samba question, using for authentication to mixed OS clients...

plisken · 04-27-2014, 08:51 AM

I'm experimenting with a very simply samba config and using windows and linux clients to authenticate using such.

Firstly, I must add that I know there are probably much more polished and secure ways to do this and I am open to suggestions at this point but this is what I've done/tried so far and my question relating to such.

samba server running on a slackware 14 box, very basic modifications to smb.conf file so far. (left out unchanged entries)

Code:

 workgroup = WORKGROUP
 server string = Slackware Samba Server
 security = user
 hosts allow = 127. 192.168.254.

[homes]
   comment = Home Directories
   browseable = no
   writable = yes

[tmp]
   comment = Temporary file space
   path = /tmp
   read only = no
   public = yes

Next I done:

Code:

useradd 'machinename$'
smbpasswd -ma 'machinename'
smbpasswd -a root
smbpasswd -a regularuser
[note both root and regular user are already Linux users]

As far as client testing goes, I've added Windows XP to the domain and can use it to logon to that machine, similarly, done the same with a RHEL client and same result.

Now to my questions(s)

1)
On the Windows machine, after logging in I find a mapped drive "Z" which points to the corresponding users home dir on the server, how has this come about, is this a windows thing or a samba thing, I don't see anything in the smb.conf file that looks responsible.

2)
The Linux client does not do this, I have to manually browse to the remote home dir share as I would the tmp share, how would I go about having this home share setup/bookmarked automatically on login to make it easily found without browsing?

If this post is in the wrong section, apologies and please move as appropriate.

Thanks in advance...

michaelk · 04-30-2014, 06:44 AM

Did you post the entire smb.conf file?

Quote:

I've added Windows XP to the domain and can use it to logon to that machine, similarly, done the same with a RHEL client and same result.

Please explain what you mean by added XP and RHEL to the domain? The simplest explanation is you previously mapped the home directory. Windows maps drives starting with z and will automatically remap the drive at login.

With linux you can add a line in the /etc/fstab file to mount the share at boot time or you can create a 'shortcut' in the file browser. I assume you are using Nautilus which has a built in samba client.

plisken · 05-01-2014, 01:55 PM

Only the changes at the smb.conf file were shown, I guess I could post whole file if need be.

When I say I added XP and RHEL to the domain, I meant that I added the machine accounts to the samab server as follows:

Code:

/usr/sbin/useradd 'machinename$'

smbpasswd -ma 'machinename'

For the RH machine, I done something similar to: https://www.dropbox.com/s/rs2ignv8q4lpiu2/CentOS2.png

I'm really only looking for a setup where the samba server can authenticate users to any of the machines that I previously add to the server/domain and would like that when each user logs on, their predefined shares are available.

The /etc/fstab part I get but would like the folder to be easily visable, perhaps on the desktop or so.