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Linux as a file server for Windows PCs and Macs

Problem statement

Prepare a course in e-mail, FTP, WWW, and HTML publishing, for 40 natural sciences students of varying backgrounds. The course may be taught on Macs or PCs. Not all students will have accounts on upracd.

Solution

Set up a linux server for the course. The server can provide file services to PCs or Macs, POP3 and IMAP e-mail services, shell accounts, HTTP services, and hold students HTML pages.

Why linux?

• It's free.
• It can be installed under UMSDOS, with minimal impact on the host computer.
• It's very stable.
• It has all the required servers available, and most are standard.

Configuration

• Slackware linux 3.2, installed onto UMSDOS filesystem.
• Apache HTTP server (contributed package).
• Samba SMB suite (recompiled from source).
• netatalk AppleTalk suite (recompiled from source).

What is Samba?

Samba is a SMB file server that runs on Unix and other operating systems. It allows these operating systems (currently Unix, Netware, OS/2 and AmigaDOS) to act as a file and print server for SMB clients. There are many Lan-Manager compatible clients such as LanManager for DOS, Windows for Workgroups, Windows NT, Windows 95, OS/2, Pathworks and many more.

The package also includes a SMB client for accessing other SMB servers and a netbios nameserver for browsing support.

What can Samba do for me?

If you have any PCs running SMB clients, such as a PC running Windows for Workgroups, then you can mount file space or printers on a Samba host, so that directories, files and printers on the host are available on the PC.

The client part of the package will also allow you to attach to other SMB-based servers (such as windows NT and windows for workgroups) so that you can copy files to and from your unix host. The client also allows you to access a SMB printer (such as one attached to an OS/2 or WfWg server) from Unix, using an entry in /etc/printcap, or by explicitly specifying the command used to print files.

What is netatalk?

DDP is in the kernel. "atalkd" implements RTMP, NBP, ZIP, and AEP. It is the AppleTalk equivalent of Unix "routed". There is also a client-stub library for NBP. ATP and ASP are implemented as libraries. "papd" allows Macs to spool to "lpd", and "pap" allows Unix machines to print to AppleTalk connected printers. "psf" is a PostScript printer filter for "lpd", designed to use "pap". "psorder" is a PostScript reverser, called by "psf" to reverse pages printed to face-up stacking printers. "afpd" provides Macs with an interface to the Unix file system. Refer to the appropriate man pages for operational information.

Gotchas

• Slackware kernels have appletalk support enabled, custom kernels need it as well.
• Slackware installs the shadow password suite, samba and netatalk need shadow support enabled.
• Windows for Workgroups (3.11) uppercases all passwords. The shadow package requires mixed case passwords. Samba must be installed with the ``pasword level'' option set.

Fixes

• Make config, enable appletalk support ( config file , xconfig screen , network device support )
• Edit samba source/Makefile, add -DSHADOW_PWD ( Makefile )
• Edit netatalk etc/afpd/Makefile, add -DSHADOWPW ( Makefile )

Installing

• Edit /etc/services , adding the netbios and ddp services.
• Edit /etc/inetd.conf , adding entries for smbd and nmbd.
• Edit /etc/rc.d/rc.local , to call rc.atalkd to start the appletalk daemons on boot up.
• reboot, or send SIGHUP to inetd, and call rc.atalkd by hand.

Configuring

• Edit smb.conf , to provide users with access to their home directories via SMB.
• Prepare the files atalkd.conf , AppleVolumes.default , and AppleVolumes.system , to enable appletalk sharing of home directories.

References

1. The Samba Home Page
2. The netatalk homepage
3. The linux-netatalk HOWTO

Most recent change: 2007/9/3 at 22:15
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