Samba GUI?

[lex-ington]

Any Linux gurus here use a GUI for using Samba? If so, which one would you recommend for power/ ease of use?

I just installed Samba on Saturday and am using this guide to try to configure it properly. I was wondering if there is a GUI that is a good one to handle the administration of it all.

I would like to be able to network all four of my machines, but also allow access to a certain folder from outside of my network by a few select people.

Any ideas?

[bryanl]

Take a look at the eBox Platform. That is a server box on Ubuntu with a web interface. It seems to be where the Ubuntu folks are going. See eBox as an Ubuntu server front end and eBox: caveats and limitations for some commentary on this approach.

[bthylafh]

SWAT isn't too bad. Not great, but usable.

[lex-ington]

I started the downloads of ebox in synaptic this morning. There was a setup screen for sdlap(???) when I was leaving, so I have to deal with that when I get home.

If it's not easy to use though, I'll give SWAT a try.

I have to document what I do very carefully. I have a feeling I will posting in here quite a bit over the next few days.

[lex-ington]

Well . . . . . . I managed to completely nuke my Linux machine last night.

After completing the configuration for ebox, I decided to "update" my VirtualBox using the repositories found on their download site. That killed my video settings, so when I restarted the box like it asked me to, my x-org was gone. It was all downhill from there.

I have some DVD+R discs that I tried to burn Ubuntu 8.10 to, but that failed. I burnt Windows 7 64-bit and 32-bit and both tell me I can't install it because the install.wmi file is missing. I check in another machine and the file is sitting in the support folder . . . .I think.

Hopefully tonight is a bit better. I'm going to buy some DVD-R and some better DVD+R discs today. I have two programs installed to brun .iso's to disc - CDBurnerXP and StarBurn v.11. I am hoping different discs really make a difference.

[Usacomp2k3]

For burning ISO's look no further than ISO recorder (on Windows machine's at least)

[Flying Fox]

For burning ISO's look no further than ISO recorder (on Windows machine's at least)

I like ImgBurn.

[lex-ington]

I'll have to try that Fox . . . . .ISO recorder is not playing nice with Vista at all. . .(in case you missed it, I installed Vista Home Premium 64-bit last week Friday). I downloaded the 64-bit version of ISOrecorder v.3 and I get absolutely nothing. I am actually changing both DVD drives this weekend too.

I installed Apache on my Linux box last night and what I thought was a GUI for it - I'll have to look into that a little closer tonight. I will also be installing Samba again tonight, so this will be an interesting week for sure.

[Forge]

imgburn for ISO burning on all win32.

I like webmin on my less-interacted-with Linux boxen. It's not the very best GUI for any one thing it does, but it gives you a nice coherent GUI for almost everything and it's easy to install/troubleshoot.

[lex-ington]

Is that useable for both Apache and Samba together?

Do you have Apache and Samba installed together, working on the same machine?

[Forge]

Is that useable for both Apache and Samba together?

Do you have Apache and Samba installed together, working on the same machine?

Yes.

No.

I don't have Apache on any of my boxen at the moment, no content I need to serve. I could give you a VPN and the .30$ tour if you'd like, though.

[mattsteg]

imgburn for ISO burning on all win32.

Why stop at 32? It's excellent for 64 bit as well. For that matter, why stop at just ISO burning? It works great for building+burning as well.

[cheesyking]

I don't really see the need for a samba gui for a small setup like this, though it does depend on what level of security you want.

Though I am a little confused about you wanting to allow access "from outside your network"...

Presumably your thinking of a VPN + samba to do this?

I hadn't heard of ebox before but after reading their site for a few minutes I've got to say it looks pretty damn good and should do everything you need. I'm installing it now

[FroBozz_Inc]

I hadn't heard of ebox before but after reading their site for a few minutes I've got to say it looks pretty damn good and should do everything you need. I'm installing it now

Yeah me either, that looks pretty cool. I might check that out too.
http://ebox-platform.com/

[lex-ington]

Could you guys write up a mini review in here so I could figure it out too?

Cheesyking, my ultimate goal is to provide a space where my siblings (one in california, one in tampa, one in the bahamas) can have some storage space, easily accessible (sorta like those online storage sites), but have it on my Linux machine. but I want the Linux machine hooked into my home network as well. . . which is why I am thinking Samba and Apache.

I personally prefer a GUI to the terminal as I am not comfortable with command line operations (I still have a windows frame of mind), so if there is a way to manage everything through one GUI, that would be perfect for me.

Thanks.

[cheesyking]

I'd say it all comes down to how easy you want to make it for the siblings to use...

EG
if they are happy with an FTP program that supports sftp (like filezilla etc) then you could just setup an ssh server (sudo apt-get install ssh) open port 22 on your firewall to the linux machine, create a user account for them (sudo adduser johnsmith then type in a good password twice) and they'll be able to up and download files from your PC (I'm assuming you've already got a static IP address / dynamic dns setup) (NB there's more you'd want to do in terms of securing this but that would get you a working system.)

If they can't handle something as "complicated" as ftp then you probably want to go the route of a VPN and samba... If you're not happy with the command line then that ebox thing is probably the way to go.

There is a ready to run ISO which you probably want to go for... my install onto a ubuntu vm just failed (probably because I didn't bother reading the manual ) and I'm just off home but I'll post back if I get a chance to look at ebox in more detail.

Though considering the amount of administration 3-4 users are going to need (IE, probably very little) it would be much quicker to use standard command line stuff.

[titan]

Of the GUI's I've been able to find, Webmin seems to be the only one that is currently active.

And add another vote for using SSH to do a SFTP setup. WinSCP is my program of choice. My dad can use it, so....

[bryanl]

There are two different approaches that can confuse things. One is the separate, dedicated server and the other is the shared user machine.

A dedicated server usually assumes remote administration. SSH is usually the method for command line. The GUI is usually via a web interface. Webmin is well known but does not do much to help you out. eBox is intended to assist with the interdependencies between services. Then there are the freeNAS sorts of things.

A shared user machine might use something like Gadmin (in the Ubunty Add/Remove apps list)

When you start to talk about WAN side access, you get into rather interesting security issues. You can open up the firewall to allow access but, I think, the VPN approach to the LAN is the route that seems to be where things are going.