. You've got the same (case-sensitive) user with the same (non-null)
password on both Win98 and Linux.

One key point to emphasize: you're dealing with NetBIOS and UNC (i.e. *Windows*) names for your Windows shares *not* TCP/IP names.

Please try this:

1. Just try to share your Linux "/tmp" directory, as share name "tmp".

2. Go into SWAT (web browser, "http://localhost:901" on Linux).

Go into "Shares".

Create share "tmp" and click [Create].

Give it the path "/tmp".

Take as many of the defaults as you can.

Be sure to leave it "read-only".

Click [Commit changes].

3. Restart your Samba smbd and nmbd daemons.

4. Now, on your Windows PC, type '[Start], Run" and give it your Linux
host name ... your Linux *NetBIOS" host name:

[Start],
Run
\\pen2

5. Do *not* use an IP address - you need a NetBIOS name, and your
Windows 98 PC needs to "know about" that NetBIOS name.

6. From a Windows command prompt, you should be able to type
"nbtstat -T" to see if your PC knows about any host named "pen2".

7. You can "tell" Windows about it by editing \windows\hosts (and, if
you wish, \windows\lmhosts).

Good luck!

'Hope that helps .. PSM

Still dead in the water.

I have checked everything again even got a "WORKING SMB.CONF" but it only worked for about 5 minutes.

That is the problem the linux box will appear on the MS Neighborhood network for less then 5 minutes and then just disappear. I can ping it using the address but I can not reach it by anyother meants.

Do the boxes send out a refresh every so often?
If so what is the interval?

In a previous post it was recomemmed that do
nbtstat -T There is no option -T
However there is:
-a
-A
-c
-n
-r
-R
-S
-s

I tryed them all, no where was there reference to either "pen2" or it address 192.168.0.3

So any more ideas as to what the problem might be?

1. I'm hearing that "I can see my Linux/Samba share from Win98 for
a few minutes, but then it mysteriously disappears".
Is that correct?

2. Can you be more specific about exactly what you mean when you
say "... I got a WORKING SMB.CONF"?

3. I meant "nbtstat -N" (as you discovered, there *is* no "nbtstat -T")
Sorry about the typo).
So what does "nbtstat -N" say? At first? After your "five minutes"?

4. You might also want to try "nbtstat -c" (query the NBT cache),
nbtstat -a pen2 (or, equivalently, "nbtstat -A 192.168.0.3").

5. It really sounds like the problem is on the Windows side of the house (yes, there *is* a refresh. In fact, the "Windows browser" has a whole *protocol* for refreshing).

Do you have any other Windows hosts (Win9x, NT or Win2k) you can
test with?

Your .. PSM

Yes, it disappear, and hit the "refresh" does not bring it back.
This problem accessed for other people also but I could not find a resolution to the problem.
Here is the thread from where I got th working smb.conf
Working smb.conf . When I used it linux showed up for a few minutes and disappeared just like everthing else I have tryed.
Here is the results of the nbtstat -n :

C:\WINDOWS>nbtstat -N


Node IpAddress: [192.168.0.2] Scope Id: []
NetBIOS Local Name Table

Name Type Status
---------------------------------------------
IWILL <00> UNIQUE Registered
HOME1 <00> GROUP Registered
IWILL <03> UNIQUE Registered
IWILL <20> UNIQUE Registered
HOME1 <1E> GROUP Registered
ED <03> UNIQUE Registered
HOME1 <1D> UNIQUE Registered
..__MSBROWSE__.<01> GROUP Registered


Here is the results of the nbtstat -c :
C:\WINDOWS>nbtstat -c
No names in cache

No I do not have any other OS installed Win98 is the only one.

As I mentioned above this problem has shown up before with other people but the problem is that I can not find out how the people cured the problem.
I keep on googling to see if I can find out.

Do you know of anyother window commands tell what is happening with the network? Is there any other logs of activity that window keeps?

I have checked the linux system log and it say that both smb and nmb are up and running. This is also confirmed by Swat status page.
Everything says that Samba is sending out a messege the trouble is no one is recieving it.

I quess I will have to keep on looking for the disappear linux box.
Thanks for the help.

Will I am semi happy.
I have finally got sometime to work.

I now am able to at least see the shares on the win98 box from the linux box thru Nautillus File Manager.
I may have been able to do this for a while but I did not know it.
I was missing the one vital piece of information that I found in a post about win98 and linux sharing.
And that piece of information was how do you use to see the files on the linux box from the win98 box.
No where did I see to look at the files you enter into a browser or file manager smb://win box name / . I have looked at alot of information and not once have I seen how you are supposed to be able to look at the files.

I still can not get the other way to work, from win98 to linux.
I am still looking for this information.

Hi -

Sorry to hear that you're still not completely squared away:

1. For whatever it's worth, you should *not* have to specify "smb:" in your
UNC name for Windows to see your Samba share.

All you need to do is go into "[Start], run" and type in "\\MYHOST". Period.

2. It definitely sounds like the problem is with whatever computer is your
"Master browser". It *also* sounds like you need to make sure that your
Samba Linux host doesn't get *itself* elected as the "Master Browser".

My guess is that maybe this is the source of all your grief.

3. Please try COMMENTING OUT the following two lines in your samba.conf:
; domain master = yes
; preferred master = yes

Please, too, do a google search on keywords like "Windows browse" and
"Master Browser" to see if you can find anything that sheds light on the problem.

Good luck!

The reference was being made not to win98 box but to linux box, I place this into the Nautillus location address smb://win box name / . Then the drives on the win98 box show up C,D,E in the Nautillus file manager.

Now if I do "[Start], run" and type in "\\MYHOST". Period" in win98 I get:
Did you mean for me to put in NO PERIODS? \\myhost
Error:
"An extended error has occured."
" No network provider accepted the given network path"
Did you mean for me to put in (1 ) PERIOD? \\myhost.
Error:
" No network provider accepted the given network path"
Did you mean for me to put in (2 ) PERIODS? \\myhost..
Error:
" No network provider accepted the given network path"
So it seems like each try produces error.
I have read that Samba alway wants to be Master and that it even bits higher to get the position.

I do not have these lines in my smb.conf
My smb.config:
[global]

workgroup = home1
netbios name = pen2
server string = Samba Server %v
# line change from security = share to next line
security = user
encrypt passwords = Yes
# next lined added
smb passwd file=/etc/smbpasswd
map to guest = ed
log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
max log size = 50
socket options = TCP_NODELAY SO_RCVBUF=8192 SO_SNDBUF=8192
printcap name = cups
dns proxy = No
printer admin = @adm
printing = cups
# next line added
hosts allow =192.168.0.2

[homes]
comment = TEMP readonly
path = /home/tmp
public = yes
browseable = yes
writable = yes
# following lines added
[ed]
comment = ed folder
path = /home/ed
public = no
browseable = yes
writable = yes

See No line like that.
I am making Google number on in hit with the amount of searchs I am doing on this subject. I see what I can find I have a few already from looking up win98 networking problems.

Thanks for your help.