help with Samba install

I am logged in as administrator, but apparently do not have permissions to edit smb.conf file. When I am in terminal, and enter a sudo command I get a prompt [sudo] password for peter: ,but the cursor just sits and does not accept keyboard entries. I started this adventure when my vista boot sector became corrupted and MS would not help in any way. So, this is my first Linux experience and my only programming course was Basic in 1969. This box is an intel core 2 1.8 ghz3 32 bit connected by Ethernet to the home network. It sits by the flat screen and is basically a server that we dump family photos videos and music to. We view that content and do some Chrome browsing. We can view the other computers on the network from Zorin, but not vice versa. I was thinking I could rename the existing smb.conf file and create a new one with a simple script and save it in the etc/samba folder, but am not the owner. So it would be great if someone could help me unlock and provide a script I can paste into the text editor and save as a new smb.conf file. Thanks in advance.

Hi, and welcome to the Zorin forum! System files are usually protected and you need to run the command:

Code:

gksudo nautilus

to have full admin rights - don't use the same terminal window but open a fresh one.

But this appears to be the best way to do it!:

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2014499

pallsopp wrote:I am logged in as administrator, but apparently do not have permissions to edit smb.conf file. When I am in terminal, and enter a sudo command I get a prompt [sudo] password for peter: ,but the cursor just sits and does not accept keyboard entries. I started this adventure when my vista boot sector became corrupted and MS would not help in any way. So, this is my first Linux experience and my only programming course was Basic in 1969. This box is an intel core 2 1.8 ghz3 32 bit connected by Ethernet to the home network. It sits by the flat screen and is basically a server that we dump family photos videos and music to. We view that content and do some Chrome browsing. We can view the other computers on the network from Zorin, but not vice versa. I was thinking I could rename the existing smb.conf file and create a new one with a simple script and save it in the etc/samba folder, but am not the owner. So it would be great if someone could help me unlock and provide a script I can paste into the text editor and save as a new smb.conf file. Thanks in advance.

Hi pallsopp,

I'm pretty new to Linux, Swarfendor437 as helped me quite a few times.
I think I know what you are seeing. you use a sudo <something> command, and get a password prompt.
You start typing, nothing appears.? Just type the password and enter... What happens.?
I have the same, but it works

Dave

Many Thanks. Both tips worked. Not done yet, but I think that got me over some tall hurdles.

Hi Wirezfree, thanks for your input. Sorry to the OP - forgot to comment on that - must have been distracted by something (or my mind was wandering! ) All distros that use 'sudo' or 'su' in the command prompt never show any asterisks or dots - it's an embedded security feature to prevent anyone close by 'guessing' what the password might be (I guess). You normally have 3 attempts if you make a mistake and it will state something on the lines 'sorry, that is the wrong password, try again. After a failed 3rd attempt it will drop you back to where you started and you start the process again.

I am still struggling with permissions. When I enter gksudo nautilus, I get an error message: unable to load libunity-gtk-module.so. I am also a little confused about the network. My router client table shows all devices. Zorin sees Lapdog on MSHOME Group and Office on WorkGroup and my wife's Mac and the Zorin share I set called /srv/public. But no one on the network can see the Zorin share. I commented out the Security = User line to see if I could get around not having permission to share the Public folder, but...The ubuntu site makes it look so simple. I am getting pretty good at editing the smb.conf file thanks to your previous tips.

pallsopp wrote:I am still struggling with permissions. When I enter gksudo nautilus, I get an error message: unable to load libunity-gtk-module.so. I am also a little confused about the network. My router client table shows all devices. Zorin sees Lapdog on MSHOME Group and Office on WorkGroup and my wife's Mac and the Zorin share I set called /srv/public. But no one on the network can see the Zorin share. I commented out the Security = User line to see if I could get around not having permission to share the Public folder, but...The ubuntu site makes it look so simple. I am getting pretty good at editing the smb.conf file thanks to your previous tips.

Hi,
Having been through this all recently...
"All" your PC's/Laptops need to be in the same workgroup to start with, you have at least 2 = WORKGROUP & MSHOME
you need to pick a common name ie HOMEGROUP or keep it WORKGROUP
On Zorin it is in the smb.conf file there is a line in Global:

Code:

workgroup = workgroup


You need to change/keep this depending on what you decide above..
Once you have all devices on the same workgroup, it will make troubleshooting easier.
No idea how to change workgroups on a Mac,
in Windows,
right click my computer > properties > Computer Name > Click on the [change] button next to ... rename computer/join domain
You can then change workgroup name

Thanks again Dave. I changed all computers to workgroup. I also changed Security = from user to share. When I open the shared folder: /srv/public properties and look at permissions tab, the owner is "Me, the group is "peter". The drop down list does not include workgroup, but sambashare is an option. When I use the Share tab, I get an error: 'net usershare' returned error 255: net usershare add: failed to add share public. Error was Operation not permitted." I am wondering if the Zorin computer is actually enrolled in the workgroup. On a previous attempt, I used the sudo chown command to enter nobody.nogroup. Now I will try peter.workgroup. Watch for mushroom clouds.

By the way, I sometimes get a message that ***.***.x.x. computer is trying to view the desktop. Does this indicate sometime of hole in my firewall?

Hi pallsopp,

Sorry, but you are now stretching my knowledge...
But I'm pretty sure you do not have to make changes with chown.
It should just work if you have all the Samba packages.?

Make sure you have the Samba Gui to set-up shares.?

Code:

sudo apt-get install system-config-samba

You then have a tool to set-up share

I remember there are lots of tutorials, I just jumped around them.

Regarding: "message that LOL cat.LOL cat.x.x. computer is trying to view the desktop"
Does not sound right to me.?

Cheers - Dave

Dave, I really appreciate your help. I feel like I have been around the world and back, running down how to's and error messages. I have picked up some linux commands along the way. I wonder if I got a bad .tar?

With the Samba GUI installed everything looks fine, but it just doesn't work Clients cannot see shared folder. I found a preference tab for personal file sharing. This is a gnome user share that of course cannot be enabled because required packages are not installed on the system. Thinking about trying Fedora.

pallsopp wrote:Dave, I really appreciate your help. I feel like I have been around the world and back, running down how to's and error messages. I have picked up some linux commands along the way. I wonder if I got a bad .tar?

Hi,

I'm just trying to share/reciprocate...
I know in the early days of Linux for me(think I was trying Mint), I messed up Samba pretty badly.
Going through my notes, I have a reference to: Samba Packages Verify.?

I think there is a command & | grep combination to verify if you have all the required SAMBA & SMB packages
Sorry, but I don't have it.

Dave

I haven't looked at this in a while but in the past their have been other posters that have used successfully, part of Samba - CIFS. Do a search for this and you might be getting somewhere!

Thanks again. I recall a few days back, The Zorin server showed up in the network list on Zorin, but not on clients When I hovered with the mouse, there was a popup that said smb///<path to shared folder>. That is no longer happening. Zorin server shows in the router client list and I can ping it from client. Could it have lost membership in WORKGROUP? From the various boards, it looks like the smb.conf is set up right, and testparm does not show errors, but instaed of workgroup = WORKGROUP, the service definition says idmap config * : backend = tdb. The Samba GUI looks good, but when I right click properties on the shared folder, the share is unchecked and I get the old error 255 message. This is so much fun, I can hardly wait to hook all the phones into this share....

Hi, which version of Zorin do you have installed?

i have os8. I have made a little progress tonight. I added netbios name = SambaServer, changed create mask and directory mask to 777 from 755, added name resolve = ....
Now my windows and zorin network lists show SAMBASERVER., all in WORKGROUP. So at least it is broadcasting its presence on the network. "Windows cannot access \\Sambaserver" it is not a valid hostname."
It suggests it might be a network problem. The Zorin created host name is quite long. Is it possible to change it ? Update, I changed it by editing /etc/hostname.

Anyway, thanks for checking back in.

Hi, will need to check back later!

This morning started well. My new hostname "Zorin-Server" showed up on my freshly booted network clients and the files were accessible after entering password. I went back to the Zorin machine to do some cleanup and it promptly froze.
In the spirit of this forum, I first want to thank you for the help and encouragement. For those who are new to this who may follow, I have some suggestions. 1. First explore the Zorin menus so you know where your resources are. 2. I think one of my main problems was that the Zorin installed hostname was too long to be a server name on the network. 3. Most drivers never look under the hood of their car. Linux users are like the race car mechanics who know what they know so well that they are not so adept at understanding what a neophyte does not understand. On tutorials, there are several steps around the action to be performed that they take for granted that you know. So do a search on each item to find what is going on under the hood. Someone has been down that wormhole before. 4. I really do not understand why the Samba team does not have stock smb.conf files that can be cut and paste without all the comments, or better an install wizard script, but that is the way it is. 5. Take good notes step by step as you make changes so you can back up, if need be.

So my next challenge is to administer the Zorin-Server from the client machines.

One thing you should never do - give a computer a 'hyphenated' '-' name - Windows always advise using underscores '_' between words - better sticking to one word with a number/s and always in lowercase!

Whilst it may not fix your specific problem/s, some things I've picked up along the way.

In Samba Config in Global:

Code:

name resolve order = bcast host lmhosts wins

When Trouble shooting temporarirly turn off your PC/MAC firewalls,
if everything works, put them back on 1 by 1 testing in between.
I had an initial problem that my XP Box was blocking file/print sharing, changed settings, started working.
In windows, Start > Run enter firewall.cpl to get straight to it

Also,
On your Router, you are probably using DHCP..??
In the DHCP section , there is usually a box "Domain Name" / "Local Domain" something like that.?
This is "not" the ISP domain settings or the main DNS settings from your ISP, this local to you.
Very rarely used/overlooked, if you fill it in with something like home.net it creates local dns
I have found devices find each other more quickly, especially if you are just using machine names.
You need to flush DNS, in Windows(no idea on MAC)
open command prompt window, then enter, : >

Code:

ipconfig /flushdns

GL.. keep us posted.
Dave

I am liking being able to access zorin files from the winclients. I have not dared to try to cleanup the unnecessary lines or settings that may not be doing anything. I am puzzled by Swarfendor's first comment regarding becoming root.
When I enter gksudo nautilus.the Home screen with Desktop folder opens up. There is nothing to change, no dialog. So I still have not discovered how to claim root privileges. There are several folders and files with a red x icon, that I do not understand. Another post suggested using alt F2 and entering gk sudo nautilus, but nothing happens when entering alt F2. I also get a recurrent error message on terminal that the libunity-gtk-module.so failed to load. My web searches have not been productive on this topic, but I am wondering if I am missing some nautilus components. My buddy who sent me down the Linux road is at Disney this week with his son. It will take a good dinner and a good bottle of real wine when he gets back to get this tuned and fill in some gaping holes in my knowledge. I am closing in on having a remote desktop, however. Cheers

Hi there, Just to explain, Root has full privileges in much the same way as 'Administrator' does in windows. When you 'sudo' in the terminal this is like 'run as ...' in Wndows - you don't have full privileges. If you want to take ownership of a directory the usual command is:

Code:

sudo chown [your username] name of directory/file to take control of

The files with red circles and white-crosses will be system protected files - and it has taken me sometime to try and access stuff here on Zorin 8 Ultimate!