Some of the toughest problems have the most simple answers...

For those who have been getting the message "your server software is being
unfriendly" with the return code of "0x0", or have not been able to get
Samba/iX working with messages from Windows Explorer of "The Network Share
could not be found" or "The Network Is Busy" --- here's the probable
solution to the problem...(hey, it worked here under a "worst-case
scenario)...

If you have DNS configured for TCP/IP on your PC client, DNS will be
searched (regardless of what is in the RESLVCNF.NET.SYS file on the HP3000
--- the 3000 is not the problem --- the problem lies on the client PC).
If there is no DNS server available, and it is configured on the PC --- it
reverts to the HOSTS file in the WINDOWS (or wherever the stack points)
folder/directory.  HOSTS dosen't cut it on the PC client.

Many PC's run under a "workgroup domain" and in many cases, there is no NT
Server which can serve as a DNS or WINS (Windows Internet Name Service)
server.  In these cases, Samba/iX will only work if DNS or WINS is not
configured.  By default, Samba/iX wants a DNS server or at least, a WINS
server and if a configuration for DNS is present, it goes for it.

For example, my PC is configured to use my DNS server here for primary and
my ISP for secondary.  For these tests, I created a small workgroup lan,
which was separated from my LAN which consisted of a 927 under MPE 5.0, w
PC under WFWG (3.11) and Windows 95 (build 950, sp1).  In this scenario,
there was no DNS, no WINS - just a workgroup with shares set up between
the PCs.  In this configuration the Win 95 PC could not utilize Samba/iX
and would report "the network is busy" when NMB was running (although it
was being advertised in Network Neighborhood --- NMB was doing its job to
a point) and when it was not running, the "share could not be found".

Use of a HOSTS file on the PC does not help, unfortunately.

There are two ways around this.

The first is to delete all references to either DNS configuration, WINS
configuration or both when none exist (even if using it for your ISP under
PPP dialup.).  This will let things start to work (albeit it will be
slower because of the resolving that needs to take place under NetBEUI
under the Workgroup scenario).

The second way around it is to implement either/or both DNS and WINS.  The
HP3000 uses TCP/IP, although Samba/IX is emulating and throwing SMB/NMB
packets - these are being tossed out OVER TCP/IP, which needs resolution.
Again, the problem is the CLIENT, not the 3000 --- and the PC will need
some type of resolution as well.  There are several Freeware and Shareware
software products at the popular Win95/NT sites such as
http://www.windows95.com, http://www.tucows.com, as well as the popular
site from C|Net - http://www.shareware.com.  Also, there are a number of
commercial products which run on both NT Server and Windows 95.  NT comes
with DNS, albeit it;s not the best (a vastly improved DNS is coming later
this year from Microsoft) - it can get you around the problem.

If DNS is implemented, then the 3000 must have an update to
RESLVCNF.NET.SYS file.  Open the sample file RSLVSAMP.NET.SYS with any
editor, make appropriate changes directing the 3000 to the DNS server,
save as RESLVCNF.NET.SYS (unnumbered) and restart the network.  Ensure the
DNS server is up and running.  Also, add DNS Configuration on each PC
client.

If WINS is implemented, then ensure that the proper computer names for the
client PCs are properly mapped between the NetBIOS computer names and IP
addresses.  WINS is a little more flexible in that DHCP can be used to
issue the IP addresses and WINS can work with that -- one little gotcha is
that this needs to be run on an NT server, whereas there are packages for
DNS that run on both NT and 95.

So - to summarize --- either remove all references to DNS and/or WINS, or
add DNS and/or WINS and configure each station and the 3000 to use the
server.

Hopefully this helps...and now back to your regular HP3000-L programming
:-)

Best Regards,
Joe

PS:  Lars --- do I send the bill to HP?  Who do I ask for the PO Number?
<just kidding, of course>

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Joe Geiser - CSI Business Solutions, LLC
140 Bristol-Oxford Valley Road, Suite 102
Langhorne, PA  19047-3083, USA
Phone: (215) 945-8100     Fax: (215) 943-8408
[log in to unmask]            http://www.csillc.com
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