Hi All,
Can anyone tell me how to use password authentication with Samba and Windows... without the Windows client logging into a domain??. Ive got it going and have 2 public folders and 1 "private" folder. The smb.conf reads as follows:

[Private]
comment = Admin
path = /vol/samba/private
valid users = john
browsable = Yes
public = No
writable = Yes
create mode = 0700

(Ive created the dir and used the command : chown smbuser:smb /vol/samba/private... as I did with the public folders)

Now I get a login and password pop-up menu when trying to access the folder from my XP machine, but the user is "guest" by default and unchangeble. Actually my problem is not understanding where the problem lies.... in networking (not logging on)?, the smb.conf?, or the password itself?..... Can someone please shine some light?

Samba runs as root, so changing the user is not necessary when the share is authenticated. Only 'guest' access is mapped to a special user (possibly 'samba' in your case).

[private]
path = /vol/samba/private
valid users = john

Private should be readable and writable by user 'john', and samba will create and manipulate files as if it were 'john'.

Do you authenticate though smbpassword? Is 'john' both a UNIX user and also a user in 'smbpasswd'?

Finally, make sure that if your client is expecting encrypted password access that samba has encryption enabled (see docs for the [global] section.

Thank you,
Gary Allen Vollink

Ok.. Ive chown"ed" my private dir to "john" and used "smbpasswd -a john" to create the password. Encryption is on... Actually heres a copy of my smb.conf:

-------------------------------------------------------------
[global]

# workgroup = NT-Domain-Name or Workgroup-Name
workgroup = FIDO

# server string is the equivalent of the NT Description field
server string = FIDO Samba Server

hosts allow = 10.1.1.1 10.1.1.10 127.
interfaces = 10.1.1.1/24 127.0.0.1/24
bind interfaces only = Yes
security = SHARE
encrypt passwords = Yes
smb passwd file = /etc/samba/smbpasswd
log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
max log size = 50
read bmpx = No
time server = Yes
os level = 65
preferred master = Yes
dns proxy = No
wins support = Yes
guest account = smbuser
hide dot files = No

printcap name = /etc/printcap
load printers = yes

printing = lprng

socket options = TCP_NODELAY SO_RCVBUF=8192 SO_SNDBUF=8192

[printers]
comment = All Printers
path = /var/spool/samba
browseable = no

guest ok = no
printable = yes

[Public]
comment = Shared Directory
path = /home/public
read only = No
create mask = 0664
directory mask = 0775
guest ok = Yes

[Data]
comment = Software
path = /vol/samba/data
read only = No
create mask = 0660
directory mask = 0770
guest ok = Yes

[Private]
comment = Administrator
path = /vol/samba/private
valid users = john
browsable = Yes
public = No
writable = Yes
create mode = 0700

----------------------------------------------------------------
Can anybody see something missing or out of place?
After the changes - I still get a login box (on my XP machine) with no abitlity to change the username (ie: fido/guest) but I can type in a password (ie: [smbpaswd -a john] ....that obviosly doesnt work).....

Just play around with

[global]
..
security = SHARE / user / server

make sure, the user logged in , is using same username passwd, which you added by smbpasswd.

sudheer.