smbclient/smbmount 


If you have installed a recent version of Linux, chances are
that you have also installed smbclient and smbmount. If so,
the following instructions will enable you to mount your
HOME directory from a Linux box using our SAMBA server.

This might prove particularly useful for those who are 
interested in accessing their HOME directory while 
off-campus. If you fall in this category see the SSH
sections of the smbclient and smbmount directions. 

For what it is worth, if you do have smbmount installed
I would recommend using this instead of smbclient. However,
I cover both procedures.

Please note: Although smbclient and smbmount are part and
parcel of SAMBA, you do not need to have SAMBA running on
your laptop. 

SMBCLIENT


A. Using smbclient without SSH

   smbclient is rather less useful than smbmount but it does
   enable you to copy files back and forth from your Linux
   laptop and your HOME directory. It is somewhat similar
   to ftp in terms of function and ease of use. 

   1. Run the following command:

      smbclient //smb.cs.toronto.edu/username -U username 

      So, if Jerry wants to access his HOME dir he would type:

      smbclient //smb.cs.toronto.edu/jerry -U jerry

   2. Once authenticated, you will see a smb prompt: 

      smb: \>
   
      A good beginning is to use the built-in smblclient 
      help via ?.

      smb: >?


B.   Using smbclient with SSH

     If you try to run smbclient from off-campus, it 
     will not succeed because UT blocks inbound SMB connections.
     However, UT does not block SSH connections!  So we can
     tunnel the SMB connections through SSH. Let us use 
     the example of Jerry again to show how this is done.


    1. First we must make an SSH connection that tunnels port 139.

       ssh -l jerry -L 1100:smb.cs.toronto.edu:139 qew.cs.toronto.edu 
       
       Once you are connected leave this window/xterm running and open
       a new window/xterm.  

    2. Open a new window/xterm and supply the following command:

       smbclient //127.0.0.1/jerry -p 1100 -U jerry

       This command tells smbclient to connect to your local machine
       on port 1100; since port 1100 is tunneled via SSH to smb,
       you are for all intents and purposes making a connection
       to smb.cs.toronto.edu.
  
    3. After authenticating you should again be able to copy
       files back and forth using the smb: > prompt


SMBMOUNT


A. Using smbmount without SSH


   Most people will find smbmount a more useful mechanism 
   because it can be used to mount your home directory in
   such a way that appears to be another local directory.
   I shall user the fake user Jerry again.

   
   1. Create a new sub-directory in your Linux file-system.
      I shall use: /mnt/cslabhome
   
      mkdir /mnt/cslabhome


   2. Now use this new directory to mount your HOME directory.


     smbmount //smb.cs.toronto.edu/jerry /mnt/cslabhome -o username=jerry

     At this point your HOME directory is available for use.

  3. cd /mnt/cslabhome  
   

  4. To unmount it use:

     smbumount /mnt/cslabhome


B. Using smbmount with SSH


   This is probably the most powerful use of smbmount since
   it enables off-campus students to mount their HOME 
   directory. We also recommend using it while on campus
   since it affords greater protection for your password
   because it is encypted by SSH. 

   For most versions of Linux you will need to be root to 
   actually perform the smbmount itself.
 
   1. Create a new sub-directory in your Linux file-system.
      I shall use: /mnt/cslabhome

      mkdir /mnt/cslabhome


   2. Set up an SSH tunnel for smbmount to use.

      ssh -l username -L 1100:smb.cs.toronto.edu:139 qew.cs.toronto.edu

      Leave this SSH connection running and proceed to the next
      step.

  3.  Now we are going to smbmount /mnt/cslabhome:


   smbmount //localhost/username /mnt/cslabhome -o port=1100,username=username

      Using Jerry as our example user, the command would be:

   smbmount //localhost/jerry /mnt/cslabhome -o port=1100,username=jerry

  4. cd /mnt/cslabhome


  5. To unmount it use:

     smbumount /mnt/cslabhome