Moodle SMB Web Client

[Hightower]

Just had a look at the suggested threads and none seem to help so here goes:

 

I'm looking at the SMB Web Client block for Moodle (again), but whenever it loads it just shows the blank popup with File Name, Modified etc etc along the top but no files actually showing up.

 

Can someone point me in the direction of a full setup guide (i.e. telling me what to install on the moodle server, how to test etc etc) as the readme that comes with the ZIP doesn't tell me how to configure my Ubuntu 8.04 box.

 

Any help at all?

[Achandler]

This either works easily or has problems, we've had massive problems here due to student permissions not being quite right throughout the file server meaning the client would let them transverse the folders correctly to get to their own files.

 

There is no "setup" guide that I could find i'm afraid, maybe I didn't look hard enough, I also like the challenge of setting things up and understanding what everything does if I have the time to, and when I set this up I did.

 

Basically from the original files you download, you put the block into the right place and then edit the "config_smb_web_client .php" and nothing else to make it work (you can touch other things to change other bits but it isn't necessary really.

 

All the details you need to change should be on Line 19:

 

$smb_cfg->cfgWinShareToSmb=array(

'\\servername'=>'MyDomain.local/servername',

 

);

 

Works for me, I've left the prefix on line 10 commented out. It's using BasicAuth on line 187 and I have forced SSL on line 238 as my site is all SSL since it contains student details. If a box loads, but is blank it implies it can't find the share properly, so might be a mistake on line 19.

 

Hope some of that ramble helps.

[martin1]

Yup, same problem here by the sounds of it.

 

Downloaded zip file, followed the 'README' instructions inside, set up the share info and added the block to the front page in Moodle. Now if I log in and click on the home drive link, a pop-up box appears and is empty of files. The column headers are there but nothing else. Oddly enough, if I refresh the page, 'page cannot be found' is shown and if I refresh again, the original screen comes back. It basically rotates between 2 pages. It's not just the home drive either, I have added another shared folder as well but the same happens for this.

 

Confused. I assume this is very similar to yourself, Hightower?

[Hightower]

Sounds exactly like my problems.

[Achandler]

The problem has to be to do with permissions, as long as you have specified the server details properly and it can pull the information about the home drive from AD properly. Although I've had multiple problems with the client I've not ad the same fault as you two are getting.

 

Have you tried using the LDAP Capture login instead of the LDAP Server login, I remember reading that the LDAP Capture was more reliable with the SMB Web Client.

[penfold_99]

You need to configure the smb-client on your server before it can talk to AD, that the reason you getting a blank page. The file you to configure is either smb.conf or samba.conf. these are in /etc or /etc/samba depending on your distro.

 

I will try and track down a copy of the config and post here.

[Hightower]

The funny thing I've found too, is that if I log in with an incorrect user (like a completely fictional one) it still goes to the black screen with headers etc instead of saying incorrect password or something.

 

Is that the same for you @martin1?

[Achandler]

I never had to configure the client on the server but I did join the domain with my Ubuntu server

[martin1]

The funny thing I've found too, is that if I log in with an incorrect user (like a completely fictional one) it still goes to the black screen with headers etc instead of saying incorrect password or something.

 

Is that the same for you @martin1?

 

 

The block only appears on the home user screen, not the actual main page. You need to log in first to Moodle and then the block is visible. So I cannot tell if the Home folder name listed in the IE window header is one from the actual home dir or just taken from the users name and it assumes that what it is called. I need to manually create a folder and check this one out.

 

Basically, if the user is fake, it will not show the block. Doesn't really help you, I'm afraid, Hightower.

 

I'll check the permissions and look at LDAP auth again....

[Hightower]

The block only appears on the home user screen, not the actual main page. You need to log in first to Moodle and then the block is visible. So I cannot tell if the Home folder name listed in the IE window header is one from the actual home dir or just taken from the users name and it assumes that what it is called. I need to manually create a folder and check this one out.

 

Basically, if the user is fake, it will not show the block. Doesn't really help you, I'm afraid, Hightower.

 

I'll check the permissions and look at LDAP auth again....

 

I mean when the user clicks the link in the block (already logged into moodle) and then (on my install at least) it asks again for the user/password. Whether you enter a true user/pass here, or a false one it will always show up a blank screen with only the header sections, where as I would have thought it would tell me I had an incorrect user/pass.

 

@penfold_99 Thanks!

[martin1]

Oh no, sorry. The system here is already authenticated and doesn't prompt for further info. Reading comments on Moodle.org: Modules and plugins it seems a lot of people have had issues with double authentication.

[penfold_99]

I mean when the user clicks the link in the block (already logged into moodle) and then (on my install at least) it asks again for the user/password. Whether you enter a true user/pass here, or a false one it will always show up a blank screen with only the header sections, where as I would have thought it would tell me I had an incorrect user/pass.

 

@penfold_99 Thanks!

 

I would install LDAP Capture which would get rid of the request for username and password when you tried to open a folder

[Achandler]

There is also an option in the config file to check whether you want it to use basic auth or a form based auth, but you shouldn't be able to enter fake details and still get the window to open. I'm quite sure mine failed when I checked to force the 2nd entry of the details.

[martin1]

I think I am fast running out of ideas and talent. By the looks of it, it is finding the home drive but it could be lack of permissions somewhere. A copy of that config file would be handy, penfold_99, I looked at mine and there isn't much in it to suggest a problem (but maybe that is the problem).

 

This block looks really promising and I can see others who use it, love it. There really does seem to be a clear 'works or doesn't work' theme.

[penfold_99]

I have finally hard time to track down the files you need to edit.

 

These file are from Centos, so slight tweaking may be required to get it working with your distribution.

 

You will need to replace [FQDN] with your local domain name and [sERVERNAME] with your server name.

 

In /etc/samba/samba.conf edit the global section

[global]
workgroup = DOMIAN
realm = [FQDN] 
server string = [sERVERNAME]
security = ADS
password server = [sERVERNAME].[FQDN]
passdb backend = tdbsam
idmap uid = 16777216-33554431
idmap gid = 16777216-33554431
template shell = /sbin/nologin
cups options = raw
log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m	
winbind use default domain = yes
winbind enum users = yes
obey pam restrictions = yes
usershare allow guests = no	
ea support =yes
       acl compatibility = Auto
       store dos attributes = yes
map readonly = no
       map archive = no
       map system = no 	
invalid users = root 
msdfs root = no
socket options = TCP_NODELAY SO_KEEPALIVE SO_RCVBUF=8192 SO_SNDBUF=8192
acl map full control = false
       hide files = /aquota.*/ 

 

In /etc/krb5.conf

 

[logging]
default = FILE:/var/log/krb5libs.log
kdc = FILE:/var/log/krb5kdc.log
admin_server = FILE:/var/log/kadmind.log

[libdefaults]
default_realm = EXAMPLE.COM
dns_lookup_realm = false
dns_lookup_kdc = false
ticket_lifetime = 24h
forwardable = yes

[realms]
EXAMPLE.COM = {
 kdc = kerberos.example.com:88
 admin_server = kerberos.example.com:749
 default_domain = example.com
}

[FQDN] = {
 kdc = [sERVERNAME].[FQDN] 
}


[domain_realm]
.example.com = EXAMPLE.COM
example.com = EXAMPLE.COM
[FQDN]= [FQDN]
.[FQDN] = [FQDN]

[appdefaults]
pam = {
  debug = false
  ticket_lifetime = 36000
  renew_lifetime = 36000
  forwardable = true
  krb4_convert = false
}

Edited July 2, 2010 by penfold_99

[martin1]

Thanks, Penfold_99. I will have a look through our version and see if I am missing anything.