Failed to retrieve share list from server.

[Robo_Pi]

I'm having a heck of time trying to write a file from Linux to Windows 10.

I've installed Samba on Linux Lite and I've got it up and running to the point where I can see the Linux computer from the Windows 10 computers. I actually have 3 Windows 10 computers and I can see the shared files and folders on the Linux machine from Windows 10 with no problem.  I can also read and write files to the Linux machine from the Windows machines.

What I can't do is see the Windows machines or shared folders on the Linux machine.  In short, I can't read or write a file to a Windows machine from the Linux machine.  I've been trying for over a week now with no progress.  I'm even writing a program in Python to write files to the Windows machines, but even that won't work.  I don't even get an error.  It just acts like it wrote the file but the file never shows up at the destination path.

In fact, this is what I really need to do.  I need to have Python write files to the Windows computers.  But as things are I can't do anything from Linux.  The only way to get a file over to Windows is to go to a Windows machines and read it from there.  That works, but that's no good.

Here's a copy of my smb.conf file:

Code:

#
#======================= Global Settings ====================================
[global]
workgroup = WORKGROUP
name resolve order = bcast host
server string = Linux Lite Shares
netbios name = Presario-CQ57
security = user
encrypt passwords = true
username map = /etc/samba/smbusers
map to guest = bad user
guest account = nobody
dns proxy = no
#======================= Share Definitions ===================================
[liteshare]
comment=Linux CQ-57 Share
path = /home/%U/share
browsable = yes
writable = yes
only guest=no
create mask=0777
directory mask=0777
public = yes

[100_Robo_Pas]
comment=Linux CQ-57 Share
path = /home/%U/100_Robo_Pass
browsable = yes
writable = yes
only guest=no
create mask=0777
directory mask=0777
public = yes

I've been trying all manner of things from videos I've watched and websites I've searched.  But nothing works.

I even installed winbind as someone suggested this would solve the problem but no luck with that either.

Code:

apt-get install winbind

I don't know what winbind does but it installed and I rebooted and still nothing.

I had changed one of the lines above to:

Code:

name resolve order = wins bcast host   # (adding the wins)

Again someone told me to do that. But that didn't help either.

I even tried adding the line:

Code:

winbind enum groups = yes

But that didn't do anything either.

I'm just at a loss here.  I've spent a week working on this with no progress at all.  I'm getting depressed here. 

Almost everything I find on the Internet is with people not being able to see the Linux shares from Windows.  I have no problem with that.  That part is working for me just fine.  So the Linux machine is on the network and sharing files.  It just can't see the Windows machines.  I've even tried dropping the firewall on the Windows machines but that didn't work either.  I also wouldn't want to have to leave the firewall down anyway.  But that doesn't help so it's unlikely that's the problem.

Also as a final note, I don't think it has anything to do with permissions.  I have all my Windows set up with shared folders that do not require passwords.  So I'm not even using passwords anyway.

[Valtam]

Start again Rob. All you really need to do is follow our guide - https://www.freecinema2022.gq/manual/network.html#shares

I network to Win10 with no issues using our guide.

[trinidad]

"I've installed Samba on Linux Lite and I've got it up and running to the point where I can see the Linux computer from the Windows 10 computers. I actually have 3 Windows 10 computers and I can see the shared files and folders on the Linux machine from Windows 10 with no problem.  I can also read and write files to the Linux machine from the Windows machines."

Yep nowadays Windows 10 out of the box tries to network to everything in the damn building automatically. Make sure your public firewall in Windows is set to share files, * this will only enable access to the public share folder, or better option make sure the user you are logging into on Windows is an administrator then you can use homegroup instead of workgroup and not have to allow file sharing over the public facing firewall, and can use home firewall instead and access all the files on the Windows computers from Linux.

" I need to have Python write files to the Windows computers. "

Files won't show up in Windows that Widows can't read, so fonts, character sets, and prog languages must match. To test this share a folder (not your network share folder) name it python, then place a python file inside it and an ordinary text file. If the folder appears in Windows with the text file but the python file is missing your Windows computer can't read it. Simply put, Linux hears Windows but Windows doesn't really hear Linux very well. You may have to add ext2fsd and some pl utilities to the Windows machines. Samba's nice for exchanging graphics and text files, but for what you want to do sftp would work better. Open ssh is available for Windows 10 and relatively easy to set up. Also, under sftp with a Windows administrative account  login, your Windows AV won't get in the way. You keep sending Linux code files via samba that disappear and your AV (if it's Norton or KIS) will eventually blacklist them and the connection and you'll never be able to do it.

TC

[Robo_Pi]

Start again Rob. All you really need to do is follow our guide - https://www.freecinema2022.gq/manual/network.html#shares

I network to Win10 with no issues using our guide.

I just went through that guide and I've gone through similar guides countless times.  Still no good.

I have a question though.

When I click on Browse Network I get an icon that says "Windows Network"

When I click on that I get two folders.  One called "HOME" , and one called "WORKGROUP"

When I try to open either of these folders I get the same error msg: " Failed to retrieve share list from server."

But shouldn't the WORKGROUP folder at least open and show the Linux Lite shares?

That folder won't open at all.

[ralphy]

[member=7348]Robo_Pi[/member]


Maybe you've gone trough the config back and forth and installed things you don't really need... it happens to all of us when things just don't work as we expect them to do


My two cents. First, make sure you know which workgroup your Windows PCs are on. In your Windows machines run in a command prompt:

Code:

net config workstation | find "Workstation domain"

Usually Home Editions of Windows uses HOME as the default workgroup while Professional Editions and higher uses WORKGROUP. You want to match the workgroup in all machines including Linux Lite samba configuration. So change them all to one or the other and reboot.


Once all machines are part of the same workgroup; dedicate 5 minutes to look at https://unlockforus.com/samba-share-beginners-video/ - there is a working sample config and it explains the basics in a way that users can see what happens all along the setup. Once you get a grip of it you'll certainly find samba a breeze to setup in Linux Lite.


By the way, winbind should have been already installed in your system as part of samba. Not sure why you had to install it all over again. Irrespective, just follow that video and take 5 minutes to understand the process instead; it should alleviate your frustration.


Cheers!

[Robo_Pi]

Once all machines are part of the same workgroup; dedicate 5 minutes to look at https://unlockforus.com/samba-share-beginners-video/ -

Ok, I've already noticed a difference between the video instructions and my situation.

First off, I've checked all my Windows computers and they are all set to WORKGROUP.  So that's been confirmed many times over.

However, @4:20 in the video the man opens the Windows Explorer and clicks on Network and his network automatically discovers the Linux machine.  My Windows File Explorer will NOT do this.  I have noticed this problem but I don't know how to solve it.

Now having said that I can still connect to the Linux machine by simply typing \\LinuxMachineName into the box of the Windows File Explorer.  Also if I just type \\ and wait a list of all connected machines will popup, and the Linux machine will be on that list. So Windows is recognizing the Linux machine, but not via the normal Network Discovery method. What I ended up doing was pinning the Linux machine to the Quick Access toolbar because it doesn't show up in the normal Networking folder. So there's a problem already.  For some reason the Linux machine is already not showing up via the normal Network search.

I also see another problem that doesn't match the video @11.10.  He types into the Windows terminal "net view" and it reports the Linux Server.

But when I type "net view" into my Windows terminal I get the following error:

Code:

C:\Windows\System32>net view
System error 64 has occurred.

The specified network name is no longer available.
C:\Windows\System32>

So something's not right there as well.

He's going to move on to defining shares, but I'm already having problems far beyond that. 

This is a great video and I've already learned some interesting things.  I'll watch the rest of it to be sure.  But I think I have a problem that is already outside the scope of his video. 

For some reason my Windows computer isn't recognizing the samba server.  It doesn't recognize it when I click on Network in the File Explorer.  And it isn't recognizing it when I type in net view at the command prompt.  So I need to find out why those aren't working.  That's where the problem is evidently.

[firenice03]

Couple other things worth a try...
After setting up Samba on the LL pc, reboot..


Then turn off firewalls see if a rule maybe blocking..

[Robo_Pi]

I see now that I have some fundamental network configuration problem on the Windows machines.  They all seem to exchange files with each other ok, but I see now that they aren't all acting the same.  Two of them (brand new Windows 10 installs) aren't discovering the Linux machine on their own.  One of them (an older Windows 10 machine) actually discovers the Linux Machine on the Network and lists it as a server at the command prompt.  But strangely that computer won't actually open the Linux shares.  It reports a potential "spelling error" on the share names.  There is no spelling error on the share names.  So something strange is going on.

I'll need to go over all my Windows networking configurations.  Something's not right and it most likely doesn't have anything at all to do with Linux or Samba. 

So I'll need to figure this out from scratch.  One of these Windows is brand new.  Another one I just did a complete fresh re-install on it from scratch with a brand new empty hard drive.  The third one is an older version that used to be Windows 8 and has been upgraded to Windows 10.  I'm planning on doing a complete re-install on that one too eventually.

In the meantime I'll need to go over all the network settings on the Windows machines.  That's where the problem is.

Although I should note too that the Linux machine isn't recognizing other Linux machines either.

I have Linux Lite on a Notebook computer and (5) Raspberry Pi cards running Raspian.  From Windows I can read and write to all of them once I point to where they are.  But the Linux Lite isn't finding the Raspberry Pi cards either.  And they have Samba on them too.

This is going to be a networking nightmare to figure out, but once I get it all up and running I should be a network expert.  8)

[ralphy]

I think that your main issue is a NetBIOS resolution issue on your network. Here are some more basic things you should try:


1- Disable the firewall on all machines (including Linux Lite box)


2- Make sure nmbd is installed and running in Linux Lite (NetBIOS name server to provide NetBIOS over IP naming services to clients)

nmbd is a server that understands and can reply to NetBIOS over IP name service requests, like those produced by SMB/CIFS clients such as Windows 95/98/ME, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP and LanManager clients. It also participates in the browsing protocols which make up the Windows "Network Neighborhood" view.

Code:

sudo apt-get install nmbd
sudo service nmbd start

Of course, make sure you do not have a 3rd party firewall in windows either and if you do, then turn it off.


Also, you do have a router in the network somewhere that's providing DNS and DHCP. You should try to configure a local domain name for resolution in your network in that device if possible but that starts complicating things a tad, so let's assume for now that such device is capable of resolving hosts in the local network.


For example, you should be able to ping computers by using hostnames (that will give you and idea whether you have resolution in your network or not:


From a Windows PC try pinging another host (Linux Lite) by it's name:

Code:

ping Presario-CQ57

or ping a windows machine from linux lite

Code:

ping my-windows-pc-hostname

In most cases, and more often than not, such issues are the result of 1- DNS resolution issues and 2- firewall blocking broadcasting.

[firenice03]

Something else... Tagging along with Ralphy ..on the LL side.
Lite Tweaks, check hostname ensure it matches the pc name.