Ubuntu Sharing Issue

I recently installed Ubuntu on one of my computers and I am having some issues with sharing, printer/files from my windows 7 computer.

My setup is as such:

I have a HP printer connected to my windows 7 computer. Both my windows 7 computer and my Ubuntu computer are connected to a router which is connected to a dsl modem.

Until this new Ubuntu install, I was using another computer with windows xp installed on it. I was already sharing files back and forth and had the ability to print from either computer. I disconnected my old xp computer and connected this one up and installed ubuntu. Now that I've got ubuntu up and running, even connected to the internet, I'm having problems figuring out how to get each computer to see each other. I look at my win7 and I see no ubuntu, I look at my ubuntu and see in "network places" my win7 workgroup. But, when I click on that icon, ubuntu tells me, "Unable to mount location...Failed to retrieve share list from server".

Need Help!

 

You may be able to share files, printers with Samba.

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Samba

 

Ubuntu 12.10 came with samba installed by default. I've already been through the smb.conf file to verify the workgroup name is the same as the win7 one!

 

I'm using 12.04 and had similar experiences browsing network devices. I can't find the links to the helpful solutions, but I printed out those suggestions for future reference.

So that SOME credit can be properly attributed, both suggestions were found on the Ubuntu forums. Re-typed for your use, these were the suggestions that helped me:

In terminal, type sudo gedit /etc/samba/smb.conf
This will open the file smb.conf in the gedit text editor. IMMEDIATELY, save the file as smb.conf.bak or smb.conf.old in order to create a restore file if things go horribly wrong with your system!

Upon saving the file, re-type the sudo gedit /etc/samba/smb.conf command in the terminal. This time, add the following lines at the end of the [global] section of the /etc/samba/smb.conf file

netbios name = <hostname>
name resolve order = bcast host
client lanman auth = yes
client ntlmv2 auth = no

please note that the netbios name = <hostname> will be modified to replace <hostname> with the name of your computer, which will be readily available from within your terminal. For example, if your terminal indicates Bob@HPdesktop, then YOU are user Bob, and HPdesktop is the hostname of your computer. In this instance, the first line would read as

netbios name = HPdesktop

It is VERY important that upper and/or lower case letters match exactly!

With above 4 lines added to file, save file. Restart computer. You should be able to browse network shares upon restart. If anyone else locates my referenced solution(s) (I have combined two separate solutions into one, as they were both related) please feel free to link them here, as I don't want to take credit for someone else's expertise.

Good luck!

 

Well hitest, I finally got the unbuntu computer to print out a test page on the shared printer from the win7 computer but, the files are still an issue.

 

You may need to download a package for wins support. then edit the lines in the smb.conf file.

 

Here is the best how to. I would give it a try.

http://www.liberiangeek.net/2012/10/share-files-between-windows-7-and-ubuntu-12-10-quantal-quetzal/

 

Here is my 'smb.conf"file from my Ubuntu computer that I use as a file server.
Number one thing is make sure you have wins support.
Use Synaptic Package manager and check for the this file. "libwbclient0" if it's not installed install it.

I changed the "work group name", and "guest account = your account name" for security reasons.
When you click on your windows machine you will get a prompt for your windows network password.

 

Did you share them with your homegroup?

I opened Music and Photos to Read/Write Access. It goes without saying NEVER do this on a laptop that will be in a public place.

 

You have to go up and set a Server connection up in File to the Windows machine, by entering the IP of said Windows machine. Then you have to use capitalized username and password to connect. There is no downloading anything, changing Samba, it is a idiotic change that happened in 12.04, with Nautilus.

See http://askubuntu.com/questions/134249/connecting-to-windows-7-shares-from-12-04

 

OK, first of all I apologize for taking so long to respond back. In the process, I have found that samba was not installed with this new version of ubuntu, just the config file! Once I installed and configured it, I was able to view and my entire hard windows 7 machines hard drive. Big shout-out goes to "onegoodman" for that one because I never would have known without that link you posted!

The only thing I don't understand at this point is why I can't see the ubuntu machine while on my windows 7 machine! I'll keep reading your posts and work on ubuntu some more. Many thanks to all for their response!!!

 

Follow the info at http://www.unixmen.com/howto-install-and-configure-samba-share-in-ubuntu/ also see https://help.ubuntu.com/12.10/serverguide/samba-fileserver.html

When I was running a smoothwall box, and a Linux server at one time, I would use WinSCP to move files back and forth http://winscp.net/eng/index.php You will also need Putty if you plan on doing anything from the command prompt level.

 

If you are still having trouble, sharing files from your Ubuntu computer this is something you should try. I don't recommend doing this on a laptop that will be on any kind of public network.

1. Open your samba sever configuration.
2. Click on a share.
3. Next click on edit properties of selected directory
4. Next select the access tab.
5. Select Allow access to everyone.

You will have access to your shared directories, from almost any device on your network.