[Bug 498734] [NEW] nmbd stops randomly -> cannot access using hostname from Windows XP

[Csimbi]

Public bug reported:

Binary package hint: samba

I found a number of reports about nmbd not starting.
For me nmbd does start, but stops randomly, so while this is a different bug, it must be somehow related.

But, first things first.
I am new to Linux. I followed various tutorial on the net to install a NAS using Ubuntu Server. I installed it, was working for a while, then it stopped working, I reinstalled it, and this cycle was going on and on and on like 10 times.
Then, I decided to call in a favour from a friend who has experience.
I installed Ubuntu Server 9.10 again (amd64), updated the system using apt-get (that was yesterday, 19-Dec-2009), configured Samba again the way I used to, and I called my friend to take a look. He used ssh to access the machine, and do his magic. He fine-tuned Samba with the users and permissions I wanted, then he said we should also reboot the system to make sure that everything mounts and loads as it should - so, we rebooted the the system. After reboot, I could access my Samba share just fine. So, we opened a drink to celebrate. About five minutes later, I went back to the machine to map the drives, but I could not access the Samba share using the netbios name from Windows XP - I could access it using the IP address though.
We had no idea what was going on and we've been Google-ing around for hours, trying various configuration changes in network setting as recommended by various messages claiming that it solved their problem. Well, none of those network tweaks have helped us, so I gave up. My friend was pissed because it was supposed to work so he kept checking things I know nothing about. Then he said: f**k, nmbd is not running! He restarted Samba (and with it nmbd) and everything was working again. After a while, it stopped again. He tried restarting Samba again, but this time it did not work. He said we should start from boot and he will watch it and see when it stops and why. So, we reboot and he keeps his eyes open. He said there are some read errors in /var/log/samba/log.nmbd for the socket. The is what he sent me:
read_socket_with_timeout: read error = Socket operation on non-socket.
read from child failed: NT_STATUS_ACCESS_DENIED
I Googled about this and I ended up here, sounds like it to me (who don't know much about Linux):
http://lists.samba.org/archive/samba/1998-March/006767.html
My friend ended up on this forum, here:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/462169
Though that error talks about nmbd not starting. For us, nmbd does start (he found traces and I can also access the Samna share using the netbios host name), but it stops at some point which we could not track down.
Thank you for fixing.

** Affects: samba (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

-- 
nmbd stops randomly -> cannot access using hostname from Windows XP
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/498734
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Server Team, which is subscribed to samba in ubuntu.