I am running Caldera OpenLinux Server 2.3 with all of the services installed and the default Samba version that comes with it. The clients are Windows 98 and Windows NT. A Linksys router with DHCP is hosting a Cable Modem for basic Internet stuff like web browsing. The Linux server is excluded from the DHCP range (on the router), and has 2 printers attached. Samba runs file and print sharing for the 2 clients, and normally the configuration works just fine. The server's IP address/DNS settings are configured correctly because it can get to the Internet via Netscape.

Here is the problem:
Whenever the Internet goes down (or the cable modem is unplugged) and one of the clients tries to print, the Samba printing fails and the file sharing stops - usually resulting in a lockup on the client. However, when the Internet comes back up, file sharing and printing resume normally. I'm not a wizard with Linux, but I do believe that DHCP is not running on the server. Why is the Internet connection locking up Samba?

This may be a long shot in the dark...


Maybe it is trying to resolv hosts by dns.


make sure /etc/hosts has all of the clients, and make sure that

order hosts, bind

is in /etc/hosts.conf

and maybe adding

search < yourdomainname >


like this

search home


in /etc/resolv.conf


other than that the obvious would be something wrong in the samba config file

Thanks for your reply. I put the clients on static IP addresses and put the proper entries in all of the host files (including on the clients). The "order hosts, bind" was set correctly. So, now when the Internet line goes down, they can get to their files just fine. However, and this is goofy, the printing still locks up. Is this a NetBIOS or Netbuei issue maybe?


I looked at the printcap and smb.conf files which seem ok. I even tried making the server the "master browser" with no luck. I read somewhere on the Internet that putting this line in the smb.conf may help (print command=lpr -r -P%p %s). What do you think?

Unless you really need it I would go to TCP/IP only, netbuei is not needed, and more than one protocal can cause problems


Can you print locally with no problem?

I was able to reproduce this error on a friend's network, but when I put the entries into the host files (and lmhost when found) and reboot...all was ok. He has a Windows2000 Server there as well (I think that its running DNS).

However, at home when the Internet goes down, its like my Samba box disappears. I've tried rebooting, but that hasn't helped. When this happens, I can't print or browse locally.

TCP/IP is the only protocal enabled on the network, and I'm running Caldera Linux. All of the computers can now ping each other by name.

This all started after printing was correctly setup. When the Internet is down LPR hangs on bootup.

:smash:

It seems that something is wrong with the /etc/printcap file

or /still a problem in /etc/hosts

If your machine is trying to resolve your internet address to find the printer then it may hang on boot

this seems like the same thing that sendmail does when the etc/hosts file has a problem