Setting up a Windows File Server w/ Samba on Fedora 11

MechWarrior001 · #1 29th March 2011, 09:09 PM

Hey, new here.

So I'm trying to load a Compaq Proliant ML370 G3 w/ Fedora 11 and set up as a WFS using Samba for my ROP A+ Computer Repair Class. However, I'm a bit confused on how to do it. Right now I have 2 36.4GB drives in RAID 1+0 and 4 146.8GB drives in a RAID 5 config. I wanna use the smaller drive for the OS and the bigger drive for the storage. I've managed to load the OS fine, the problem is I can't figure out how to mount the 4 146.8GB drives as a single logical volume and set Samba to use it. Right now all the RAIDs are setup using the built-in Compaq Smart Array utility (or whatever it's called) that's built into the SCSI hardware or BIOS.

Help would be greatly appreciated.

flyingfsck · #2 30th March 2011, 05:32 AM

Howdy,

First, get the disk mounted, then sort out your network issues and only thereafter worry about Samba.

It is called a software network 'stack' for a reason. If the bottom of the stack is broken, the top won't work.

MechWarrior001 · #3 30th March 2011, 03:12 PM

Well I'm still kinda new to Linux and I don't know what command or gui-frontend to said command to use to mount the RAID5. Previously what I tried during a earlier installation was while I was at the select-drive-to-install-to-screen I would check only the smaller RAID1+0 and then create a custom logical volume out of the RAID5, but I don't think I did it right because it didn't work after Fedora finished loading.

Do I use the mount command or is there another one specifically designed for Compaq Smart Arrays?

jpollard · #4 30th March 2011, 03:54 PM

If the array looks like a disk, you put filesystems on it, then you mount the filesystem.

How the array looks to the system depends on the controller.

MechWarrior001 · #5 31st March 2011, 06:12 AM

Ok, so I got everything loaded and got a logical volume setup using the RAID 5. How do I mount it as a separate drive in the Linux-equivalent of the "My Computer" screen instead of mounting in a subfolder like /media/storage or something like that?

jpollard · #6 31st March 2011, 01:07 PM

That depends entirely on how you are mounting it.

The entry in the /etc/fstab defines where it is mounted. If you need to get information on the file, the man page documentation is pretty good (though it could do with an example, but then the existing /etc/fstab provides that).

MechWarrior001 · #7 31st March 2011, 09:43 PM

Ok so now the storage raid is mounted, but I'm having trouble setting up Samba. I've managed to get the linux-box to show up in the Network listing on a Windows 7 client, but I still can't connect. Ultimately I want to be able to map the storage raid as a network drive on the Windows clients, but I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to do that on the linux end. What action should I take next?

jpollard · #8 31st March 2011, 09:48 PM

What is your samba configuration?
Did you open the SMB ports in the firewall?
Have you enabled the SELinux samba controls (or disabled SELinux)?

MechWarrior001 · #9 1st April 2011, 12:25 AM

How do I check my Samba config? Do I use SWAT or just look at the config file? (wherever it is... >_>)

I'm not sure if I did, or even how.

And uh, how do I disable SELinux?

jpollard · #10 1st April 2011, 12:52 PM

Have you checked any of the guides? Or done any searches for information?

The samba configuration is in /etc/samba.

And why would you want to disable security?

MechWarrior001 · #11 1st April 2011, 03:04 PM

Concerning guides I'm using the "Fedora 11 Bible" by Christopher Negus and Eric Foster-Johnson.

So far I've used the gui interface then I tried using the web interface SWAT but I didn't really know how to use it.

I didn't know SELinux was a security function. I always thought Linux didn't need it just by the nature of how it's constructed. How would I disable it specifically for Samba?

jpollard · #12 1st April 2011, 03:17 PM

SELinux is part of the linux kernel.

It is part of "the nature of how it's constructed", and has been part of the kernel for about 7 years now.

I don't recommend disabling it. It provides isolation to the system to protect against many of the common root attacks from services (the service can only do what the security label allows).

The System>Administration>SELinux management menu entry has the flags for the standard security model for controlling various applications
(apache, samba, ...). You can enable just the parts you need.

Note: Fedora 11 has gone end-of-life about a year ago. Fedora 12 is up for end-of-life shortly after Fedora 15 (supposed to be this month) is released.

The current release is Fedora 14. The newer release of samba has some significant performance enhancements over that available in 11.