[LI] Re: Password requirement for Samba access from Win 95 client

["S. Krishnan" <skrishnan@xxxxxxxx>]

Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1999 21:14:43 +0530 (IST)
From: Nadeem Khan <nadeem@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [LI] Samba not working

Dear friends
I am using RH5.2. Whenever I want to connect my pc from any windows
machine using n/w nbhood it ask for a passwword. I don't know what to
do.
I do not want it to ask password. What should I do.
Thanks in advance.
nadeem


Nadeem,

The problem is with the encrypted password requirement in Windows 95 and
NT.  If you refer to the Windows 95 file in the Samba documentation (for
RH 5.2 as supplied on the PXQ CD),
(/usr/doc/samba-1.9.18p10/docs/Win95.txt), you will find that this
version of Samba does not provide password encryption by default, while
Windows 95 OSR2, NT and 98 expect encrypted passwords.  Thus there is a
mismatch between the two, so that Windows asks you for a logon password.

The solution is either to reconfigure Samba through /etc/smb.conf to
enable password encryption, or to set Windows to accept plain text
passwords.  I'd suggest that you refer to the Samba documentation and
FAQs for this, and also read the HOWTO, available under
/usr/doc/HOWTO/SMB-HOWTO.

However, to get you up and running, I'll detail the Windows clear text
password scheme here:

1. Start the registry editor (regedit.exe) in Win 95 by going to
START->RUN->REGEDIT.exe.  Hit the OK button or <ENTER> and start the
registry editor.

2. You will see a number of options in the REGEDIT menu, such as
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, HKEY_CURRENT_USER, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, HKEY_USERS,
etc.  These are keys that refer to different Windows setup parameters.
>From these options, select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE by double-clicking on it.

3. The selected key will expand to show a number of options under it.
Of these, select System by double clicking on it.

4. You will next see several options under System (Windows is like a
!@#$ onion: every time you access a layer, there are several more under
it: shows the devious mind of its creator(s)!.  Select CurrentControlSet
from the available options by double-clicking on it.

5. This selectrion will again expand to show yet another submenu, from
which select Services by double-clicking on it.

6. You will see several choices under Services, from which select VxD
(the usual 2 clicks).

7. Finally, browse through the available choices under VxD (it's a long
list, mind you) and select VNETSUP by double-clicking on it.

8. Now click on the "Edit" option on the REGEDITmenu bar, select New
under it, and then DWORD Value.

9. On the right side of your screen, you will see a new box appear at
the bottom, with the label (in edit mode) reading as "New Value #1".
Simply replace this label with "EnablePlainTextPassword", and hit
<ENTER>.

10.  Next, double click (for the last time, thankfully) on this value,
to bring up the "Edit DWORD Value" edit box.  Enter 1 in the "Value
Data" field (it does not matter whether it is in hex or decimal, hence
let the Base option remain at the default hexadecimal selection).  Press
OK to set the value.

That's it!  You're through.

Now exit REGEDIT and reboot your machine to connect to Samba.

One last thing though, to enable your windows machine to connect:

I assume that you've set your /etc/lmhosts and /etc/hosts files
appropriately on the Linux box.  You will also need to ensure the
presence of a file called lmhosts on your Windows box.  You can do this
by copying a file called \windows\lmhosts.sam, which is a sample file
provided by Microsoft, to a new file called \windows\lmhosts.  Leave the
new file as it is, but add a single line at the bottom, like this:

xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx        foo,

where the xxx.... is your Linux box's IP address and foo is its name.  A
typical example (don't follow it literally, though) for an internal
Class C network would be

192.168.1.2        linserver

Windows seems to require this file, even with DNS and WINS configured
and enabled, God knows why.  But then, too dark and mysterious are the
ways of Microsoft for mere mortals to fathom, so there!

Hope this gets you going... if not please write in to the list or else
email me directly.

Regards,

S. Krishnan


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