samba is a MESS

ninja master · 12-16-2012, 09:03 PM

(preface: 3.6.9 worked great... test machine, thus 4.0.0 was merged, and back to 3.6.9 resulted in major problems out of the blue... now moving on to testing 3.6.10 as a last resort with a few thoughts about the whole situation)

i have not come to ask for help on samba, as i have found that samba is a internal mess. instead of being a cute unixy type program that you can say "hey i got a share here" and have it share it instead has an ABSURD extensively long configuration script. im not writing this absurd flame because it doesnt work, this is because i had a good config script going, had it work, then installed samba 4, had problems with it asking for passwords *when i didnt want it to ask for passwords* and then being un able to revert back using the same exact script.

samba should have several scripts to configure its behaviors....

1 to deal with the server&shares names / netbios naming...
1 to deal with passwords (or the lack there of)
1 to deal with directory shares...
1 to deal with insecure drop box directory shares...
1 to deal with active directory
1 to deal with wins....
1 to deal with printers.....

and to top it off an ultra sexy gui to make samba easy as removing windows from a hard drive for good.

so if i the uninformed user roll up and want to share a file, i simply edit a comment to point where my share directory is.

or if i as a net admin need to shuffle files back and forth... and have the company advertisements locked down to a directory that cannot be deleted i can do so....

my samba config

Code:

[global]

# workgroup = NT-Domain-Name or Workgroup-Name, eg: LINUX2
   workgroup = WORKGROUP
   netbios name = ME

# Security mode. Defines in which mode Samba will operate. Possible
# values are share, user, server, domain and ads. Most people will want
# user level security. See the HOWTO Collection for details.
   security = share

# Unix users can map to different SMB User names
   username map = /etc/samba/smbusers

force user = samba
force group = samba

[Broadcast]
        comment = Guest access share
	public = yes
        path = /home/samba/broadcast
        browseable = yes
        read only = yes
        guest ok = yes

[Dropbox]
	path = /home/samba/dropbox
	public = yes
        browseable = yes
        read only = no
        guest ok = yes

i understand my samba config is an absurd mess.... i asked for no help and took WEEKS to construct it down to the point of an old quick and dirty windows 2k/xp unlocked share, and a locked down (your getting my media and your not going to delete it either) share.... as for printers we have 3 802.11 wifi printers and smb printing is a touch 1982....

please someone read this and re-order samba to make it so my configs turn out immaculate and make me master of the known universe as i am in 99% of my other linux dealings.

cjcox · 12-28-2012, 03:39 PM

Samba is a "mess" without a Domain/AD.

And without a Domain/AD, IMHO, in many cases, there is no need for Samba. Just install WinSCP and move files to and fro from your Linux host.

Windows knows about IPP ... so if you must print through Windows, you might be able to set something up there. IMHO, you are better off putting the important stuff (files, printers, etc.) on Linux and then hitting those things from Windows. It's easier.

So.. can't answer for every "bad" Windows network out there... just my own suggestions. You may have to fight to make your situation work for you.

Windows is evil.... it's meant to NOT integrate with anything. Linux is the reverse. It's meant to talk to everything. Thus my recommendation to reverse the roles where possible. Windows is a horrible server. I don't care what version you are running. If you simply must do Windows, then do it the "Microsoft way" and deploy a Domain/AD, etc.

My two cents (I know I didn't "fix Samba" with my commentary)