Experiments with SAMBA

[raymac46]

Since I upgraded the SSD on my main desktop I have a spare 480GB solid state drive. So I put this spare SSD into an  external drive enclosure and connected it to the USB3 port on my Linksys router. Then I went into the router configuration and set it up as External Storage. Obviously the router runs on Linux as the drive shows up as sda1.

I was able to Map the drive from Windows 10 and then copy over my Pictures folder to it. That gives me another backup of my digital photos. I then went into the Thinkpad that runs Debian and was able to connect over the LAN to the external drive using SAMBA. I then copied a few folders from the external drive to the Thinkpad.

This is the first time I've done this sort of copying without a thumbdrive so it's pretty cool.

[securitybreach]

Nice

 

I prefer NFS but samba is ok too. I use scp a lot too but that is just ssh.

[raymac46]

I have a mix of Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Home, and Linux. I figured I would use Samba because I knew it would work with Windows and Linux supports it too. NFS looks like the way to go for all-Linux machinery.

[securitybreach]

WIndows fully supports NFS

 

http://jermsmit.com/mount-nfs-share-in-windows-10/

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/nfs/nfs-overview

[raymac46]

I haven't been able to figure out if you need Windows Pro to use NFS or if it works with Windows Home.

[securitybreach]

You'll know when you go to Add Windows Features. If it shows up, then it works on home too.

[raymac46]

I do not see this option with Windows 10 Home. Samba works though.

[securitybreach]

Oh well, both are good. I just always preferred NFS.

[raymac46]

I've connected up another couple of Linux machines to the router USB3 drive. With Linux Mint I used Thunar and just put the address of the drive into the address bar. With Linux Mint Nemo I didn't see this bar, but I found a neat little program called Gigolo which allowed me to mount the drive (which then shows up in Nemo.) I think there is a way to get the address bar showing up in Nemo but I haven't discovered it as yet.

Edited March 8, 2021 by raymac46

[securitybreach]

Cool

[raymac46]

I had fun getting SAMBA to work on my little Toshiba netbook that runs Arch Linux.

1. Install samba package and dependencies.
2. Create, configure and test /etc/samba/smb.conf
3. Add myself to the samba user list. List the samba accounts to make sure it worked.
4. Enable and test smb.service
5. install gvfs-samba package to get Thunar to find the network drive.

All nicely explained in the Archwiki.

 

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/samba

Edited March 9, 2021 by raymac46

[securitybreach]

Nice

[raymac46]

I've discovered that although it is easy enough to share samba files between my Linux computers it is a PITA to get Windows to share or login. I was able to get the Windows PCs to map to the attached drive on the router but not to any other Linux machine. I keep getting password incorrect errors. Nor can I log into a Windows machine from a Linux machine. Same issue.

It's nt a big deal because most of the fles I want to share are on the router attached drive but it is annoying.

[securitybreach]

In /etc/samba/smb.conf change:

ntlm auth = true

[securitybreach]

Probably why you are getting password incorrect.

[securitybreach]

Other solutions including making a change in windows

 

https://superuser.com/questions/1125438/windows-10-password-error-with-samba-share

[zlim]

Content removed.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 23, 2021 by zlim
questions ignored by people viewing this thread

[raymac46]

13 minutes ago, securitybreach said:

In /etc/samba/smb.conf change:

ntlm auth = true

Have done that.

[raymac46]

12 minutes ago, securitybreach said:

Other solutions including making a change in windows

 

https://superuser.com/questions/1125438/windows-10-password-error-with-samba-share

Working my way through this as well. No luck so far.

[securitybreach]

You did restart samba, right?

[raymac46]

32 minutes ago, securitybreach said:

You did restart samba, right?

Yes. I can share Linux computer files among Linux machines, just cannot log into Windows or login from Windows. I asume I have to use my Microsoft account credentials on Windows but that doesn't work either.

 

[raymac46]

I can reach Windows machines from Linux and vice versa. I just cannot log in.

[securitybreach]

57 minutes ago, raymac46 said:

Yes. I can share Linux computer files among Linux machines, just cannot log into Windows or login from Windows. I asume I have to use my Microsoft account credentials on Windows but that doesn't work either.

 

 

Did you try this part?

 

The solution is to use the Microsoft Account Credentials when trying to log into the Samba share (I know, this still does not make sense to me but it worked). Type: User:MicrosoftAccount\me@email.com PW:

This is documented here How to login to network share when Microsoft Account is tied to windows login?

[raymac46]

Yes I tried that and it still doesn't work. I think the problem is with Windows 10.

Edited March 21, 2021 by raymac46

[securitybreach]

Could be

[raymac46]

Well this is interesting. I could map a drive easily between my two Windows machines - Boom! So the problem is with one of the Windows machines connecting to Linux. Thanks Josh for your suggestions. I have configured Samba properly.

• Linux machines see each other and can connect.
• Every machine connects to a networkdrive attached to the router.
• Windows machines see each other and can connect.

Now I see what HJ meant about samba shares being a PITA with Windows.

Edited March 22, 2021 by raymac46

[Hedon James]

38 minutes ago, raymac46 said:

Well this is interesting. I could map a drive easily between my two Windows machines - Boom! So the problem is with one of the Windows machines connecting to Linux. Thanks Josh for your suggestions. I have configured Samba properly.

• Linux machines see each other and can connect.
• Every machine vonnects to a networkdrive attached to the router.
• Windows machines see each other and can connect.

Now I see what HJ meant about samba shares being a PITA with Windows.

 

'Twas a time when, despite being a PITA, networking actually worked on Windows XP and Win 7 machines.  I could surf the network locations, see the machines by name, and navigate to the directory for the file I wanted/needed.  Not with Windows 10....can't get it to work and frankly, have given up.  My wife has the only remaining Windows machine in the house, and the only reason to connect via network protocols would be to copy music or something.  None of the Linux machines can even SEE her Win10 on the network, and her Win10 can't see any of the other computers.  While it would be nice to restore that 2-way network functionality, for convenience's sake, it's needed so infrequently nowadays that the juice isn't worth the squeeze.  Flash drives work just fine, as long as they're FAT formatted, LOL!

[raymac46]

@HJ thanks for your input. I was beginning to think I was the only idiot who couldn't get samba to go with Windows 10. 

[Hedon James]

nah....there's at least 2 idiots who can't get samba to play nice with Win10. 

[raymac46]

I am happy that all my machines can connect and log into the router attached SSD. That makes transfer convenient enough.