How to make samba to NOT ask for password

I have a ubuntu based server and a windows client. I have some SMB shares
that I want to be read only and available without password (for anyone
coming from legitimate IPs).

My issue is that the ubuntu server insists on authenticating the user,
even for read only shares. How can I make it acept anyone, without
password?

NFS works great for linux clients though.

i

Ignoramus30238 wrote:
> I have a ubuntu based server and a windows client. I have some SMB shares
> that I want to be read only and available without password (for anyone
> coming from legitimate IPs).
>
> My issue is that the ubuntu server insists on authenticating the user,
> even for read only shares. How can I make it acept anyone, without
> password?

Have you tried "guest ok = yes"?

--
These are my personal views and not those of Fujitsu Siemens Computers!
Josef Möllers (Pinguinpfleger bei FSC)
If failure had no penalty success would not be a prize (T. Pratchett)
Company Details: http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/imprint.html

On 2008-04-15, Josef Moellers <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Ignoramus30238 wrote:
>> I have a ubuntu based server and a windows client. I have some SMB shares
>> that I want to be read only and available without password (for anyone
>> coming from legitimate IPs).
>>
>> My issue is that the ubuntu server insists on authenticating the user,
>> even for read only shares. How can I make it acept anyone, without
>> password?
>
> Have you tried "guest ok = yes"?
>

Yes, at share level.

i

Ignoramus15568 wrote:
> On 2008-04-15, Josef Moellers <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> Ignoramus30238 wrote:
>>> I have a ubuntu based server and a windows client. I have some SMB shares
>>> that I want to be read only and available without password (for anyone
>>> coming from legitimate IPs).
>>>
>>> My issue is that the ubuntu server insists on authenticating the user,
>>> even for read only shares. How can I make it acept anyone, without
>>> password?
>> Have you tried "guest ok = yes"?
>>
>
> Yes, at share level.

I recall that some registry entry is required for this, but can't
remember which.
Maybe this triggers someone else's mind.

--
These are my personal views and not those of Fujitsu Siemens Computers!
Josef Möllers (Pinguinpfleger bei FSC)
If failure had no penalty success would not be a prize (T. Pratchett)
Company Details: http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/imprint.html

On 2008-04-15, Josef Moellers <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Ignoramus15568 wrote:
>> On 2008-04-15, Josef Moellers <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>> Ignoramus30238 wrote:
>>>> I have a ubuntu based server and a windows client. I have some SMB shares
>>>> that I want to be read only and available without password (for anyone
>>>> coming from legitimate IPs).
>>>>
>>>> My issue is that the ubuntu server insists on authenticating the user,
>>>> even for read only shares. How can I make it acept anyone, without
>>>> password?
>>> Have you tried "guest ok = yes"?
>>>
>>
>> Yes, at share level.
>
> I recall that some registry entry is required for this, but can't
> remember which.
> Maybe this triggers someone else's mind.
>

Registry entry??????

i

Ignoramus15568 wrote:
> On 2008-04-15, Josef Moellers <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> Ignoramus15568 wrote:
>>> On 2008-04-15, Josef Moellers <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>>> Ignoramus30238 wrote:
>>>>> I have a ubuntu based server and a windows client. I have some SMB shares
>>>>> that I want to be read only and available without password (for anyone
>>>>> coming from legitimate IPs).
>>>>>
>>>>> My issue is that the ubuntu server insists on authenticating the user,
>>>>> even for read only shares. How can I make it acept anyone, without
>>>>> password?
>>>> Have you tried "guest ok = yes"?
>>>>
>>> Yes, at share level.
>> I recall that some registry entry is required for this, but can't
>> remember which.
>> Maybe this triggers someone else's mind.
>>
>
> Registry entry??????

Yes, ISTR that I had to tell Windows on the client that *a* server *may*
be satisfied with any user name and no password.
Else Windows will demand some password to connect to the share although
this is not needed.

That was some time ago that I had to do that: W98SE ...
Haven't been using Windows a lot since then.

Josef
--
These are my personal views and not those of Fujitsu Siemens Computers!
Josef Möllers (Pinguinpfleger bei FSC)
If failure had no penalty success would not be a prize (T. Pratchett)
Company Details: http://www.fujitsu-siemens.com/imprint.html

Some more information from my investigation. If I connect to that
samba server using smbclient, from a Linux box, smbclient asks me for
a password. It lets me in if I hit ENTER and therefore submit a blank
for the password.

However, Windows does ask for a username and password.

i

Ignoramus30238 wrote:
> I have a ubuntu based server and a windows client. I have some SMB shares
> that I want to be read only and available without password (for anyone
> coming from legitimate IPs).
>
> My issue is that the ubuntu server insists on authenticating the user,
> even for read only shares. How can I make it acept anyone, without
> password?
>
> NFS works great for linux clients though.

I have a similar setup with an openSUSE server and Windows clients. My
share definition section has the following:

force user = usamba
force group = gsamba
read only = No
guest ok = Yes
nt acl support = No

Note that gsamba and usamba are a special group and user created just
for this purpose.

Larry

On 2008-04-15, Larry Finger <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Ignoramus30238 wrote:
>> I have a ubuntu based server and a windows client. I have some SMB shares
>> that I want to be read only and available without password (for anyone
>> coming from legitimate IPs).
>>
>> My issue is that the ubuntu server insists on authenticating the user,
>> even for read only shares. How can I make it acept anyone, without
>> password?
>>
>> NFS works great for linux clients though.
>
> I have a similar setup with an openSUSE server and Windows clients. My
> share definition section has the following:
>
> force user = usamba
> force group = gsamba
> read only = No
> guest ok = Yes
> nt acl support = No
>
> Note that gsamba and usamba are a special group and user created just
> for this purpose.
>
> Larry

Thanks. I think that force user and force group are the relevant
statements here. I will try it and report tonight.

i

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, Ignoramus30238 wrote:
> I have a ubuntu based server and a windows client. I have some SMB shares
> that I want to be read only and available without password (for anyone
> coming from legitimate IPs).

I recently set up a Ubuntu/samba server this way, essentially mimicing
Windows "simple file sharing." It works through a "guest" account that
was created for this purpose, with no Samba password, but it should work
just as well using the "nobody" account for guest access. Setting readonly
for the files is just a matter of setting appropriate permissions.

Here is the smb.conf file, you may need to modify details for your own
system:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
# Samba server configuration for "simple" file sharing

[global]

; For debugging problems set to 2 or 3
debug level = 1

; Basic server settings
netbios name = SERVER1
workgroup = WORKGROUP
server string = Samba Server

; we should act as the local master browser
os level = 64
preferred master = yes
local master = yes

; security settings
security = share
guest account = guest

; Oplocks are more trouble than they're worth...
kernel oplocks = no
oplocks = no
level2 oplocks = no

; use encrypted passwords
encrypt passwords = yes

; Samba log files
log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
max log size = 100

; Password database
passdb backend = tdbsam:/usr/local/samba/lib/passdb.tdb

; Case Preservation
preserve case = yes
short preserve case = yes
default case = upper
case sensitive = no

; Printing
load printers = yes
printing = cups
printcap name = /var/run/cups/printcap

# Shared files (read/write)
[SHARED]
comment = "Shared files"
path = /home/SHARED
valid users = guest
public = no
guest ok = yes
browseable = yes
writeable = yes
force group = users
create mode = 0770
force create mode = 0770
directory mask=1777
directory mode = 0770
force directory mode = 0770

---------------------------------------------------------------------

--
Roger Blake
(Subtract 10s for email.)