Archive for the ‘Samba’ Category.

Accessing Windows console remotely from Linux

Have you ever needed to execute a command or to connect to an interactive text console on a remote Windows station?

Probably several times, and usually, you had to log in using either VNC or RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol – Microsoft Terminal Services). If you’re used to SSH, you may wonder why the overhead of a complete desktop is needed just to start a few text commands.
Of course, there are free and commercial SSH servers for Windows, but one problem with them is that they have to be installed separately. Which may be too much work for a one-off task now and then. Are there any other methods of accessing a remote Window text console from your Linux station?

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Samba says: client-error-not-authorized

Today I noticed non-admin users can’t print on a new Samba server. Samba log for a given host would just say: client-error-not-authorized. Turned out, it’s a CUPS configuration problem, so let’s write a short article about it.

Normally one configures Samba to use a CUPS server running on the same host. When a user wants to print anything, Samba uses a username/password to access the CUPS server. After authorization checks are successful, Samba connects to CUPS as root, and thus, bypasses all security checks (they were done just a while ago with username/password).

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The smallest Windows domain controller on Earth

FSG-3For some time, I’ve been playing with Debian on Freecom FSG-3. The device is quite cool – a size of a book, with built-in HDD, 4 ethernet ports, 4 USB ports, 64 MB RAM, and 266 MHz Intel XScale CPU (ARM). With these specs, it’s more powerful than some smaller servers from the late 1990s.

Why not run a full blown Windows domain controller for a group of small office branches?

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