Samba - Passwd protected share with Windows XP Home

uhcafigdc · 10-30-2008, 10:00 AM

I have a file server running Debian Testing and Samba 3.2.3. Workstations that access the shares are running Windows XP Home, SP2/SP3. XP Home does not feature the same network authentication that XP Professional does.
Currently, I have security = share set in [global] so that users do not need to enter any login/password to access the shares. This accessibility is important.

Now I have the need to create a separate password protected share.

Here is my samba.conf

Code:

[global]

   workgroup = workgroup
   netbios name = Files
   
   level2 oplocks = no
   oplocks = no
   
   hosts allow = 192.168.1. 127.
   
   guest account = someuser
   
   log file = /var/log/samba/%m.log
   log level = 1
   max log size = 50
   
   security = share
   
   socket options = TCP_NODELAY SO_RCVBUF=8192 SO_SNDBUF=8192

   include = /etc/samba/dhcp.conf
   dns proxy = no
   
#  encrypt passwords = true
#  smb passwd file = /etc/samba/smbpasswd

#======================= Share Definitions =======================

[files]
	path = /home/files/files
	writable = yes
	public = yes
	read only = no

[private]
	path = /home/private/
	writable = yes
	public = no
	valid users = private SomeWindowsUser

When I set public = no, and valid users = SomeWindowsUser, and add SomeWindowsUser to the server with adduser, setting the same password as is on the Windows XP Home machine...
I get a prompt for a password when accessing the share from XP Home. The login field is greyed out and says 192.168.1.13\Guest and it will not accept any password that I know.

How can I have an openly accessible share as well as a share that is password protected when the clients are using Windows XP Home?

Do I need to set the value security = user in order to get a password prompt for the private share? If I do this, is the public share that does not require a username/password still possible?

mostlyharmless · 10-30-2008, 02:59 PM

Not that I'm an expert on Samba, by any means, but my understanding is that you have to add users with smbpasswd after using adduser.

Savet · 10-30-2008, 07:28 PM

mostlyharmless is correct.

Also make sure you restart smbd and nmbd after making any changes to your smb.config file (I think that's what it's called...I haven't used samba for a few years)

I believe, though, that the guest is coming from your windows box. You are logged in to the windows box as the user with the password you wish to connect to the samba share.....right? If your xp box boots up under the guest account, it will attempt to authenticate "guest".

uhcafigdc · 10-31-2008, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Savet

I believe, though, that the guest is coming from your windows box. You are logged in to the windows box as the user with the password you wish to connect to the samba share.....right? If your xp box boots up under the guest account, it will attempt to authenticate "guest".

No. I am logged in as SomeWindowsUser on the Windows XP machine.
When accessing the share [private] using that configuration that you see in the original post, I receive a login dialog box. The login field is greyed out (I can't change it) and says "192.168.1.13\Guest"
It does not accept any password that I know.

I tried adding Guest and SomeWindowsUser with smbpasswd -a

bobmac010 · 10-31-2008, 10:38 AM

Security needs to be set to "user", and "encrypt passwords = yes" needs to be added.
This has been my experience. Without "encrypt passwords = yes", I have found that any auth to the Samba shares are denied.
The "valid users" section will work with "security = users"

I hope this helps.
(also, in Windows, you cannot access the same server, even though you are accessing a different share, with multiple users/passwords. Windows just does not allow this)