Here's what I did. Perhaps it will help. It's a very simple installation.
Setting Up The Samba User Name & Password - Samba makes use of the Linux user name and password authentication system including the user permissions assigned to files and folders. So the Samba user must first be established as a Linux user before it can be used for shared folder access. Since I wanted limited access to my “BOX host” I decided to use the already present Linux user “nobody”. The user “nobody” has restricted system access because it is configured to not have any login shell assignment. Using the user “nobody” requires no specific command or action. The Samba password command will identify the user name I used.
Next I created a password for Samba user “nobody”. I used the “smbpasswd ” command located in the “/usr/local/bin” directory. The “-a” option specifies that this is a new Samba user. The dialog is shown below. The account policy errors can be ignored.
tc@box2:/etc/samba$ sudo –a smbpasswd nobody
New SMB password:
Retype new SMB password:
startsmbfilepwent_internal: file /etc/samba/private/smbpasswd did not exist. File successfully created.
account_policy_get: tdb_fetch_uint32 failed for field 1 (min password length), returning 0
account_policy_get: tdb_fetch_uint32 failed for field 2 (password history), returning 0
account_policy_get: tdb_fetch_uint32 failed for field 3 (user must logon to change password), returning 0
account_policy_get: tdb_fetch_uint32 failed for field 4 (maximum password age),returning 0
account_policy_get: tdb_fetch_uint32 failed for field 5 (minimum password age),returning 0
account_policy_get: tdb_fetch_uint32 failed for field 6 (lockout duration), returning 0
account_policy_get: tdb_fetch_uint32 failed for field 7 (reset count minutes), returning 0
account_policy_get: tdb_fetch_uint32 failed for field 8 (bad lockout attempt), returning 0
account_policy_get: tdb_fetch_uint32 failed for field 9 (disconnect time), returning 0
account_policy_get: tdb_fetch_uint32 failed for field 10 (refuse machine password change), returning 0
Added user nobody.
Contents of my “smb.conf” file
[Global]
workgroup = MYWORKGRP
server string = Samba Server
security = user
log file = /usr/local/samba/var/log.%m
max log size = 50
load printers = no
printcap name = /device/null
[homes]
comment = Home Directories
path = /mnt/sdc1/nobody
browseable = yes
writeable = yes
create mask = 0664
directory mask = 0774
force group = +staff
printable = no
[webserver]
comment = web server
path = /mnt/sdc1/opt/lampp/htdocs
valid users = nobody
browseable = yes
writeable = yes
create mask = 0664
directory mask = 0775
force group = +staff
printable = no
The host IP address or the host name along with the folder name can be entered in the folder location field at the top of the Windows Explorer window to access a shared folder. For instance in this example:
"\\192.168.0.100\webserver" or "\\box\webserver" can be used to access the shared folder. The user is nobody and the password is the one I entered.