samba - Jun 2003 - Drive letter map to Samba using ssh or scp?

OK, what I want to do is access files on my Samba server remotely.

Currently, I can use WinSCP, but this isn't ideal because it is more like an
FTP client, where you have to download a file, edit it, upload it. I could
set up a VPN (using open source software), but these can be kind of a
headache to get working (I've done it before) and they don't necessarily
support multiple simultaneous connections.

I could set up an SSH tunnel, but this is awkward and I don't want to teach
(l)users how to do this (getting them to type anything from a command line
-- correctly -- is like herding cats or pushing a rope).

I want "realtime" access -- that is, open/save files from an
application
using the standard API's but have the files on the remote system instead of
my local workstation.

Shouldn't there be someway of using SSH or SCP to transparently connect to a
Samba share, and have the share appear as a drive letter?

I envision a GUI that prompts for an internet hostname, an SSH user/pass; a
Samba server name and Samba user/pass. Done properly, the SSH server could
be on the LAN, and allow you to connect to ANY smb server (Window inc.) on
the LAN. Logging in using this UI sets up an SSH tunnel automatically,
presents a list of available shares; you can then select one and a drive
letter to map it to. A configuration could be saved so that the connection
is made automatically when the user logs in to his own workstation.
Basically, I guess, this would be a GUI for SSH tunnels.

OK, so maybe this is getting awfully close to VPN. But since SSH is already
there and would require no additional setup, wouldn't there be easy way to
take advantage of it?

Anyone done anything like this? I don't want to reinvent the wheel if I
don't have to.

--Jon

> 
> OK, what I want to do is access files on my Samba server remotely.
> 
> Currently, I can use WinSCP, but this isn't ideal because [...]
> Anyone done anything like this? I don't want to reinvent the 
> wheel if I don't have to.
> 
Don't know how it will work apart from VPN. Unfortunately a samba/windows
world is very much tied to broadcasts. That's how it works... I have yet to
see someone forwarding broadcasts through a ssh tunnel. You can quit using
broadcasts if you don't want to use "network neighborhood" on the
remote
net. You'll do it with ssh by forwarding 139 but there is a catch: this ties
you to accessing a single samba machine at a time! 

Users do not have to type complicated command lines each time. That's what
.bat files are used for ;-) You make a bat file with ssh command to connect
to the remote host and the user clicks it on the desktop; it only asks for a
password. Some SSL gurus please step in and enlighten us about certificates
and alike, I'm sure you can avoid passwords too!! 
Only once, you the windows admin modify the lmhosts file to point the name
of the remote samba machine to 127.0.0.1. Then after the ssh connection is
established you can access the remote machine in explorer with
\\remote\sharename. Use IE's bookmarks features, name the shares
accordingly. I know it's an ugly hack and it sucks badly but until some
brave hart makes a VPN-how-to the magnitude Kurt Pfeifle did for samba
printing it seems the only way... :-|

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Jonathan,
> Shouldn't there be someway of using SSH or SCP to transparently
> connect to a Samba share, and have the share appear as a drive
> letter?
Yes, there should be.

    http://ibiblio.org/gferg/ldp/Samba-with-SSH/

Yours sincerely,

- -- Mark Suter <mark.suter@miju.com.au> | I have often regretted my
Miju Systems - http://www.miju.com.au/ | speech, never my silence.
mobile 0411 262 316 gnupg key 2C71D63D | Xenocrates (396-314 B.C.)

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> Jonathan,
> 
> > Shouldn't there be someway of using SSH or SCP to transparently 
> > connect to a Samba share, and have the share appear as a 
> drive letter?
> 
> Yes, there should be.
> 
    http://ibiblio.org/gferg/ldp/Samba-with-SSH/


That's for linux2linux. For windows2linux try also:
http://www.bitvise.com/file-sharing.html