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22 replies

by Member 34793965

I am new to Linux and have just integrated a small Linux server into my Windows network using Samba. I plan to use it (running Apache, MySQL and PHP) to test dynamic websites before uploading them.

I have created a share where I can copy HTML files to be tested. The problem I have is with editing files. If I open a file in the share for editing from a Windows box using something like Notepad, I am unable to save the file using the same name. (Permissions are wide open on the folder containing the files: chmod 777). Do I have to set permissions on each individual file? The only workaround I have been able to divise is to edit all the files in Windows in a folder, delete all the files from the Linux server each time editing is required and then recopy the folder from the Windows box back into the Linux share.

by pbourke

It?s all about file permissions. Windows file permission do not map directly to Linux file permissions. Typically, most users install a Microsoft?s UNIX tools (or some other 3rd party tool to map Linux user accounts to windows user accounts. This will solve your issue. Another way to defeat the permission thing is with an SSH program (free or otherwise). Login to your Linux box using SSH and an authorized Linux user account, then ftp the files directly to your source directory. Here at the office, we use FSecure. FSecure has a built in SSH ftp program (and it a GUI).

by philux

Hi Rick,

Check your share section, and see if your share is not read only. You need at least:

[SHARED_DIRECTORY]
path = /directory_to_share
writeable = yes

Take a look at: http://us2.samba.org/samba/docs/man/smb.conf.5.html

When you say permissions are wide open, do you mean on the directory or the files? The truth is, directories doesn't exist.

I've setup a Gnu/Linux Samba+Apache server for my previous company.

by Member 34793965

I meant permissions for the directory.

Based on your advice and that of the other replies, it looks like I will have to do some more work to ensure that any files created there have the same permissions. It will be good practice. I know how to use the vi text editor and I like running stuff from the prompt in Linux. Reminds me of my old DOS days.

Thanks to everyone that has replied. I will let you know how things work out.

by brian m

There are a couple of things you need to do. First, in the smb.conf file, for the share that you are writing to, make sure you have an entry like "create mode = 770". This will force the files created to be writable by the group that owns them. I would also go to the directory that is at the top of this share, and from Linux issue a "chmod g+s directory_name". This will force all files created in this directory to belong to the group that owns the directory. Of course, this share should have a line that allows this group to write to the share ("write list = @group_name").

Look up the relevent info in the man pages for the smb.conf file ("man smb.conf").

by brian m

The problem is likely in your Samba configuration. Does the Samba share have a line that says "create mode = 777". If not, the Samba program will create files that are not world writable. Also, on the parent directory, you should run "chmod g+s dirctory". This will force all files created in this directory to be owned by the group. This group should also have write access the the Samba share ("write list = @group_name" should be in the smb.conf file. Run "man smb.conf" to get more detailsabout these settings.

by Member 34793965

Thanks Brian (and the other posters also),

I was able to make the necessary changes using the Samba Web Administration Tool, choosing the share and then, under security options, setting "create mask" to 0777.

I am now able to open an HTML filein the share from a Windows box using Notepad, edit it and save it.

by hoser81269

Can I RAID-1/mirror or RAID-5/stripe-with-parity without a RAID controller? For example, NT-Server (insert gag reflex here) provides functionality to mirror the system disc and stripe or mirror the non-system discs through the OS. Can I do the same with a typical Linux distribution? Thanks!

by rhart_y4k

Checkout raidtools. (Do a google)

Read the various Software-RAID-* HOWTOs

Also productive is search "raidtools" at LDP.

by j.tavares

Yes, you can typiclly use a software implementation of RAID on most of the Linux distros. However, by implementing soft RAID, you are requiring your server to use RAM as cache and use CPU cycles for the processing. There is a very good reason why virtually all RAID implementations, large and small, use hardware RAID with their own processors and cache. The overhead required to allow the OS to do the RAID work is significant.

Joe

by rhart_y4k

I agree. Also, if you use software RAID you have to boot your system from a standard disk, not RAID.

All that being said, if you want to play with RAID without the hardware expense, software implementation will work. On a production server hardware is the only way to go.

RAM is *very* inexpensive now, as are powerful CPUs. These issues are nowhere as important as they were a few years back.

by aajohnson

Anybody running Linux for Oracle with about a thousand named users? If so, what hardware are you using and what, if any, clustering solution are you running? Thx

by pbourke

Typically, most users purchase the Linux clustering option from Oracle. Currently, Red Hat AS clustering does not have the reliability required for an Oracle cluster. For example, while I was consulting for a well-known server vendor, their engineering team scripted a full Oracle 9i RAC install using Oracles clustering components. It not only worked successfully, they were able to fail back and forth between the nodes. Vendors like Dell, completely script the clustered Oracle install process. In addition, they have scalability tools available for you to download. Check out their website for more info and performance statistics.

by editor's response

Are you familiar with OpenLDAP, as featured in the July 8 Linux e-newsletter? If so, let us know the pros and cons of using it for cross-platform authentication.

by abhinav_tiwari

What security threats one can expect because of LDAP implementation ?
I guess LDAP being more of a "standard" and , it's working with different OSs equally well- infact reduces the authentication security , up against the specific OS measures to protect itself/authentication process.

by editor's response

Have you worked with VMware Workstation 4, as featured in the July 22 Linux e-newsletter? If so, what are the pros and cons of this software? Are there alternatives that you'd recommend to your IT peers? Let us know if this information is useful to you.

by kyaw

I put Red Hat 8 on VMWare 4 sitting on top of Windows 2000. It runs fine, until I installed the VMTools. These irrevocably screwed up the display, and I was forced to reload the OS from scratch.
I can get along without them. I'm hoping when Red Hat 9 is supported, maybe this problem will go away.

by tricky1

I am new to linux and I am currently installing a linux server into a windows network. I have installed VNC and Samba to access files and remotely control the server. On the windows machines I use extended ascii characters in the passwords, but I cannot seem to input these characters into the linux server. Does the linux OS not recognise ascii characters?

by thamol

I have problem using usb printer. Suse Linux 8.0 . Linux seems to recognise the printer, than nothing happens.

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