Change home directories path to usb drive in samba: samba, file servers

by: it4sohoPosted on 2009-10-08 at 15:04:59ID: 25530682

You can specify the user's home path in the smb.conf (assuming you are using samba as a PDC and the user is logging into a domain computer with a domain account)... BUT

- if the USB device is to be inserted into the samba server, it will have to be shared & the URL (e.g.: \\server\USB) is what will be specified as the home directory
- if the USB decice is to be inserted into the LOCAL machine, it will have to have a "static" drive letter. Windows doesn't have a way to access "USB-DRIVE" -- only drive letters. And if the user "roams" to a system that, for example, has an extra DVD RW installed, so the USB drive gets a different drive letter when inserted, then your scheme will break.

The home path for users is set in the global section of smb.conf. A sample might be:
logon home = \\%L\%U

Where %L is expanded to be the NetBIOS name of the samba server and %U is the session username (the username used to create the $IPC connection).

NORMALLY those home folders are actually shared through the [homes] facility (see http://http://www.samba.org/samba/docs/man/manpages-3/smb.conf.5.html), and that allows you to setup each user's home folder separate from their Linux home folder (or the same -- your choice).

This should get you started! Write back with the next round of questions! (I know there will be another round!)

Dan
IT4SOHO

by: abolinhasPosted on 2009-10-08 at 16:20:56ID: 25531237

Hi,

round two, fight :)

Yes, I use samba as a PDC.

I use openldap to authenticate users in samba, so, I can do this

smb.conf
[home]
path = /media/usb_drive/home/%S

???

by: abolinhasPosted on 2009-10-08 at 16:51:02ID: 25531421

Hi,

the previous example did not work :(

I create a new user, but user's profile continues to keep in /home/user instead of /media/usb_disk/home/user.

I send you my smb.conf

[global]
workgroup=academy.lan
netbios name=dc01
server string=%h server
disable netbios=no
syslog=3
log level=0
log file=/var/log/samba/log.%m
debug timestamp=yes
security=user
enable privileges=yes
domain master=yes
local master=yes
preferred master=yes
domain logons=yes
os level=34
printer admin=root,administrator,@Administrators,@lpadmin
ldap passwd sync=no
client lanman auth=no
client ntlmv2 auth=yes
ldap delete dn=no
passdb backend=ldapsam:ldap://127.0.0.1:389
add machine script=/usr/share/artica-postfix/bin/artica-install --samba-add-computer "%u"
ldap admin dn=cn=admin,dc=nodomain
ldap suffix=dc=nodomain
ldap group suffix=ou=groups,dc=samba,dc=organizations
ldap user suffix=ou=users,dc=samba,dc=organizations
ldap machine suffix=ou=Computer,dc=samba,dc=organizations
ldap ssl=no
logon path=\\dc01\profile\%U
logon drive=P:
logon home=\\dc01\%U
logon script=script.bat
socket options=TCP_NODELAY SO_RCVBUF=8192 SO_SNDBUF=8192
case sensitive=No
default case=lower
preserve case=yes
short preserve case=yes
dns proxy=No
wins support=Yes
winbind use default domain=yes
winbind enum users=yes
winbind enum groups=yes
nt acl support=yes
time server=yes
msdfs root=no
host msdfs=no
 
[netlogon]
path=/home/netlogon
writable=No
browseable=No
write list=root
 
 
[profiles]
path=/home/export/profile
oplocks=false
level2 oplocks=false
csc policy=disable
browseable=No
writeable=Yes
read only=No
profile acls=yes
create mask=0600
store dos attributes=yes
directory mask=0700
comment=Roaming user profile storage
 
[profiles.V2]
copy=profiles
browseable=no
 
[homes]
comment=Personnal Folder
browseable=No
writeable=Yes
 
[printers]
comment=Printers
browseable=yes
path=/tmp
printable=yes
public=yes
guest ok=yes
writable=no
create mode=0700
 
[print$]
comment=Printers drivers
path=/etc/samba/printer_drivers
browseable=yes
guest ok=no
read only=yes
write list=root,administrator,@Administrators,@lpadmin

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by: it4sohoPosted on 2009-10-08 at 17:26:15ID: 25531555

You didn't set the correct setting.... here's a snippet from my smb.conf file:

domain logons = Yes
domain master = Yes
preferred master = Yes
logon script = logon.bat
logon path = \\%L\Profiles\%U
logon drive = U:
logon home = \\%L\%U

So you see, it's not "home =" but "logon home = "

Try again!

Dan
IT4SOHO

by: it4sohoPosted on 2009-10-08 at 17:49:20ID: 25531642

My bad.... the section you may want to change is in the [homes]

And that is the key -- it's [homes] not [home] (the "special" share name).

Then, within that [homes] section, you can place the path= variable... so:

[homes]
comment=Personnal Folder
browseable=No
writeable=Yes
path = /media/usb_drive/home/%S

I hope this one does it!

Dan
IT4SOHO

by: abolinhasPosted on 2009-10-09 at 02:08:36ID: 25533277

Hi Dan,

My mistake, I want to change home path and not homes path, sorry for the confusion.

What I want is when I create a new user, your profile are storage in /media/usb_drive/home/ and not in /home.

Best regards

André Bolinhas

by: it4sohoPosted on 2009-10-09 at 11:06:44ID: 25537319

If you're talking about when you run useradd in Linux, then what you should be adjusting is the useradd defaults in Linux.

The "useradd -D" command is how you change defaults, and the "-d" changes the default folder.... together, that makes:

useradd -D -d /media/usb_drive/home/

The system will then remember where user home folders should default to, and when a new user is created the folder will be created at /media/usb_drive/home/<username>, and the /etc/passwd field will show the user's home directory in that location.

Woe be it unto you should that USB drive get removed.... you have been warned... <grin>

I hope this is what you needed....

Dan
IT4SOHO

by: abolinhasPosted on 2009-10-09 at 18:51:52ID: 25540320

Hi Dan

is only worth seeing your answer now: (

I've solved the problem, I reinstall the operating system (ubuntu) and during the partitioning of the disks I pointed the home directory to the external.

But thank you for answering, this tip will help me greatly in the future:)

Best regards

André Bolinhas

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Change home directories path to usb drive in samba

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