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March 01, 1997 12:00 AM

Samba-UNIX and NT Interoperability Made Easy

Windows IT Pro
InstantDoc ID #471
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If you use Samba from a Windows client, filename case sensitivity can be a big problem. UNIX systems pay attention to character case. In other words, test.txt and Test.txt are entirely different files. Case sensitivity can be a problem when you're using some applications, such as text editors and decompression programs from a Windows client, to write data to a UNIX server. Some client packages don't pay attention to case sensitivity in filenames, and others do. Typically, software "Designed for Windows 95 and NT" works best. As people say on the Internet, YMMV (your mileage may vary), depending on the client OS and software you use. Be sure to test carefully.

UNIX and NT Integrated
So you see, integrating UNIX and NT for simple file and print services isn't very difficult. Keep in mind that you can do lots of other functional things with Samba--I've only scratched the surface here. So make sure you read all the manual pages and text files, and be aware of the pitfalls I pointed out. One final note, you can locate information on where to get help using Samba in the included Support.txt file. So, now that you've gotten UNIX and NT integrated to some extent, perhaps it's a good time to tackle that Novell or VMS server.

Samba builds a multilane expressway between NT and UNIX systems.

TABLE 1: Field Definitions
FieldDefinition

commentAppears in the network browse list next to the share name.

pathDirectory to be shared.

valid usersList of users allowed to access this share. If this field is defined and blank, anyone can connect to the share. If you omit the field, no one can connect to this share.

publicDetermines whether a password is required to access the share. Yes means anyone can connect without a password, and no means users are authenticated (validated) before being granted access.

writableDetermines whether users can create files and directories in this share.

printableDetermines whether a user can open and write print spool files to the directory.

create maskSets file permissions used for converting from DOS mode to UNIX mode. Leave this field set as is, unless you know what you're doing. UNIX administrators know how to set this field correctly for their environment. Use the man chmod UNIX command for further information on file permissions.

hosts allowLists host IP addresses used to control where users may connect from. For example, an IP address pool defined by the IP network address 247.252.251.0 with the subnet mask 255.255.255.0 includes all addresses from 247.252.251.0 through 247.252.251.254--thus allowing access from a pool of 255 addresses.

browseableDetermines whether the new-share is visible in a network browse list (Network Neighborhood on Win95 and NT). The default is yes, so you don't necessarily have to add this line.

TABLE 2: Shares on a Windows Host
SharenameTypeComment
ADMIN$DiskRemote Admin
C$DiskDefault Share
D$DiskDefault Share
HP660CPrinterHP Deskjet 660C
SharenameTypeComment
IPC$IPCRemote IPC
NETLOGONDiskLogon Server Share
print$DiskPrinter Drivers

Samba
Author: Andrew Tridgell
Email: andrew.tridgell@anu.edu.au
Web: http://lake.canberra.edu.au/pub/ samba/samba.html
Price: Download for free at Samba's Web site
System Requirements: Runs on most UNIX varieties, and supports Microsoft, Novell, and VMS networks.

Samba runs on UNIX, enables a UNIX host to establish shares that Windows clients can map, and enables UNIX clients to map shares on Windows hosts.

Related Content:

ARTICLE TOOLS

Comments
  • Clifton Hairston
    13 years ago
    Aug 12, 1999

    Wow! I was surprised to see an article on Samba in a Windows NT magazine. I really shouldn’t be though. Seeing articles about how to use non-Microsoft systems with the likes of NT is really nice.
    Your article mentioned that you used the following command:



    tar xvfg samba-1.9.16p9.tar.gz



    to uncompress the tar ball. Are you sure you didn’t mean tar zxvf or xvfz? Your article was the first time I’ve seen the -g switch to untar something, and I tried that command on another file on this system and it wouldn’t work. Good article, and keep up the good work.

    --Clifton Hairston




    The xvfg switch is what I used on my version of Linux. This switch could be different on your system, depending on what version tar you’re using.

    --Mark Joseph Edwards

  • Lisa Henry
    13 years ago
    Aug 12, 1999

    So I got my March magazine on a lazy afternoon, started flipping through it; read Mark Joseph Edwards’ article, “Samba”; and thought it just looked too easy. I had an hour to kill, so I followed your directions and had Samba running on my Sun in no time. I opened Network Neighborhood on my NT Server, and there Samba was! Wow. Of course, I look like a hero around here, and I’ll take the credit ;), but I wanted to thank you for such an entirely useful article.

    --Lisa Henry

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