Accessing Windows Shared Folders

[rinux]

I am new to Linux. I just installed Fedora. I am able to see my Windows XP shared folders and the files in them. However, when I click on a file I get this msg.:

"The default action can't open . . . because it can't access files at "smb" locations. No other actions are available to view this file. If you copy this file onto your computer, you may be able to open it."

What do I need to do? Like I say I am very new to Linux. I would appreciate any help.

[Bana]

Are you using Gnome or KDE? I remember having this problem with Gnome (Nautilus) but I don't remember how to fix it (sorry).

[Paul_Vandenberg]

Hi,

You either need to copy the file locally and then open it or install linneighborhood. It can be downloaded from http://dag.wieers.com/packages/linneighborhood/linneighborhood-0.6.5-2.rhfc1.dag.i386.rpm.

This program allows you to mount Windows' Shares as if they are local directories.

Paul

[rinux]

Thanks! I installed Linneighborhood and I was able to access my files.

[rinux]

Using Linneighborhood I am able to mount my Windows XP share folder if I am logged in as root. If I am logged in under my name I get the following error msg:

smbmnt must be installed suid root for direct user mounts (500,500) smbmnt failed: 1

[Paul_Vandenberg]

As root in a terminal, enter these 2 commands.....
chmod u+s /usr/bin/smbmnt
and
chmod u+s /usr/bin/smbumount

Sorry....I forgot to mention that. Also, these commands only need to be entered once.

Regards....Paul

[rinux]

So what do these command mean/do? Do they need to be entered every time I reboot?

[Paul_Vandenberg]

I'm no expert, but I think these commands allow the smbmnt and smbumount programs to be run as if you were 'root', even though you are not. Not sure what the security implications are, but I didn't want to have my kids sign on as 'root' on my computer in order to access their folders on the Windows computer that they usually use.

No, these commands are only entered once, not everytime you reboot.

Paul

[rinux]

Thank you! That did the trick.

[crackers]

WARNING!

Using "suid root" (chmod u+s) is not a good practice in general. This can allow attackers/unauthorized users to gain access to the root user and really compromise your system. Be very careful where you apply changes like this!

[rinux]

So what would be the appropriate way to let users be able to mount shared folders?

[crackers]

One is to set up "Lisa" (in KDE). Another is to use one of many SMB and CIFS-based programs. It's not that the filesystem needs to be mounted, it's that the user needs access to it.

If I type "smb://machine/user" in Konqueror, I get access to that filesystem (after the password prompt). I can click and drag to my heart's content. I can create a desktop icon with that URL in it, and it's instantly available.

You can set up autofs to do it (I think), transparently to users. You can set SMB filesystems up in /etc/fstab. There's lots of ways to do basically the same thing.

FYI, the reason smbmount requires root access is because all changes to the mounted file systems are root-level commands.

[rinux]

I am not sure I understand everything you are saying. I am very new to Linux. What I would like is to be able to play mp3's and open/edit documents that I have in my WinXP share folders. What would be a simple, secure way to do this? Again keeping it simple would be the operative word. Thanks for trying to help.

[crackers]

One way to make it somewhat transparent is to set up a SMB mount point that's accessible to all users (like /mnt/windows), and (as root) mount it with smbmount. To make it automatic on boot-up, put the smbmount command in the "/etc/rc.d/rc.local" file.

This at least doesn't leave suid programs around on your system...

[pim]

Another question along thos lines. I have also posted it in "general" but it might be placed wrong there

From My Fedora Core 2 test 3 I can access alll shares on all XP boxes, however I can NOT access any shares on the W2K3 box, it's fails on authorisation but contrary to the XP's does NOT give me a logon screen

Hope somebody can help me out here

[rinux]

Is there a reason why I can play MP3's directly from the WinXP shared folder. If I double click on them the xmms starts but no sound. If I copy the file to my linux machine and then click on it then plays fine.

I don't understand? I can edit documents on my WinXP shared folder without having to copy them.

[crackers]

That might be because of the speed of the network connection - you might have to get XMMS a second to grab enough of the MP3 file from the network connection to start playing. Unfortunately, you're not necessarily giving us a lot of information to go on.