Ok.. first I'd like to point out I'm really new to Linux and don't know much about how the OS works, I have a much stronger understanding of the windows OS so please, oh please don't flame me for asking what you may consider a simple question.

With that said, Is it possible to "mount" a windows share Under KDE, just as you would if you were connecting a windows machine to another? what I mean is, having the same functionality as you would in windows... ie: being able to play an Mp3 directly from the windows share, over the network, onto a Linux box? or does the problem with the two OS's being somewhat foreign to one another make this impossible?

Also I have configured samba to see and access my windows machine share, But Samba refuses to mount the SMB share for unknown reasons, and currently the only way I can play audio or video files from the windows share is to copy the file in question over to the Linux box.

I'm currently using SuSe 9.1 with KDE

Any help with this problem would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance

Riskdbc

You can absolutely do any of the things that you describe using linux.

Under KDE, you can use smb4k to mount windows shares attached to networks.

Or you can use smbmount from command line.

You wouldn't need to run a samba server unless you want to share some of your linux space to the windows machines. Anyway that's also easy to do.

Accessing a windows partition that physically exists on a linux machine can also be done. Many newer distros come with ntfs read-only support already enabled. You can check yours by doing

cat /proc/filesystems

Im also new to linux, and Ive successfully done all of the above without posting here (i wasn't aware of LQ, else i might have). I simply use google and other online resources.

For most anything that I've tried to do, for example setting up samba, just search the net for "samba howto debian" (i use debian). Or "samba tutorial debian". Check the resources at www.tldp.org and other places.

Cheers,
Danimal

Thanks for the Info.. however, I must stress that I know Nothing about this OS, as such I'm Not versed enough in the OS to be able to do the things you talked about with out some specific guidance (or hand-holding) in a step-by-step direction. having said that, I have searched my Linux box for the afore mentioned "smb4k" and found nothing.. and I have searched the web for howto's on this topic but only get topics refering to setup of the Linux box as the file server, Not the other way around. does anyone here have the patience to walk me through the required steps, here in this post?

Thanks again
Riskdbc

I am not sure about SUSE.

I am using debian, 2.6 kernel, running stable "sarge" distribution.

Under this configuration, there is a program for kde called smb4k. Using it, i am able
to browse windows shares on my network 'mshome' in the way that you want to.

You might try to use the command line (as root) and type in: smb[tab] [tab]

Pressing [tab] twice after typing 'smb' will show you what commands are available
in your path that begin with smb. One of those commands might be smbmount. If you have
smbmount, and if your kernel supports smbfs (smb filesystem), then you should be able
to mount the share at the command line. Then you will find your files. From there, you could
update your /etc/fstab to include the correct mounting automatically on boot.

Please don't ask me for syntax.

If you do not have smbmount installed you'll have to install it using your YAST package
manager. You could also use YAST to check to see if smb4k is avail to you.

Even if you prepare the linux system properly, there could be issues on the windows
machine-side. For example, you need to know whether you are running 'simple file sharing' or
not on the windows machine.

I am really, really not trying to scold you at all when i suggest searching the web. Linux
isn't easy from the get-go, and you will abandon it, assuredly, if you don't learn how and
where to find answers on your own. The beauty of linux is in its accessibility. Trust me,
I have been where you are, and know what I am talking about; I've struggled over the same
things.

keep at it....

I'm not in anyway saying or even thinking that you are scolding me, I was just mentioning that I couldn't seem to locate any pertinent info regarding my particular problem, the only info I could find was the mirror opposite of my problem.

with that said, I did a little research in regards to that KDE program you mentioned and was able to obtain the smb4k-0.4.1a-1.i386.rpm online. after a few failed attempts to get it installed, I finally managed to get it to work and ran into a new problem. Upon attempting to mount the share, I receive the following error.

An Error occurred while trying to mount the share!
smbmnt must be installed suid root for direct user mounts
(1000,1000)
smbmnt failed: 1

LOL... I hate to continue picking your brain, but now what!

Sounds like you need to mount it as root. I assume you're using a terminal to do this. You may have a menu item on your desktop for 'Terminal as root' or start a termina and run $ su -

To check you have access to the share have you tried using smbclient or just your file browser to smb:///
for smbclient use:
$ smbclient //Windoze/Sharename

The above syntax is for SHARE level access set in Windows... if it's user level access (unlikely), then add "-U username"
If it can't find your Windows computer (replace Windoze above with machine name) then you can try the IP address.

if the above works then you it should be a simple matter to mount it wherever you like.

Although informative, this does not correct the current error message I am dealing with... anyone else have any ideas on how to correct the above mentioned error message? this error was received from smb4k in the KDE enviornment.

Thank you again
Riskdbc

Quote:

Originally posted by riskdbc An Error occurred while trying to mount the share! smbmnt must be installed suid root for direct user mounts (1000,1000) smbmnt failed: 1

Risk,

Actually the error message is pretty self-explaining:
smbmount must be installed suid root for direct user mounts...
Lets split it up a bit (This will help you understand errors later! Trust me, we all have been there!)

smbmount must be installed suid root for direct user mounts... (1000,1000)
Meaning: "normal" users are not allowed to use smbmount...
There is your problem, you tried to mount as non-root. (Which is fine...)

next:
smbmount must be installed suid root for direct user mounts (1000,1000)
This means, that IF you want smbmount to be run by "normal users" you will have to suid it. (suid means Sticky UserID). Having that said, a little explanation is in place here:

smbmount can only be run as root in your case, due to restrictions. (which is very good!)
Now, if you set a sticky UID on it, it means that the program (smbmount) will run as the owning user (in this case root), no matter what user calls it. This way a normal user can run "root" programs...

Hopefully that cleared it for you?

Now, the actual thing to do:

become root:
% su -

Find out which smbmount you use:
% which smbmount

cd to that directory and add the "sticky uid" A sticky UID is set by taking the current rights and add a 1000 to it.. (1000,1000 in your errormessage!)
If the current rights are 755 (rwxr-xr-x) just add a 1 in front of them (1000)

% chmod 1755 smbmount

When you now look at the rights, (ls -l smbmount) you will see that the eXe bit of the user is set to s (rwsr-xr-x)

Guess this was a pretty "by the hand lead" tutorial... Hope this explains it for you.
good luck, and trust all of us: We have been there, once conquered, you will feel like on top of the world, and enjoy using linux...

Best,

Satriani

Great explanation, thought I would add though, that another way to add suid sticky bit is (as root) to run:

chmod u+s XXX

where XXX is the executable's filename.

A very bad recommendation....