If you have any comments, problems, questions or suggestions, please send me an e-mail at
Updated; This page was last updated on Mar 16 , 2007 .
<< 3 - Server Configuration <<
>> 5 - Maintenance >>
WARNING: When setting up a new user or file shares, a Microsoft® machine may take a day or two before it will access the share. Microsoft® has a schedule of refreshing the network every 40 minutes, but when new it seems to be very slow at this. Also, if another user deletes a file or directory, the Microsoft® machine may show the file for quite some time. This is normal, but can be very frustrating.
This sets up directories on the Samba server machine to be accessed by specified users.
Each section below defines a different way to configure the directory, depending different read / write abilities.
Create the directory that will be used. A good location is to place the directory in /var/local/samba or /var/local.
Note: You can access KDE file manager as root. First open a terminal. Then:
$ su
password (Enter your root password).
# kfmclient openProfile filemanagement
Go to Webmin > Servers > Samba Windows File Sharing.
To create File share, Click [Create New File Share]. Then:
Share Name = Give a name to the share, such as "Staff-Private". Unless it is the Home Share, then check box.
Directory To Share = Enter path to directory, such as /var/local/samba-shares/Staff-Private.
Available = Yes
Browsable = None.
[OK]
Gives each user access to there home directory in the server. Note that this may already have been created during installation.
Use Operating System default.
Home Directories Share = Checked.
Available = Yes.
Browseable = No.
Writable = Yes.
Guest Access = None.
Limit to possible list? = No.
Hosts to allow = All.
Hosts to deny = None.
Revalidate users? = No.
New UNIX File Mode = 771.
New UNIX Directory Mode = 771.
Allow symlinks outside share? = No.
Can delete readonly files? = Yes.
Force Unix file mode = 000.
Force Unix directory mode = 000.
All default from sections 3.2.6.3 & 4.
comment = 1 - Home Share
path = /var/local/samba_files/temporary (or whatever)
browsable = no
create mode = 771
directory mode = 771
Used for people to share files. Open to public, but only know users can write to the directory. Note that the original creater of the file maintains write and delete permissions.
But they have a tendency not to remove them. So, coming, is a program to remove files that have been in the directory for more that x weeks.
CREATE a group that contains all the users. The group Name that I used was sll_users.
User = root, Group = Group_Name Permissions = rwxrwxr_x (775).
Share name = name to the share.
Directory To Share = Path to directory, /var/local/samba_files/temporary (or whatever)
Available = Yes.
Browseable = Yes.
Writable = Yes.
Guest Access = Yes.
Guest Unix user = nobody.
Limit to possible list? = No.
Hosts to deny = None.
Revalidate users? = No.
New UNIX File Mode = 771.
New UNIX Directory Mode = 771.
Force UNIX Group = Group_Name. (All Users Group)
Allow symlinks outside share? = No.
Can delete readonly files? = Yes.
Force Unix file mode = 000.
Force Unix directory mode = 000.
All default from sections 3.2.6.3 & 4.
comment = 2 - Public - Share
path = /var/local/samba_files/temporary (or whatever)
create mode = 777
directory mode = 777
public = yes
Open to public, but read only. A group can write to any file.
User = root, Group = groupname Permissions = rwxrwxr_x (775).
Share name = name to the share.
Directory To Share = Path to directory, /var/local/samba_files/house_open (or whatever)
Available = Yes.
Browseable = Yes.
Writable = No.
Guest Access = Yes.
Guest Unix user = nobody.
Limit to possible list? = No.
Hosts to allow = All.
Hosts to deny = None.
Revalidate users? = No.
Read/write groups = staff (name of UNIX group)
New UNIX File Mode = 755.
New UNIX Directory Mode = 755.
Allow symlinks outside share? = No.
Can delete readonly files? = Yes.
Force Unix file mode = 000.
Force Unix directory mode = 000.
All default from sections 3.2.6.3 & 4.
comment = 3- Public - Group Write
path = /var/local/samba_files/house_open (or whatever)
public = yes
writable = no
write list = @staff (name of UNIX group)
Open to the Public, but only one person has write permission.
User = ownername, Group = ownername Permissions = rwxrwxr_x (775).
Share name = name to the share.
Directory To Share = Path to directory, /var/local/samba_files/house_open (or whatever).
Available = Yes.
Browseable = Yes.
Writable = No.
Guest Access = Yes.
Guest Unix user = nobody.
Limit to possible list? = No.
Hosts to allow = All.
Hosts to deny = None.
Revalidate users? = No.
Read/write users = joe (name of user)
New UNIX File Mode = 755.
New UNIX Directory Mode = 755.
Allow symlinks outside share? = No.
Can delete readonly files? = Yes.
Force Unix file mode = 000.
Force Unix directory mode = 000.
All default from sections 3.2.6.3 & 4.
comment = 4- Public - User Write
path = /var/local/samba_files/house_open (or whatever)
public = yes
writable = no
write list = joe,pete (name of user)
Closed to public. Group can read / write. Note that group has write privileges to all files.
User = root, Group = groupname Permissions = rwxrwx__x (771).
Share name = name to the share.
Directory To Share = Path to directory.
Available = Yes.
Browseable = Yes.
Writable = Yes.
Guest Access = None.
Guest Unix user = nobody.
Limit to possible list? = No.
Hosts to allow = All.
Hosts to deny = None.
Revalidate users? = No.
Valid groups = staff (name of UNIX group)
Read/write groups = staff (name of UNIX group)
New UNIX File Mode = 770.
New UNIX Directory Mode = 770.
Force Unix group = staff (name of UNIX group)
Allow symlinks outside share? = No.
Can delete readonly files? = Yes.
Force Unix file mode = 000.
Force Unix directory mode = 000.
All default from sections 3.2.6.3 & 4.
comment = 5- Group Read - Group Write
path = /var/local/samba_files/staff_secrets (or whatever)
public = no
writable = yes
write list = @staff (name of UNIX group)
create mast = 771
create mode = 771
directory mode = 771
force group = staff
valid users = @staff
Closed to public. Group can read / write. But only owner has write privileges to an existing file.
User = root, Group = groupname Permissions = rwxr_x__x (751).
Share name = name to the share.
Directory To Share = Path to directory.
Available = Yes.
Browseable = Yes.
Writable = Yes.
Guest Access = None.
Guest Unix user = nobody.
Limit to possible list? = No.
Hosts to allow = All.
Hosts to deny = None.
Revalidate users? = No.
Read/write groups = staff (name of group)
New UNIX File Mode = 771.
New UNIX Directory Mode = 771.
Allow symlinks outside share? = No.
Can delete readonly files? = Yes.
Force Unix file mode = 000.
Force Unix directory mode = 000.
All default from sections 3.2.6.3 & 4.
comment = 6- Group Read - Owner Write
create mode = 751
directory mode = 751
path = /var/local/samba_files/staff_secrets (or whatever)
write list = @staff (name of group)
Closed to public. Group can read. But one owner has write privileges to an existing file.
User = ownername, Group = users Permissions = rwxr_x___ (750).
Share name = name to the share.
Directory To Share = Path to directory.
Available = Yes.
Browseable = Yes.
Writable = Yes.
Guest Access = None.
Guest Unix user = nobody.
Limit to possible list? = No.
Hosts to allow = All.
Hosts to deny = None.
Revalidate users? = No.
Read only groups = staff
Read/write users = joe
New UNIX File Mode = 755.
New UNIX Directory Mode = 755.
Allow symlinks outside share? = No.
Can delete readonly files? = Yes.
Force Unix file mode = 000.
Force Unix directory mode = 000.
All default from sections 3.2.6.3 & 4.
comment = 7- Group Read - Single Owner
path = /var/local/samba_files/staff_secrets (or whatever)
read list = @staff (name of group)
write list = joe (name of owner)
Closed to public. Each machine has it's own directory, which is accessed when only on that machine.
User = root, Group = root Permissions = rwxrwx__x (771).
Writable = Yes.
Guest Access = No.
New UNIX File Mode / Directory mode = 771.
All default from sections 3.2.6.3 & 4.
path = /var/local/samba_files/machine/%m (or whatever)
public = no
writable = yes
These are printers that you will share on this machine.
In construction
Open Control Panel > [Users] > [New User] > [Next].
Enter User Name > [Next] > Enter User Password > [Next]. (Recommend all lower case for users name & password).
Create the users for this computer. Check all "Items" to set up each users space and settings, except Create New Items to Save Disk Space. > {Next} > [Finish].
If using Linux file server, open Webmin in browser, https://linuxhostname:10000. Then [System] > [User and Groups] > [Create New User]
User Details
Username = Enter User name (Recommend all lower case)
Real name = Enter name
Home Directory = Automatic
Password = Check Normal and enter password.
Password Options = leave at never.
Primary Group = Check New Group.
Upon Creation = All marked Yes. > [Save].
Select all Groups that the user belongs to, including "all". Add User name to under "Members".
In Webmin, > Servers > Samba Windows File Sharing > then click Convert Unix users to Samba users.
"X" all boxes and check "No Password". Then "Convert Users".
Click "Edit Samba users and passwords". Click on the new user.
Password = Set to New Password and enter the user password.
User Options = "X" only Normal User. Save.
If the user will never log into the server, you can remove him from the login screen. This step you will have to do at the server.
If the login screen is KDE, goto K > Configuration > System > Login manager > Users tab. Then "X" that user.
Open any one Microsoft's file managers (a joke). Right click on each partition / drive that you wish to mount in Linux. Make sure the "Share" box is checked.
Start > Settings > Printers > Select Printer.
Open the Konqueror file manager in Super User Mode.
( [K], [Applications], [File Tools], [File Manager (Super User Mode)].
Open the /mnt directory. Right click, then [Create New], [Directory].
Create a directory for each DOS partition and drive that you wish to connect to.
For example, /mnt/ibm_c-drive, /mnt/ibm_d-drive, and /mnt_ibm_dvd.
Open Mandrake Control Center ( [K], [Configuration], [Other],
[Mandrake Control Center]).
Then click [Mount Points], then [Samba Mount Points], the [Search Servers].
Your DOS computer, with partitions and drives should show up.
Select each partition / drive and click [Mount].
Enter the full path to the directory that you created above.
Example; /mnt/ibm_c-drive.
Open any Linux file manager and you should be able to read the files on your
DOS computer.
Example; your directory in DOS to Netscape is at C:\My Programs\Netscape.
In Linux this will be found as /mnt/ibm_c-drive/My Programs/Netscape.
Please note that this is a bad example, since DOS can have a problem with spaces in a
directory name and should be avoided when you have to share files with DOS.
<< 3 - Server Configuration <<
>> 5 - Maintenance >>
If you have any comments, problems, questions or suggestions, please send me an e-mail at
Updated; This page was last updated on Mar 16 , 2007 .