[Samba] WindowsPE 10.0 -- Samba 4.4.5 connection problem

[Ralf Aumüller]

Hello,

we use WindowsPE and a Samba-Share to install Windows. First WindowsPE is booted
and then a network drive with Windows-install-files is mapped.

This worked fine with WindowsPE 5.0. But with WindowsPE 10.0 it fails.

The error is:

net use \\PC\test

System error 58 has occurred.
The specified server cannot perform the requested operation.

I used a simple Samba-Config for testing and get the following:

Samba WindowsPE 5.0 WindowsPE 10.0
------------------------------------------------------
3.6.25 OK OK
4.4.5 OK Failed

The smb.conf file of all tests:

[global]
workgroup = VMTST
security = user
encrypt passwords = yes
passdb backend = smbpasswd
unix charset = UTF-8

[test]
comment = Test
guest ok = yes
path = /data/test

Any tips about that issue?

Best regards,
Ralf

[Ralf Aumüller]

Hello Rowland,

I have never used used WindowsPE, but from what you posted, you just
want to connect anonymously to the Samba share.

Not really. Our Samba-production environment uses accounts. I just want to keep
the test Samba-cfg simple. (Even with Your change I can't connect. Same error).

Best regards,
Ralf

[Ralf Aumüller]

In which case, what ever user is going to connect to the Samba server
will need to exist on it, as both a Unix & Samba user. The user will
need to have the same password everywhere.
If the user is just copying the files from the Samba share to the
windows machine and then running them, the anonymous user way should
work, but it will depend on the permissions being set correctly,
both in smb.conf and on the Unix machine, I would start by checking
that the Unix permisions are set to 777

Maybe my description was not clear. We first see this problem in our production
environment. So I set up a test VM with samba 3.6.25 and 4.4.5 available.
Then I PXE-boot a notebook with Windows PE 5.0 and try to connect to my
test-samba-server. 3.6.25 works. Stopping 3.6.25 and starting 4.4.5: Works fine.

Then I PXE-boot Windows PE 10.0 and make the same test. Now just samba 3.6.25
works. Trying 4.4.5 gives error "System error 58 has occurred."
All tests use the same Samba-cfg-file.

Best regards,
Ralf

[Steve Ankeny]

Post by Ralf Aumüller

In which case, what ever user is going to connect to the Samba server
will need to exist on it, as both a Unix & Samba user. The user will
need to have the same password everywhere.
If the user is just copying the files from the Samba share to the
windows machine and then running them, the anonymous user way should
work, but it will depend on the permissions being set correctly,
both in smb.conf and on the Unix machine, I would start by checking
that the Unix permisions are set to 777

Maybe my description was not clear. We first see this problem in our production
environment. So I set up a test VM with samba 3.6.25 and 4.4.5 available.
Then I PXE-boot a notebook with Windows PE 5.0 and try to connect to my
test-samba-server. 3.6.25 works. Stopping 3.6.25 and starting 4.4.5: Works fine.
Then I PXE-boot Windows PE 10.0 and make the same test. Now just samba 3.6.25
works. Trying 4.4.5 gives error "System error 58 has occurred."
All tests use the same Samba-cfg-file.
Best regards,
Ralf

Looking at a "System 58 error" with Windows 7 --

https://serverfault.com/questions/69049/system-error-58-while-accessing-shares-on-windows-7-from-windows-xp

I'm wondering if the problem lies in the "server max level = NT1" issue
we've seen before with Windows 10?

In other words, the problem may lie in the PXE Windows PE 10.0 environment.

It's making a request but not receiving the answer it requires to make
the connection.

[Steve Ankeny]

On Mon, 8 Aug 2016 14:33:37 -0400

Post by Steve Ankeny
Looking at a "System 58 error" with Windows 7 --
https://serverfault.com/questions/69049/system-error-58-while-accessing-shares-on-windows-7-from-windows-xp
I'm wondering if the problem lies in the "server max level = NT1"
issue we've seen before with Windows 10?
In other words, the problem may lie in the PXE Windows PE 10.0 environment.
It's making a request but not receiving the answer it requires to
make the connection.

I thought that something like that might be the problem, but I can
connect from a win10 machine to a standalone Samba 4.4.5 server, which
server max protocol = SMB3
server min protocol = LANMAN1
So, as Windows PE 10 is probably a subset of Windows 10, it should
work. It is definitely worth trying, but if it doesn't work, then it
could be a bug, but in Windows PE 10 not Samba.
Rowland

What got me thinking along these lines was reviewing Windows PE & PXE

PXE uses common protocols such DHCP & TFTP as to boot a "blank" machine
to a network share.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preboot_Execution_Environment

In essence, the client loads a network driver that finds a network share
through DHCP or TFTP, and from that share, it downloads whatever files
are necessary to "install" an operating system (Solaris used to do this)

Windows PE is a subset of the full Windows installation, so yes, it
essentially boots a slimmed down version that acts much like a command
line environment from which the entire operating system can install.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Preinstallation_Environment

It's a nice method of being able to install new clients with a prebuilt
environment to a new machine.

It's more-or-less hands-off while the installation takes place. We used
to do that with Windows NT 4.0

And, as I said, we used to do something similar installing a brand new
"blank" Sun machine (install from network)

I have a USB drive that "boots" Windows 7 PE It allows me to install
new machines or to troubleshoot existing. You use "net connect" to
connect to a network share and download whatever tools you need from there.

[Steve Ankeny]

On Mon, 8 Aug 2016 14:33:37 -0400

Post by Steve Ankeny
Looking at a "System 58 error" with Windows 7 --
https://serverfault.com/questions/69049/system-error-58-while-accessing-shares-on-windows-7-from-windows-xp
I'm wondering if the problem lies in the "server max level = NT1"
issue we've seen before with Windows 10?
In other words, the problem may lie in the PXE Windows PE 10.0 environment.
It's making a request but not receiving the answer it requires to
make the connection.

Can you get a debug level 10 log from Samba, plus a wireshark
trace of this operation failing please ?

Great idea, Jeremy, but it has to come from the OP, Ralf Aumuller!

[Ralf Aumüller]

OK, after downloading WindowsPE 10 and installing it in a VM, I can
confirm two things, as standard it doesn't connect to a Samba standalone
server and adding 'server max protocol = NT1' to smb.conf on the
Samba server, fixes it.
I have the level 10 logs.
Jeremy, do you still want the wireshark trace ?

Can confirm that adding 'server max protocol = NT1' fixes it. Was still in the
process finding out how to provide logs -- but Rowland was faster. If I can
provide any info please let me know.

Best regards,
Ralf