Multiple complex and coincidental problems -- REVISED

[Ted Hilts]

Jeff

The revision is that I cut out my comments on TP after seeing the 
reaction of hundreds of emails suddenly show up on that subject.

Originally I tried to get help on a Ubuntu problem which for me has
turned into a very weird problem -- one which is frustrating and hard to
explain.  If I knew what the problem was I could fix it myself but it is
one of those problems that are hard to identify. Ubuntu simply refuses
to respond to other machines on my LAN but it can successfully instigate
samba and other operations to all machines on the LAN (both Linux and MS
OS). Also, Ubuntu is not visible to MS OS machines. Also, MS OS machines
cannot map a drive or directory to this Ubuntu machine.

But at this moment it is working
wonderfully.  Coincidentally to this improvement I fired up another
Linux machine (SuSE) having a DNS service active. Perhaps this
improvement has something to do with the NMBD component of Samba which
can behave either as a WINS server or a WINS client but NOT both at the
same time. I read something that suggests to me that another server can
step into the fray on behalf of this condition and resolve it.  If that
is true then the second server (SuSE) must have somehow resolved the
conflict (one becoming the client and the other becoming the server and
one acting on behalf of the other).  I am pretty sure this whole
situation has to have something to do with WINS resolution (by Ubuntu).
Usually I have more than one Linux machine running but this time I had
two running.  If you have any comments on this complicated issue I would
certainly welcome your comments.

I also had at this same time another confusing situation.  My set up on
the Ubuntu machine is dual boot with XP.  The boot assignment  of mount
points on the XP machine remained constant for each start up but not so
with the Ubuntu set up.  On my Ubuntu desktop the hard drive mounts
show the XP designations and order.  When I change that  order (by
moving the icons around)  on my Ubuntu desk top a certain way then the
mount assignments remain contant (that is the mount points remain the
same after each shutdown).  If I don't do this (set up the physical
order of the hard drive icons a certain way) then Ubuntu establishes
different mount points for the whole arrangement of hard drives. I need
to talk to the same drive with the same designation and this is how I
managed that situation.

But all of this was going on at the same time.

Anyway, as I write this the Ubuntu system appears to be working properly
and the XP machines can see the Ubuntu shares as well as the Linux
machines and there is no confusion regarding the Ubuntu mount points.
But I am very nervous about the present situation because I am not
certain whether I understand properly what is going on in terms of LAN
machine interations.

Sooner of later I will have to shut this whole thing down and keep my
fingers crossed that I understand properly all the interactions.

Hope to hear your ideas and anyone else's.

Thanks -- Ted