Member Avatar for Dani

I'm having a huge problem trying to get samba to work. I want to be able to put my Redhat 7.3 box onto my Windows workgroup. My linux box can see my windows pcs fine, but not the other way around. My linux box appears in Network Neighborhood in windows, but everytime I click on it, I get an error saying The Network Path Was Not Found. If I run smbclient from my linux box, it CAN log in to itself fine. Any ideas where I could get really detailed samba help for a newbie? ;) Also, if anyone here was able to get it to work, can you please post your smb.conf file? Thanx!

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Dani AI

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If your Samba box shows up in Network Neighborhood but double‑clicking it returns “The network path was not found,” the usual culprits are: NetBIOS name/browse issues, host access restrictions, or blocked ports. With DHCP clients you do not need to list every IP; just allow the whole subnet in smb.conf (for example, a netmask like 192.168.0.0/255.255.255.0). Also note that “localhost” is 127.0.0.1, not a 192.168.x.x address. If you depend on browsing, be sure nmbd is running and set a sensible name resolution order; Samba’s docs explain how browsing and name resolution work and how to tune name resolve order. See Name Resolution and Browsing and the hosts allow examples in the smb.conf manual (smb.conf(5)).

Quick checklist you can run from the Linux server:

# 1) Validate your config and host access logic
testparm -s

# 2) Add a Samba password for the Windows user you log in as
sudo smbpasswd -a your_windows_username

# 3) Verify a browse master is present
nmblookup -M -- -

# 4) Sanity-test shares locally
smbclient -L localhost -U%

Why these steps help:

  • testparm flags syntax mistakes and can test whether a given host would be allowed to connect. (testparm(1))
  • smbpasswd -a creates the Samba credential Windows will use when connecting. (Samba FAQ: standalone server)
  • nmblookup -M -- - checks that a master browser exists on the workgroup. (nmblookup(1))

Firewall note: ensure 137/udp, 138/udp, 139/tcp, and 445/tcp are open between Windows and the Samba host; blocking any of these can produce the exact error you are seeing. (Microsoft service/port requirements)

Modern Windows tip: on recent Windows versions SMB1 browsing is disabled by default, so servers may not appear in “Network Neighborhood.” Connect directly via \server or \ip, or explicitly enable SMB1 only for troubleshooting. (Samba FAQ)

Recommended Answers

All 17 Replies

Member Avatar for knalb

mmMMMM.. you want help with samba? well who am i to dissapoint.. just remember.. *evil grin* RTFM:

and

and

http://faqchest.dynhost.com/linux/samba-l/

and finally a recent addition:

Member Avatar for Dani

Very cool! I will take a look at these later tonight and with hope and prayer maybe I'll finally be able to get samba working.

Until now I've been confined to the man pages and to linuxnewbie.org - time to broaden my horizons!

Member Avatar for knalb

so whats the story cheif.. get it working yet?

Member Avatar for Dani

It's 4:40 am and I just got home !!
Whew what a day !!

I was all over today, and haven't had a chance to work on anything on my linux box.

I'll have a looksie tomorrow ... (my eyes are half shut right now).

Member Avatar for knalb

It's 4:40 am and I just got home !!
Whew what a day !!

I was all over today, and haven't had a chance to work on anything on my linux box.

I'll have a looksie tomorrow ... (my eyes are half shut right now).

that sounds like a personal problem to me.. ;D don't you know when it comes to linux you're suppose to take one for the team and do whatever it takes??

Member Avatar for Dani

I looked over all the sites you sent me to and still no go. My problem is in the "hosts allow" parameter and in the hosts and lmhosts files. Every samba configuration I see shows that I need to specify in these files the IP of localhost (the 192.168.0.x one) and the IPs and NetBIOS names of all the other PCs on the network I want to be able to connect to/from. My problem is that I have a WinXP box directly connected to a cable modem whose IP is 192.168.0.1. This machine uses dhcp to randomly assign an IP to all my other boxes. Take my laptop, for example - it is constantly being moved around from my school's network to my home network - and each time it gets plugged into my hub, it comes back with a different IP!

Do I not need to do anything about these files afterall? Is all this worrying over some stupid lil thing?

If I run "smbclient localhost" from my linux box, I can access my shares! My linux box appears in network neighborhood on my windows machines, but upon clicking it, it says that the computer could not be found on the network or something.

More help please?

Member Avatar for AlPhA

Hmm... reminds me of something similar that happens in my network (but it's wireless so it might not help much, i believe i have static ip's but i'm 2 lazy 2 check wat i set it 4). Just sayin cause it might help:

Sometimes, when i put my laptop on standby and i later turn it on. I try to view my laptops shared files from my desktop and it says something like not detected. And on my laptop i can't access anything from my desktop because it says not connected to network. I've realized the way 2 fix this is to either restart (old way, found out how 2 make it work wo restartin) or on the bottom right there's a small lil comp icon. All i do is just double click on it and it opens up a window showing me all da computers where i have a networked drive from. I just doubble click the alphaprime (desktop network name) and play around with it, and eventually it connected.

Doubt this will help, but can inspire ya

Member Avatar for Dani

Attn: Alpha

??? HUH? ???

Member Avatar for knalb

I looked over all the sites you sent me to and still no go. My problem is in the "hosts allow" parameter and in the hosts and lmhosts files. Every samba configuration I see shows that I need to specify in these files the IP of localhost (the 192.168.0.x one) and the IPs and NetBIOS names of all the other PCs on the network I want to be able to connect to/from. My problem is that I have a WinXP box directly connected to a cable modem whose IP is 192.168.0.1. This machine uses dhcp to randomly assign an IP to all my other boxes. Take my laptop, for example - it is constantly being moved around from my school's network to my home network - and each time it gets plugged into my hub, it comes back with a different IP!

Do I not need to do anything about these files afterall? Is all this worrying over some stupid lil thing?

If I run "smbclient localhost" from my linux box, I can access my shares! My linux box appears in network neighborhood on my windows machines, but upon clicking it, it says that the computer could not be found on the network or something.

More help please?

well.. as far as the hosts allow, there are a copule of options you can do, for one, the dhcp client on your xp box, you should be able to specify certain MAC addresses to get certain ip's.. do this for your linux machine, then every time it hits the network, it gets the same ip.. as for the rest of the machine, have you thought about just having it allow connections from 192.168.*.*? that should allow any computer to connect.. and if for some reason you have to put a hostname in, just use a regular expresion like [a-zA-Z0-9] which should allow any alphanumeric hostname.. of course.. i could be wrong.. as i dont use samba.. i prefer ssh2 and ftp when i need to.. :)

Member Avatar for Dani

Eek, sorry it took me so long to respond. Your post seemed to have gotten lost in the forums and I didn't realize you responded ;)

My XP box has Norton firewall is already set up to accept all 192.168.0.* connections - plus telnet works and my linux box is pingable. So the pcs can definitely see each other on the network.

I am thinking the problem has something to do with permissions on the linux box. (smbpasswd i guess?)

Member Avatar for Dani

OMG YES !! Samba works perfectly now and I'm a happy camper. I followed the RedHat Samba Configuration page @ redhat.com and then I made sure to enable the smb service manually. Other than that, I don't know what I did right this time that I did wrong all the other times!

Member Avatar for hamza

I'm having a huge problem trying to get samba to work. I want to be able to put my Redhat 7.3 box onto my Windows workgroup. My linux box can see my windows pcs fine, but not the other way around. My linux box appears in Network Neighborhood in windows, but everytime I click on it, I get an error saying The Network Path Was Not Found. If I run smbclient from my linux box, it CAN log in to itself fine. Any ideas where I could get really detailed samba help for a newbie? ;) Also, if anyone here was able to get it to work, can you please post your smb.conf file? Thanx!

Member Avatar for Dani

huh ??

Member Avatar for hamza

I'm having a huge problem trying to get samba to work. I want to be able to put my Redhat 7.3 box onto my Windows workgroup. My linux box can see my windows pcs fine, but not the other way around. My linux box appears in Network Neighborhood in windows, but everytime I click on it, I get an error saying The Network Path Was Not Found. If I run smbclient from my linux box, it CAN log in to itself fine. Any ideas where I could get really detailed samba help for a newbie? ;) Also, if anyone here was able to get it to work, can you please post your smb.conf file? Thanx!

Member Avatar for deanpence

In interest of future discussion, here?s an example smb.conf file (very similar to my own), even though Dani already has her Samba working: (Note: I use Samba as my PDC, not a Windows box.)

[global]
        # Basic server settings
        netbios name  = MYSERVER
        server string = MyServer Samba Server
        workgroup     = MYDOMAIN

        # Act as domain and local master browser.
        os level         = 99
        preferred master = true
        domain master    = true
        local master     = true
        domain logons    = true

        time server = true

        # Required for PDC.
        security          = user
        encrypt passwords = true
        smb passwd file   = /etc/samba/smbpasswd

        # User profiles
        logon path = \\%N\profiles\%U

        # Home directory
        logon drive = H:
        # For Win9x
        #logon home  = \\%N\%U\.profile
        # For Win2k
        logon home  = \\%N\%U

        # Login script relative to [netlogon]
        ;logon script = logon.cmd
        # I run a .js script; don't do this without
        # the newest Windows Script Host.
        logon script = %U.js

        # For adding machine trust accounts
        add user script = \
                /usr/sbin/useradd \
                        -d /dev/null \
                        -g 1000 \
                        -s /sbin/falselogin \
                        -M %u

        # Hosts
        hosts allow = 192.168.0. 127.
        hosts deny  = ALL

        # Printing
        # I don't using any printers.
        #printcap name = /etc/printcap
        #load printers = true
        #printing      = lprng

        # Logging
        #log file     = /var/log/samba/%m.log
        max log size = 4096
        log level    = 1

        # Password sync stuff
        unix password sync    = true
        passwd program        = /usr/bin/passwd %u
        passwd chat           = *New*password* %n\n *Retype*new*password* %n\n *passwd:*all*authentication*tokens*updated*successfully*

        pam password change   = true
        obey pam restrictions = false

        # Network
        socket options = \
                TCP_NODELAY \
                IPTOS_LOWDELAY \
                SO_KEEPALIVE \
                SO_RCVBUF=8192 \
                SO_SNDBUF=8192

        # Network & security
        interfaces           = 192.168.0.1/24
        bind interfaces only = true
        allow hosts          = 192.168.0.0/255.255.255.0, localhost
        remote announce      = 192.168.0.255

        # Name resolution
        wins support = true
        dns proxy    = false

        # Case preservation
        preserve case       = true
        short preserve case = true
        ;default case = lower


        # .mdb (Access) and .pst (Outlook) files
        # shouldn't be cached on the client.
        veto oplock files = /*.mdb/*.MDB/*.pst/*.PST

        # Shouldn't see unreadable files.
        hide unreadable = true

        browseable = true

        deadtime = 15

[homes]
        comment        = Home Directories
        # The [homes] share itself is falset browseable.
        # Clones will inherit from [global].
        browseable     = false
        writeable      = true
        valid users    = %S
        create mode    = 0660
        directory mode = 0770
        guest ok       = false

[example]
        comment     = Example Share
        path        = /path/to/example
        writeable   = true
        guest ok    = false
        valid users = root me you otherguy

[netlogon]
        comment     = Network Logon Service
        path        = /path/to/netlogon
        guest ok    = true
        writeable   = false
        write list  = root dean hall
        ;share modes = false

[profiles]
        comment        = Profile Share
        path           = /path/to/profiles
        writeable      = true
        create mask    = 0600
        directory mask = 0700
        ;browseable     = true
        ;guest ok       = true
        ;csc policy     = disable
        ;profile acls   = true
Member Avatar for Dani

Nice, thanks!

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