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jguidroz · Mar 26, 2001, 06:22 PM

Does anyone know how to authenticate and see NT network drives on X? I use my laptop at work and would like to be able to see our network drives.

dtriska · Mar 26, 2001, 07:05 PM

If your NT server has "File Services for Macintosh" enabled, you should be able to connect to the shares with AppleTalk active in the Network Preferences. However, if the NT server doesn't have this service enabled, you'll need to download and install either Samba or Sharity. Check Version Tracker for download links.

In the Finder, there is an option called "Connect To Server..." in the "Go" menu. Choose this and you should see the NT server in the list. Connect to a share and put in your NT user name and password. The share should mount on your desktop if you have "Show disks on the Desktop" enabled in the Finder Preferences.

I likely will check out how OS X plays with NT at my work, but not until later in the week. If someone doesn't beat me to it, I'll get back to you.

Uncertain · Mar 27, 2001, 12:06 AM

I had this same problem today at work, and I think the problem is that the Mac Services for NT just serve straight AFP, not AFP over TCP/IP (what OS X needs). What I think is weird is the AppleTalk printers work fine...just no servers, Mac or Windows (via NT Mac Services). I'm going to talk to our PC IT guy tomorrow, hopefully it's just something he can turn on. Anyone have NT experience?

beverson · Mar 27, 2001, 12:21 AM

Yeah, it totally sucks that I can't see our NT box at work in X. I even tried going through the Classic chooser, which shows the server in the list, but won't let me connect to it. From what I've heard/read, you need to either upgrade to 2000 or install some sort of third-party software (which is reportedly expensive) on the server to make it do AppleShare over IP. Or else Apple needs to put classic AppleTalk sharing back into X. I know over IP it's far superior, but some of us need the option to do it the other way unfortunately. This is our BIGGEST obstacle to switching to X now at work (all of our Classic apps run really well surprisngly -- Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Quark), and one that isn't likely to be overcome easily. I can just imagine the conversation with my boss:

"Uh, yes sir, I want the company to spend $130 per Mac to upgrade to this new OS. Oh, and then we have to spend more money to put Win 2000 on the server box so we can see it again, and then pay more money to make sure all of our other server-based apps work on 2000."

"But can't you see the server just fine now? Why upgrade??"

"Uh, well, uh...."

Yes, why indeed.

bleen · Mar 27, 2001, 12:57 AM

I'm not a UNIX guru, personally I would have no idea where to start on compling Samba on OS X to connect to NT Servers... Since the Public Beta I've been asking if Apple could do that or do something so Mac's can connect to NT and UNIX Servers just as easially as it can on an AppleTalk Server. Hopefully if enough of us ask for it in Apple Feedback, Apple will put it in with one of the patches.

dtriska · Mar 27, 2001, 07:44 PM

Mac OS X Server will have the ability to do CIFS/SMB shares natively, and since OS X Server and Client are based on the same "guts," Apple could easily include some form of native CIFS/SMB connectivity in the Client version. Whether Apple will do this is another question.

bleen, you should check out Sharity. I haven't used it, but it does come in a binary, so no compiling is necessary.

jguidroz · Mar 27, 2001, 08:59 PM

I downloaded sharity and it works like a charm for what I need to do.

lapinos · Mar 29, 2001, 03:10 AM

Does Sharity really enable connexion with a NT server?

If yes, where can I download it, and is it simple to install / setup?

thanks

Mar 29, 2001, 05:09 PM

Sharity is in your idisk...

dtriska · Mar 29, 2001, 08:38 PM

For more info on Sharity, go here: http://www.obdev.at/products/sharity/

JohnD · Mar 30, 2001, 03:31 AM

MacOSX can only connect to AFP over IP.
You can connect to a Windows 2000 server because W2K uses AFP/IP.
NT server SFM only uses Appletalk.
I have installed MacserverIP on a NT server which brings AFP/IP and it works very well.
I also installed Sharity beta but is has some bug.
The retail Sharity is free for home use to connect to one server but for business use it's VERY expensive.
Apple should have build in SMB support by default.
This is anouther example why X won't be accepted in company M$ networks.
Somehow Apple doesn't understand.

dtriska · Mar 30, 2001, 06:57 AM

Originally posted by JohnD:
Apple should have build in SMB support by default.
This is anouther example why X won't be accepted in company M$ networks.
Somehow Apple doesn't understand.

I think the lack of SMB support was more of a timing issue. Since OS X Server will have SMB support built-in, and the Client and Server OSs are to have the same "guts," I think there's a good chance OS X Client will be able to network natively in Microsoft networks eventually. I'm hoping sooner than later.

fjanssens · Mar 30, 2001, 08:50 AM

I have no problem to see my NT server through Mac OS X.

With" connect to "in the "go" menu I can se all Apple enabled folders.
And with my good old Dave 2.5.1 I see all of the NT server under Classic.

No problem at all.

Dave is really good !

Frank

beverson · Mar 30, 2001, 10:27 AM

Well I tried Sharity, and I couldn't get it to work properly. Maybe I screwed something up, but honestly it shouldn't be this tough. One of the reasons I use Macs is because I never used to HAVE to deal with crap like this unless I specifically wanted to tinker.

I don't want to sound sour -- overall I'm very fond of X. But the inability to natively mount AppleTalk servers (be they real Macs or just NT machines masquerading as Macs) directly in the Finder seems like a large omission to me, even though sharing over IP is faster and stuff.

Can anyone confirm for me that you can mount Win 2000 shares directly in the Finder?

[This message has been edited by beverson (edited 03-30-2001).]

ggirton · Mar 30, 2001, 11:37 AM

Sharity really DOES enable connection with NT server but it didn't connect to an administrative share as I specified, it could only see the shared folders on NT server. The documentation was a little odd, as the sharity told me it hadn't connected, and I had no idea where to go to see my files. Somehow I stumbled across a theoretical description of all the underpinnings in their online help and the magic words of the path -- /Network/CIFS -- appeared.

There was my mounted share, (not mounted where I said when I logged on), and I was able to copy my file. I had specified a read only connection (what do you think I am, crazy) but this has just got me thinking, I just now copied a file from my desktop over to the NT server, and it appeared when I did an 'ls' on that folder.

Not too comforting, but I had been regretting setting it up as read only.

Go for it, guys!

bleen · Mar 30, 2001, 02:31 PM

I think I still like my idea of just asking Apple to put the ability into it. I know dtriska was saying that OS X Server will have the ability to do it, to be safe I still think everyone should request it in Feedback.

(My problem is at work the server is a Win2K Advanced Server, and when I talked the Network Admin to turn on Mac Services, Windows 2K Advanced Server Self Distructed... forceing him to reinstall the whole system. He did it again, but same thing happened (With the latest patch from MS) so now he refuseses to do it.) I want Apple to just do it natively!!

Ernie · Mar 30, 2001, 02:50 PM

I was able to mount an NT drive using Sharity but then when I wanted to disconnect and mount a different drive, I could not unmount it.

I logged out, then tried to press the 'unmount' button in sharity but I kept getting a message saying the device was busy.

Anyone else see this? I feel like I am missing something obvious here...

Thanks!

kennethmac2000 · Mar 30, 2001, 06:59 PM

The inability to unmount is due to a bug in the version of the Darwin kernel that shipped with Mac OS X.

See here for a fix: http://www.obdev.at/products/sharity/kernel.html

Ernie · Apr 4, 2001, 10:13 AM

Thanks for the info.

The 10.0.1 update and Sharity 2.4b10 did not fix the problem. Oh well this is not *huge* enough for me to risk messing up my system with a new kernel install.

Thanks again.

[This message has been edited by Ernie (edited 04-04-2001).]

Apr 11, 2001, 07:33 AM

I've been troubled by this problem for a while now too. I've found that the easiest way to get some files I've got on my PC with Win2k Pro is to enable the 'Allow FTP Access' in the Sharing dialog of the settings panel and then FTP into OSX as if it was a FTP file server.
To do this, ensure you've got OSX networked somehow (I've got a simple ethernet connection to my PC) and FTP sharing turned on (see above). The host name of OSX will be its IP address (found in the 'Sharing' panel of the settings dialog). FTP access requires that you log in as a user, and OSX needs to know what user you are, so you will need to create an account (again, 'Users' in the settings panel). I've got an account specifically for making connections to my iBook from my home network.
Then, pick a directory on your file system that you want to share and set up the privilages (select the directory and press Apple+I). Make sure you give everyone read and write access if the user you're logging on as isn't in the 'admin' domain. OSX sets all directories as default read and write for admins and read only for anyone else.
Once you've make your connection using your faviourte FTP client (or even through a windows explorer connection with 'ftp://ipaddress/' where IP address is the Mac's IP (see above).
You can then send and recieve files as if it were an FTP server, no probs.

My 2p's worth is that AppleTalk must be included in the first patch. Not being able to natively and easily talk to NT networks is a bugger, especially considering OSX is unix based and people have been using SAMBA for years. Why couldn't Apple have make a deal with the Samba people and written a nice UI for it? Never mind. Fingers crossed.

Thanks
CraigP

Bogie · Apr 11, 2001, 03:54 PM

So is there a GUI version of SAMBA?

I have had mixed results with Sharity [several 2.4 beta versions and even 2.4 final]. And it seems to slow down my Mac, startup, shutdown, and overall performance.

And, I am told because of the fact that my LAN has not updated something or other. I can not see anything in CIFs because I do not know the master browser.

Jun 7, 2001, 11:34 PM

I was able to connect to a NT network w/ no problmes using Samba, however there is a catch...

I installed Samba based on help from here.

This enabled my OSX box to show up in the Network Neighborhood for all the Windows users (to their shock and dismay) and it also allowed me to login to the Windows shares out there on the network.

Here is the catch. For OSX to get to the NT shares I had to use this command line:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1"face="Geneva, Verdana, Arial">code:</font><HR><pre><font size=1 face=courier> smbclient //server/share -U nt-username </font>[/code]

This drops you at a SMB> prompt (that is from memory, some sort of prompt that is different that what you normally see to say the least). From this prompt you can use standard command prompt commands to move around. Type 'help' to see them all. This worked, but not very quick when moving lots of files back and forth and useless when trying to open a file on the server form an application on the mac.

So, I was thinking "I can use smbmount!' In theory I can make a mount point in my home and then I should be able to hit it though the Aqua interface and solve all my problems. smbmount doesn't get installed by following the document linked above. D'oh! That is my next investigation, I think it will work, but I haven't tried it yet.

~jamie
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