Network access

[John French]

> David Curtis wrote:
>> I have been setting up a home file, print and e-mail server on 8.04 
>> Server (64 bit (AMD)), and I would appreciate help with a couple of 
>> questions.
>> 
>> 1. I believe I have Samba, Postfix and Dovecot configured about right, 
>> but I am getting persistent refusals when I try to connect from Windows 
>> machines. I get "Enter Network password", but when I enter my user name 
>> and password (which are the same for Linux and Windows), I get 
>> "Incorrect password or unknown username". I have tried deleting my user 
>> id on th server, and re-entering it, using my wife's id, and so forth, 
>> without success. Can it have to do with /etc/network/interfaces ?  I 
>> have tried, as far as possible, not to disturb the defaults, but I have 
>> set a static IP address, and have put that into /etc/network/interfaces.
> 
> No, the error message has nothing to do with /etc/network/interfaces. If 
> you are recieving the error message then I would assume that your 
> network is up and running as related to ethernet/TCP/IP and Samba. If 
> they were not then you would recieve a different error to the effect 
> that the network was not up, or a connection refused error. The password 
> error indicates a setup problem.
> 
> One of the most common oversights with setting up samba is not assigning 
> a smb password. Smb passwords are separate from account passwords, 
> although the can be, for simplicity's sake, the same. To add a smb 
> password for your user:
> 
> $sudo smbpasswd -a (user)
> 
> this will not change the account password.
> 
> 
>> 2. I have wondered if Postfix is a bit OTT. A knowledgeable contributor 
>> to the list has recommended masqmail, but it seems to be currently 
>> unsupported. Any advice ?
>> 
>> John French


Thanks, that has fixed file and printer access. But I am still 
floundering around with accessing e-mails.

Fetchmail, Postfix and Dovecot seem fine, and I can see my test messages 
showing up in my Maildir. I have set up an IMAP account in Thunderbird 
on a Windows system, but when I try to subscribe to the folder on the 
server, I get "Connection to J205.tow.org.uk timed out".

Advice appreciated - perhaps best of all, a pointer to a good book or HOWTO.

John French