lameSMBxplorer v0.2.2 beta
Posted: Mon 04 Jan 2010, 18:22
Hmmm .....
lameSMBxplorer is a samba/windows shares mount utility written from scratch. So far, it has been tested against samba-3.0.37, samba-3.3.10, Win98, WinXP simple/protected shares and was also briefly tested against Win2003 server ...
As of today, the lameSMBxplorer utility (v0.1.8b/v0.2.0b) is still in beta but is surely approaching towards a stable status. All this was achieved with the help given and the feedbacks received from many of our helpful and knowledgeable forum members (you know who you are). I am grateful to you all ...
Beginning with v0.2.0 beta, a new add-on utility is introduced: lameSMBqmount for handling shares quickmounting and automounting. Development of the quickmounting prototype slowly began less than three weeks ago and it has been rewritten twice during this period. I'm pleased to be able to release the quickmounting add-on much earlier than expected ... I hope that this supporting add-on will be able to fulfill the gap for quick-n-easy samba mounting ...
The new add-on utility (lameSMBqmount) will now become the main development focus, while lameSMBxplorer will go through a few minor feature completion process (and also yet to be done, the hardest part, some sort of a proper documentation/manual) ... The next step that's being planned is to design and implement a simple and easy to use samba shares setup interface. Well, let's see how it goes ...
lameSMBxplorer usage notes:
1. Ensure that your network interface is appropriately configured.
2. Only reachable local subnets will be scanned.
3. The default mount username is guest with no password.
4. Global domain/username/password options will be used for scanning/mounting (if specified).
5. Global options will be auto saved.
6. Important: username/password is stored in plain text, if saved.
7. Single click to select server/machine.
8. Double click to select share mount.
9. Right button double click on shares to mount-n-explore.
lameSMBqmount usage notes:
1. No network scanning is performed (or even checked).
2. Field column descriptions from left to right:
. automount status icon, IP/Server/Share details and current mount status.
3. Single-click to select a share to edit/delete/mount/unmount/explore.
4. Double-clicks on a share for a fast mount-n-explore in rox. Yes, individual credentials for each share will be used, if any.
5. Share entries can be added either a) manually or b) from lameSMBxplorer.
6. To manually add an entry, the compulsory fields are IP address, Server name and Share name.
7. If a new entry is added to the list from lameSMBxplorer, it defaults to automount disabled.
8. All shares will be mounted to /mnt/nework/ base directory. If you need a custom path,
I suggest making a symlink from /mnt/network/* to your preferred location after mounting the share(s).
9. Important: Be aware that username/password is stored in plaintext.
10. To enable a share for automounting during startup, enable the "Automount on startup"
option in the edit dialog. Once enabled, it will be automounted on every startup.
How does automounting work?
1. Automounting (and auto-unmounting) is done by the /etc/init.d/rc.smbqmsvc script. The parameter file /etc/.lameSMQlist holds the list of all shares for automounting/quickmounting.
2. During bootups, the smbqmsvc script will wait for up to 120 seconds for an active network setup. If an active network is detected, it will attempt to mount any entry from the parameter file that is marked for automounting. A success/failure status will be reported in the error log (ie. /tmp/bootsysinit.log).
3. An option to delay the automounting by 30secs (reduced from 60secs) is provided in lameSMBqmount for cases where the network interface (ex: wifi) may need more time to settle.
4. Unmounting of shares is done differently. The rc.smbqmsvc script will find and unmount any CIFS mounts. That's right, any mounted cifs shares will be automatically unmounted on shutdowns.
5. Due to an oversight in the rc.shutdown script, auto unmounting of shares during shutdowns may result in a delay of up-to several minutes depending on the number of active shares to unmount. The reason is that the network interface(s) shutdowns before the unmounting process begins. There are two suggested remedies for this:
a) Enable the "Early unmount" checkbox option in lameSMBqmount. This option if enabled, will patch rc.shutdown to unmount all CIFS mounted shares much much earlier during shutdowns. Turning it off will remove the patch if it was applied previously. Please note that this option takes effect immediately.
b) Manually edit rc.shutdown and move the init.d script invocation before rc.network stop is called (or move rc.network stop after init.d invocation). If this is done, the "Early unmount" checkbox option in 5a) will be disabled.
Rgds
._.
lameSMBxplorer is a samba/windows shares mount utility written from scratch. So far, it has been tested against samba-3.0.37, samba-3.3.10, Win98, WinXP simple/protected shares and was also briefly tested against Win2003 server ...
As of today, the lameSMBxplorer utility (v0.1.8b/v0.2.0b) is still in beta but is surely approaching towards a stable status. All this was achieved with the help given and the feedbacks received from many of our helpful and knowledgeable forum members (you know who you are). I am grateful to you all ...
Beginning with v0.2.0 beta, a new add-on utility is introduced: lameSMBqmount for handling shares quickmounting and automounting. Development of the quickmounting prototype slowly began less than three weeks ago and it has been rewritten twice during this period. I'm pleased to be able to release the quickmounting add-on much earlier than expected ... I hope that this supporting add-on will be able to fulfill the gap for quick-n-easy samba mounting ...
The new add-on utility (lameSMBqmount) will now become the main development focus, while lameSMBxplorer will go through a few minor feature completion process (and also yet to be done, the hardest part, some sort of a proper documentation/manual) ... The next step that's being planned is to design and implement a simple and easy to use samba shares setup interface. Well, let's see how it goes ...
lameSMBxplorer usage notes:
1. Ensure that your network interface is appropriately configured.
2. Only reachable local subnets will be scanned.
3. The default mount username is guest with no password.
4. Global domain/username/password options will be used for scanning/mounting (if specified).
5. Global options will be auto saved.
6. Important: username/password is stored in plain text, if saved.
7. Single click to select server/machine.
8. Double click to select share mount.
9. Right button double click on shares to mount-n-explore.
lameSMBqmount usage notes:
1. No network scanning is performed (or even checked).
2. Field column descriptions from left to right:
. automount status icon, IP/Server/Share details and current mount status.
3. Single-click to select a share to edit/delete/mount/unmount/explore.
4. Double-clicks on a share for a fast mount-n-explore in rox. Yes, individual credentials for each share will be used, if any.
5. Share entries can be added either a) manually or b) from lameSMBxplorer.
6. To manually add an entry, the compulsory fields are IP address, Server name and Share name.
7. If a new entry is added to the list from lameSMBxplorer, it defaults to automount disabled.
8. All shares will be mounted to /mnt/nework/ base directory. If you need a custom path,
I suggest making a symlink from /mnt/network/* to your preferred location after mounting the share(s).
9. Important: Be aware that username/password is stored in plaintext.
10. To enable a share for automounting during startup, enable the "Automount on startup"
option in the edit dialog. Once enabled, it will be automounted on every startup.
How does automounting work?
1. Automounting (and auto-unmounting) is done by the /etc/init.d/rc.smbqmsvc script. The parameter file /etc/.lameSMQlist holds the list of all shares for automounting/quickmounting.
2. During bootups, the smbqmsvc script will wait for up to 120 seconds for an active network setup. If an active network is detected, it will attempt to mount any entry from the parameter file that is marked for automounting. A success/failure status will be reported in the error log (ie. /tmp/bootsysinit.log).
3. An option to delay the automounting by 30secs (reduced from 60secs) is provided in lameSMBqmount for cases where the network interface (ex: wifi) may need more time to settle.
4. Unmounting of shares is done differently. The rc.smbqmsvc script will find and unmount any CIFS mounts. That's right, any mounted cifs shares will be automatically unmounted on shutdowns.
5. Due to an oversight in the rc.shutdown script, auto unmounting of shares during shutdowns may result in a delay of up-to several minutes depending on the number of active shares to unmount. The reason is that the network interface(s) shutdowns before the unmounting process begins. There are two suggested remedies for this:
a) Enable the "Early unmount" checkbox option in lameSMBqmount. This option if enabled, will patch rc.shutdown to unmount all CIFS mounted shares much much earlier during shutdowns. Turning it off will remove the patch if it was applied previously. Please note that this option takes effect immediately.
b) Manually edit rc.shutdown and move the init.d script invocation before rc.network stop is called (or move rc.network stop after init.d invocation). If this is done, the "Early unmount" checkbox option in 5a) will be disabled.
Rgds
._.