ACCOUNT SETUP

Before you can use this service, you must set up your Unix account with a Samba password. (if you do not have an SSC unix account, find out how to get one here)

• Contact Julie Chen and request to have your Samba Account initialized. Be sure to tell her: the account name and unix machine you'll be using Samba to access and if you are using Windows 95/98/NT/2000 also include the login id you use to login to your local machine.
• If you need to change your Samba password contact Julie Chen, or do the following:
  
• SSH to your unix account (e.g. nicco.sscnet.ucla.edu or www.sscnet.ucla.edu)
• Login with your usual Unix id and password.
• At the Unix command prompt type in the command ‘smbpasswd'.
• You will be prompted to enter a password. Enter the temporary password supplied by Julie, then a new one. This is a password that you will be prompted for when Windows attempts to map a drive via Samba. You will probably want to make it the same as your regular Unix password, to make it easier for you to remember.
• You will not need to run smbpasswd again, unless you think your password has been compromised.
  

That's it.  Now you are ready to use Samba.

MAPPING A DRIVE

Launch Windows Explorer (or Windows NT/2000 Explorer)

Go to Tools, Map Network Drive. You will see a dialog box similar to this for NT/2000 users:

and for Windows 95/98 users:

The next available drive will automatically be selected for you.

For the PATH, type in the Unix machine and your home directory with the following syntax:

• For NT/2000 users (where bruin is your login name):

\\nicco.sscnet.ucla.edu\bruin or \\www.sscnet.ucla.edu\bruin

• For Windows 95/98 users (where bruin is your login name):

\\nicco.sscnet.ucla.edu\bruin or \\www.sscnet.ucla.edu\bruin

(If Windows has trouble finding the machine, double check the Domain you have listed under Control Panel--Networks-- TCPIP--DNS Configuration. It should be ‘sscnet.ucla.edu’)

For the CONNECT AS field (on NT/2000 only) fill in your Unix login name, this will typically be the same as your home directory.

If you want to have this mapping done each time you turn on your machine and login, check the box that says Reconnect at Logon. If you do this, the next time you login you will still be prompted for a password when the drive is remapped, however you won’t need to come into Windows Explorer and go through this process of mapping a drive and filling in drive and path information.

Now press OK and you will be prompted for your Samba Password with something similar to this:

Type it in and press OK

If your id and password were correct you will be returned to Windows Explorer but now you will see an additional "drive" listed. You can use the files on this drive just as you would on any other drive.

UNMAPPING A DRIVE

When you are finished using the drive, it is a good idea to "disconnect" or unmap the drive.

To do this, launch Windows Explorer then go to Tools--Disconnect Network Drive. You will be given a window listing the drives you currently have mapped. Highlight the one you want to disconnect and press OK

UNIX VS. DOS

Please be aware that Unix systems and PC systems save their text files in different ways. Unix uses a single line feed to denote the end of a line, while PCs typically uses a carriage return and a line feed. This is why if you call a Unix created text file into an unsophisticated Windows program such as Notepad you may not see proper formatting. More sophisticated editing programs such as Word will be able to import Unix files properly. In addition, there are conversion commands available on the Unix side called unix2dos and dos2unix (type ‘man unix2dos’ or ‘man dos2unix’ at the Unix prompt to learn more about these).

• Samba documentation can be found here.
• Samba examples can be found here.