recommendations for Windows NFS clients needed

[Eric S. Johansson]

Craig Hagerman wrote:
> I can't really help you Eric, as I don't know about NFS clients for
> Windows. But I suggest you look into Samba further. There are lots of
> good websites out there. I just set up Samba on a Ubuntu machine, and
> set up sharing with two windows machines with almost no difficulties.
> I am no whiz at Samba but I read through a few web sites, set up the
> conf file, adjusted permissions .... and it "just worked".

I understand and I appreciate your advice.  I have been over all of 
those sites and have even had a conversation with a person who has 
written books on Samba configuration.

over the past six months in virtually every circumstance I have failed 
with Samba when it comes to authentication.  If I disable 
authentication, it can be made to work but whether he used internal 
database, domain controller, active directory.  They all fail, even with 
using cookbook recipes exactly, and even with expert help.  Yes, I even 
stump the experts.

as a bit of background, I should disclose that back in the mid-80s, I've 
designed a network file system and was part of the team implementing it. 
  And I've been working with network filesystems on and off since then 
mostly designing it in as a network service.

my main complaints about Samba are the lack of a repeatable process for 
generating a configuration, and the dearth of information on how to 
debug classes of problems.  yes I have seen the cookbooks but when the 
cookbook recipes don't work, you are not left with sufficient 
information to figure out why from both the Windows and the samba sides. 
  the ubuntu gui is a step in the right direction and really is very 
close to where it should be in terms of usability.

one example is what I tried to make active directory work for 
authentication.  The samba side seemed perfect but Windows didn't 
respond properly why?  I don't know I don't know Windows well enough and 
neither did my client.

second example is my current attempt.  I'm failing authentication.  I'm 
seeing a localhost mentioned where it shouldn't which leads me to 
believe there is some sort of naming problem somewhere but I don't know 
where the authentication dialog box for windows gets its information. 
kept a log file just shows socket errors without any additional detail 
I'll probably play with increasing logging level but I have little or no 
hope that it will do any good.  I'll probably need to reverse engineer 
the Samba configuration to get anywhere.

I love ubuntu (mostly) because it lets me get on with my work.  It lets 
the computer become a tool and not a way of life.  If I ever succeed in 
getting NaturallySpeaking to work via code weavers, it will become my 
desktop.

I apologize for being so cranky but I've had a series of hardware and 
software failures over the past two weeks that make me really really 
paranoid/irritable.  I will spare you the detail but it's been at least 
a half a dozen day killing events over the past two weeks.

then we add Samba.  :-)

on the other hand, the mail server upgrade and the latest deploy of 
camram (advanced but trivial to use anti-spam system) went exceedingly 
well.  So I guess there is hope.

thank you again for your advice. wish me luck, I will try again.

---eric