Samba provides access to the files in your home directory from your PC or Mac by mapping your home directory as another drive that is available. There is no need to use ftp to transfer files and there is no need to install any additional software on your computer.

1.2 What can it do for me? back to the top

Samba can allow you to work directly on the server using your familiar windowing environment. For example, you can edit your web pages with Word and save them on the server just by clicking (F)ile - (S)ave.

Samba gives you the freedom of working on your own operating system and saving the files on the server without using FTP.

1.3 What do I have to install? back to the top

If you have Windows 95, Windows 98 or Windows 2000 with networking installed, absolutely nothing is required to install. Samba relies on the user's ability to be able to manipulate the Windows Explorer, Network Neighborhood or Network Places.

1.4 What if I have a Macintosh? back to the top

A Macintosh running MacOS X is supported without the addition of any additional software. By going to "Go -> Connect to Server...", you can access any of the shares on our network. A Macintosh running an earlier version of the Mac OS requires special software.

2. Accessing Directories
2.1 Where is my home directory? back to the top

Your home directory is located physically on the server sheba if you are a student and on the server valhalla if you are faculty/staff.

2.2 How do I map my home directory? back to the top

The method for each windows operating system varies. Instructions for Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000 and Windows XP are available in Server Administration Services.

2.3 What are all these files in my home directory? back to the top

The files located in your home directory, if you haven't looked, are files that were created when your account was first created. The folder mail is the folder in which pine, webmail and other email clients store their mail folders. The file mbox contains a portion of your inbox so don't delete it. The folder WWW is your web directory, in which you may place files (you may also access this through the directory HOMEWEB under the server name) for your personal WWW pages. Please read CBU's guidelines for creating web pages.

The folder Intra_WWW you may or may not have, but it is your intranet web pages. These files are accessible only on the CBU campus. It functions the same as the WWW directory, but is accessed for students by specifying http://stu3.cbu.edu instead of http://stu.cbu.edu in a web browser. The Samba volume HOMEINTRAWEB is able to access these files.

2.4 When I copy web pages over, I can't access them through a web browser. back to the top

The HOME directory sets different permissions on the files you send to it than with the HOMEWEB directory. So if you were to transfer an HTML file to your WWW directory through the HOME directory, you would not be able to access it immediately through a web browser; however, if you were to transfer your files into the HOMEWEB directory, which is your WWW directory, you would be able to access it immediately. The volume HOMEINTRAWEB works in a similar manner except that it accesses files for the intranet.

3. General Access
3.1 It won't take my password! back to the top

The most general cause of this is that your password has capital letters in it. Each capital letter in your password will require a tilde (~) to preceed the letter. It may also be possible that your username was misspelled upon logging into the computer. If these fail, also try specifying your username in lowercase when logging in, if it is not already. It is also possible that the computer you are using is sending encrypted passwords and Samba cannot understand the encryption. The security settings of the computer must be set to send unencrypted passwords to third party SMB in order for Samba to work correctly.