Connect to Linux from Windows with Full Rights
 

Salvete! This is my first post here, and in fact, my first post in any Linux forum! I am a network administrator, and have inherited a Linux server which hosts Asterisk. I have a cli set up so I can do a putty session from my windows xp workstation. However, I need to get full access to the file system on the Linux machine from my windows workstation. I have samba set up and have entered my user account there. Now, when I map the drive on my windows computer, I am prompted for a password, which I give, and so the drive is mapped to the linux machine like I want. However, I cannot browse the root directory - Access Denied. Please help! I have full rights in the root account, but can't seem to give full rights to my own user account! If anyone could assist me, I have the cli open here and can type anything I want there.

Hello there!

What do you mean about the "root directory"? Do you mean the "/root" or the "/". I think that not only is there problem with rights, but also with ownership. Both "/root" , "/" are owned by root. So if you mean the "/root" directory you have to type as root "chmod 755 /root" to have read access. If you mean the "/" directory DO NOT TRY AT ALL TO CHANGE ANY RIGHT if you are not exactly what you are doing!!

When I try to map the network drive, I get prompted for my password, but the login box won't take accept it. Caps lock isn't on, and I use the server's domain: myserver\mylogin but it just won't take. What do I try?

Yes, I do mean the root (/) directory. My user account is a member of the "root" group. Right now, I am using the "root" user through the cli. If I do a ls -l in the root directory, I see that all the directories there are owned by the root user, and also the root group.

On your smb.conf did you try path = /

In smb.conf, I see an entry for [root] with path=/, but it says valid users = None. Do I change this line? Actually, I am using the joe editor, and it says the file is read-only.

try valid users=@root all root group

Okay, but how do I get the file out of read-only? (I am posting in the "newbies" group for a good reason, you know).

Okay, I got it. I used su and joe-edited the file.

Hey! It works! That was just the trick I needed! Thank you!

:) You are welcome

Hello! I had to reinstall the OS, and am back to the same problem.

I have added your former suggestions:
I can confirm that samba is running, nmb is running, network is running, and the firewall is open.
Everything is yummed and the machine has been restarted.

Now, this may be a clue - if I open the "Network", I get a messagebox saying: "Unable to mount location - Failed to retrieve share list from server"
The computer receives its ipaddress via dhcp, and it *does* recieve its correct ipaddress.

Also, I tried to telnet from my windows computer to ports 139 and 445, but "Could not open connection to the host" on either port.

Likewise, if I try to find the computer from my windows computer, the path is not to be found - although I *am* able to ping the machine.
What can I do?

firewall rules are perhaps blocking that port (in fedora its called system-config-firewall) ?
just for the shiggles, can you post your chkconfig output here.

Not if I have run this command, no?

Oh, well, maybe that *was* the problem. I disabled the firewall completely and it worked...

Now I can browse the folders okay, but I am denied access to edit samba.conf. How can I have access? I have added my useraccount to the root group, and here is my entry in smb.conf: