Cannot see files on a Samba share...
 

Ok, this is a complicated one, and possibly not entirely a linux question, but here goes-

I have a Synology server, set to backup to an external USB disk. As I understand it this disk is formatted as ext3.

The server recently crashed, so I need to get the data off the USB disk.

Weird thing 1: if I used an ext3 reader for Windows, then I can only see directories on the USB disk, no files. Yet if I mount it back on the (now crashed, but still just about bootable) Synology, then I can see all the files just fine.

Since I can see the files on Synology I figure the Windows ext3 reader is faulty. So I copy all the files to a spanky new QNAP NAS. Telnetting into the NAS I can see everything is present and correct and all the data is there. Great!

Weird thing 2: If I try to access the data via a Samba share, I can't see any of the files. Only directories!

Weird thing 3: I tried to make it all completely open by chown to my user and the "everyone" group, and then chmod uga+rxw *. This made no difference.

Weird thing 4: If I select "show hidden operating system files" in Windows then all the files appear.

Are there some weird "extra" permissions that Synology are using? If so how can I get rid of them? Anybody have an idea what is going on?

My worst case is I'll have to boot the Synology back up and copy the files via that, but I'd like to know whats going on. Oh and black mark to Synology here for making a backup that is hard to use on anything but the original system.

Thanks!

Hi Damian

From the sounds of it I would say all the weirdness is related to option 1.
All of your points in some way relate back to windows idea of how to view ext3.
You might be tempted to say nahuh on the Samba one but remember this is a way of linux to interact
with Windows so it is still a Windows based option causing the issue.

And lastly, while I have not heard of Synology, knocking the backup only readable by original system
wouldgenerally be exactly how Windows operates for most things!!

But when viewed via Samba its nothing to do with ext3 - and the files have been copied from one linux system to another, and all permissions reset.

I don't have this problem with any other linux samba share. Normally it just works.

What are the file names that you aren't able to see on the Windows box?

I can't see any files at all. Doesn't matter what the filename is. e.g. albumfiles.txt.

I should have been more clear. Can you give us the output from "ls -la" on a directory that is not showing up on your Windows box?