samba - Sep 2004 - Trouble setting up an Anonymous read/write samba server for WinXP Pro users

Greetings,

I'm having difficulty setting up an 'Anonymous Read-Write' SAMBA
server on a
new system with a stock FC2 installation for use with WinXP Pro systems.

I'm using the following software on the 'fileserver':
  - Linux FC2 installed from the FC2 iso's: kernel 2.6.5-1.358
  - samba-common-3.0.3-5
  - samba-3.0.3-5
  - samba-client-3.0.3-5
  - samba-swat-3.0.3-5
  - system-config-samba-1.2.9-2

Following the instructions and examples in the official SAMBA howto, I'm
under the impression that I want a smb.conf file such as:

# Global parameters 
[global] 
workgroup = MSHOME
netbios name = FILESERVER
security = SHARE 
 
[data] 
comment = Data 
path = /export 
force user = nobody
force group = nobody 
read only = No 
guest ok = Yes

The problem I'm running into is that when I attempt to connect to the share
from a WinXP Pro system by simply using the address \\fileserver in an
explorer window, I immediately get a 'Connect to fileserver' window from
WinXP with a greyed out username set to 'fileserver\Guest' and asking
for a
password.  I'm confused - the whole point of setting up an anonymous
read/write server was to avoid having to put user accounts on the samba
server.  

I've found that if I open up the address \\fileserver\data I can connect
with no user/pass request.  I've also found that if I'm logged into the
WinXP system as user 'Tim' and I create a user 'tim' on the
samba server, I
am not prompted for a user/pass.  Both of these solutions are unacceptable
for what I'm trying to accomplish.  All the howto's and examples
I've found
regarding anonymous samba servers mention nothing about this problem.

Any explanation / advice would be greatly appreciated

Thanks,

Tim

Hi Tim,
i hope this will help You:
null passwords (G)

    Allow or disallow client access to accounts that have null passwords.

    See also smbpasswd(5).

    Default: null passwords = no 

Greetings,

 Mike

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tim Harvey <tharvey@alumni.calpoly.edu>
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2004 12:47:13 -0700
Subject: [Samba] Trouble setting up an Anonymous read/write samba
server for WinXP Pro users
To: samba@lists.samba.org

Greetings,

I'm having difficulty setting up an 'Anonymous Read-Write' SAMBA
server on a
new system with a stock FC2 installation for use with WinXP Pro systems.

Following the instructions and examples in the official SAMBA howto, I'm
under the impression that I want a smb.conf file such as:

# Global parameters
[global]
workgroup = MSHOME
netbios name = FILESERVER
security = SHARE

[data]
comment = Data
path = /export
force user = nobody
force group = nobody
read only = No
guest ok = Yes

The problem I'm running into is that when I attempt to connect to the share
from a WinXP Pro system by simply using the address \\fileserver in an
explorer window, I immediately get a 'Connect to fileserver' window from
WinXP with a greyed out username set to 'fileserver\Guest' and asking
for a
password.  I'm confused - the whole point of setting up an anonymous
read/write server was to avoid having to put user accounts on the samba
server.

Just thought I would follow-up on this as I finally found a solution.

Using the exact same configuration, I simply upgraded to samba 3.0.7 and the
problem went away!

Tim
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tim Harvey [mailto:tharvey@alumni.calpoly.edu]
> Sent: Friday, September 24, 2004 12:47 PM
> To: 'samba@lists.samba.org'
> Subject: Trouble setting up an Anonymous read/write samba server for WinXP
> Pro users
> 
> Greetings,
> 
> I'm having difficulty setting up an 'Anonymous Read-Write'
SAMBA server on
> a new system with a stock FC2 installation for use with WinXP Pro systems.
> 
> I'm using the following software on the 'fileserver':
>   - Linux FC2 installed from the FC2 iso's: kernel 2.6.5-1.358
>   - samba-common-3.0.3-5
>   - samba-3.0.3-5
>   - samba-client-3.0.3-5
>   - samba-swat-3.0.3-5
>   - system-config-samba-1.2.9-2
> 
> Following the instructions and examples in the official SAMBA howto,
I'm
> under the impression that I want a smb.conf file such as:
> 
> # Global parameters
> [global]
> workgroup = MSHOME
> netbios name = FILESERVER
> security = SHARE
> 
> [data]
> comment = Data
> path = /export
> force user = nobody
> force group = nobody
> read only = No
> guest ok = Yes
> 
> The problem I'm running into is that when I attempt to connect to the
> share from a WinXP Pro system by simply using the address \\fileserver in
> an explorer window, I immediately get a 'Connect to fileserver'
window
> from WinXP with a greyed out username set to 'fileserver\Guest' and
asking
> for a password.  I'm confused - the whole point of setting up an
anonymous
> read/write server was to avoid having to put user accounts on the samba
> server.
> 
> I've found that if I open up the address \\fileserver\data I can
connect
> with no user/pass request.  I've also found that if I'm logged into
the
> WinXP system as user 'Tim' and I create a user 'tim' on the
samba server,
> I am not prompted for a user/pass.  Both of these solutions are
> unacceptable for what I'm trying to accomplish.  All the howto's
and
> examples I've found regarding anonymous samba servers mention nothing
> about this problem.
> 
> Any explanation / advice would be greatly appreciated
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Tim