Samba as a File Server on a Windows Network

Hi.

I am looking at switching a few things around on my network. I would
like to have a mixture of Windows 2000 / Windows XP machines which I
need to access a File Server. We are getting close on our 2000 Server
licenses, but pretty much all we are using it for are logins. If we
are able to setup password protected "folders" on a linux server I
could easily connect all of our users in some form to this server
without worrying about Windows Server licensing.

Not that any of this matters, but I have users who require internet
access. They connect to a website that has its own user name and
password scheme. Several of them have files that they need stored.
The structure of the office is that several people may use a single
machine in a given day. They have to log out of a machine then log
back on. But sometimes if they do not need their own individual files,
they just use the others user account. I keep telling them to log out,
but they won't listen. I digress...

I would like to try to get away from my Domain Controller and move to a
situation where these machines are sitting at a desktop, they are
turned on once in the morning and left on all day without logging on
and off. Would it be possible to setup a Linux w/Samba machine for a
file server. When a user needs to access their personal files, they go
to a folder which contains a subfolder for each user - where they are
prompted for a password to enter their folder?

I will try to draw out what I'm talking about with Bravo machine being
the Linux machine.

9:00am
Windows Machine: Alpha
User: Bob
|
--> Bob's Folder on Bravo Machine --> [ACCESS GRANTED] -->
Bob's Files

9:20am
Windows Machine: Alpha
User: John
|
--> Bob's Folder on Bravo Machine --> [ACCESS
DENIED]>>>Incorrect Password
|
--> John's Folder on Bravo Machine --> [ACCESS GRANTED] -->
John's Files

9:25am
Windows Machine: Alpha
User: Bob
|
--> Bob's Folder on Bravo Machine --> [ACCESS GRANTED] -->
Bob's Files

I hope I have described this accurately enough to where its easy to
understand.

I would appreciate any advice -

Mike

MikeE wrote:[color=blue]
> Hi.
>
> I am looking at switching a few things around on my network. I would
> like to have a mixture of Windows 2000 / Windows XP machines which I
> need to access a File Server. We are getting close on our 2000 Server
> licenses, but pretty much all we are using it for are logins. If we
> are able to setup password protected "folders" on a linux server I
> could easily connect all of our users in some form to this server
> without worrying about Windows Server licensing.[/color]

No problem. Just give them all home directories on the server and use a
[homes] section in your smb.conf file .

Read all about it in the Samba documentation at <www.samba.org>.

Robert
[color=blue]
> [snip]
>
> I would appreciate any advice -
>
> Mike
>[/color]

MikeE
was of the opinion that:
[color=blue]
> Hi.
>
> I am looking at switching a few things around on my network. I
> would like to have a mixture of Windows 2000 / Windows XP
> machines which I
> need to access a File Server. We are getting close on our 2000
> Server
> licenses, but pretty much all we are using it for are logins. If
> we are able to setup password protected "folders" on a linux
> server I could easily connect all of our users in some form to
> this server without worrying about Windows Server licensing.
>
> Not that any of this matters, but I have users who require
> internet
> access. They connect to a website that has its own user name and
> password scheme. Several of them have files that they need
> stored. The structure of the office is that several people may
> use a single
> machine in a given day. They have to log out of a machine then
> log
> back on. But sometimes if they do not need their own individual
> files,
> they just use the others user account. I keep telling them to
> log out,
> but they won't listen. I digress...
>
> I would like to try to get away from my Domain Controller and
> move to a situation where these machines are sitting at a
> desktop, they are turned on once in the morning and left on all
> day without logging on
> and off. Would it be possible to setup a Linux w/Samba machine
> for a
> file server. When a user needs to access their personal files,
> they go to a folder which contains a subfolder for each user -
> where they are prompted for a password to enter their folder?
>
> I will try to draw out what I'm talking about with Bravo machine
> being the Linux machine.
>
> 9:00am
> Windows Machine: Alpha
> User: Bob
> |
> --> Bob's Folder on Bravo Machine --> [ACCESS GRANTED]
> -->
> Bob's Files
>
> 9:20am
> Windows Machine: Alpha
> User: John
> |
> --> Bob's Folder on Bravo Machine --> [ACCESS
> DENIED]>>>Incorrect Password
> |
> --> John's Folder on Bravo Machine --> [ACCESS GRANTED]
> -->
> John's Files
>
> 9:25am
> Windows Machine: Alpha
> User: Bob
> |
> --> Bob's Folder on Bravo Machine --> [ACCESS GRANTED]
> -->
> Bob's Files
>
> I hope I have described this accurately enough to where its easy
> to understand.
>
> I would appreciate any advice -
>
> Mike[/color]

Take a look at [url]www.samba.org[/url]. On the left side of the screen you
will se a link to several books about Samba. I know it's a
terrible thing to say, but you may have to do a little
reading. ;-)
However, in the book called Samba By Example
[url]http://us3.samba.org/samba/docs/man/Samba-Guide/simple.html[/url]
You get a crash course in chapter 1. Most people who know a little
about networking (Windows knowledge is enough usually) will manage
to set this up.
The best part is that you probably only need to read chapter one,
until you feel like setting it up with security, user accounts,
single sign-on etc.
Good luck, don't be afraid to read 20 minutes!
Happy new year!

Hans Poppe
Oslo, Norway

--
*********************
Failure is not an option!
It comes bundled with Windows.