samba - May 2008 - how to get Windows to notice unix-based delete command (inotify)

Hi there

We have a Samba-based "upload server" where people put files to be 
processed. Anyway, when they upload files, a Unix-based script runs and 
moves the files off. However, the Windows explorer app doesn't
"notice"
the removal, and the user still sees the files. If they F5/refresh 
explorer, the files indeed have disappeared. If I have two explorer 
windows open from two different Windows hosts on the same Samba dir, and 
create a file on one, it shows up within 1-2 seconds on the other - 
which is good.

Obviously this is an inotify/dnotify issue, so I guess my question is, 
how can I change the Unix script so that Samba is able to "tell" the 
connected client that a file change has occurred, so that it refreshes 
the content?

This is under CentOS-4.6 with Samba-3.0.28a/3.0.29, and "kernel change 
notify = Yes"

Thanks!

-- 
Cheers

Jason Haar
Information Security Manager, Trimble Navigation Ltd.
Phone: +64 3 9635 377 Fax: +64 3 9635 417
PGP Fingerprint: 7A2E 0407 C9A6 CAF6 2B9F 8422 C063 5EBB FE1D 66D1

On Tue, May 27, 2008 at 02:01:38PM +1200, Jason Haar
wrote:
> Hi there
>
> We have a Samba-based "upload server" where people put files to
be
> processed. Anyway, when they upload files, a Unix-based script runs and  
> moves the files off. However, the Windows explorer app doesn't
"notice"
> the removal, and the user still sees the files. If they F5/refresh  
> explorer, the files indeed have disappeared. If I have two explorer  
> windows open from two different Windows hosts on the same Samba dir, and  
> create a file on one, it shows up within 1-2 seconds on the other -  
> which is good.
>
> Obviously this is an inotify/dnotify issue, so I guess my question is,  
> how can I change the Unix script so that Samba is able to "tell"
the
> connected client that a file change has occurred, so that it refreshes  
> the content?
>
> This is under CentOS-4.6 with Samba-3.0.28a/3.0.29, and "kernel change
> notify = Yes"
With kernel based dnotify you shouldn't have to do anything,
the smbd should get signalled once the file is gone causing
it to notify the client.

Unfortunately there's no debug messages in the kernel
inotify handler (that's an oversight, I'll add one once
I'm back at work tomorrow). Can you add one (in the
function inotify_handler() in smbd/notify_inotify.c and
see if it gets triggered appropriately ?

Jeremy.