Users, Groups, Home Directory, Pools, SMB Shares - Hierarchy and relationships

[sretalla]

You might do well to enable Browsable to Network Clients and Access Based Share Enumeration

 

[geoffwhere]

You might do well to enable Browsable to Network Clients and Access Based Share Enumeration

Thanks for the tip, tried it but no luck. (Stopped and started SMB Service, then tried to connect via Windows 10 File Manager).
I must confess to being bamboozled by the 'Home Directory' and 'User' relationship (see screenshots). When I created the 'gwhitele' User, it added a subfolder by the same name to the Pool Share, below the Dataset 'Clarendon_Data' and I'm not clear on possible conflict between these parameters. Do I map to 'Clarendon_Data' or to 'gwhitele'? Neither seems to work.

 

[sretalla]

You seem to be confusing things at all levels.

Can you browse to the shares? (which shares can you see?)

You should only see the directory structure in the share (nothing in front of it).

Do I map to 'Clarendon_Data' or to 'gwhitele'? Neither seems to work.

You should only need to map to the level above the username from W10, but if you can't get to the share that contains it, there's no point even thinking about mapping something.

 

[geoffwhere]

Can you browse to the shares? (which shares can you see?)

I'm assuming you mean "which shares can you see in Windows"? If yes, none.
All I get is a Windows message saying"Incorrect user name or password" if I try to connect via the 'Network' icon or, if I try to map the NAS to 'This PC', I get "The specified network password is not correct'.

map to the level above the username from W10

Do you mean map to 'Clarendon_Data' as per screenshot in #22 above?

 

[sretalla]

All I get is a Windows message saying"Incorrect user name or password"

Until we work this out, I don't think there will be any progress.

Is there a user on the NAS with that username? (and does it have the same password as the user on your W10 client?

 

[Samuel Tai]

Sorry, I've been tied up with work. One thing that's not obvious nor highlighted in documentation: RESTART the SMB service after any change to shares or the service parameters. Otherwise, the changes never get applied.

 

[geoffwhere]

Sorry, I've been tied up with work. One thing that's not obvious nor highlighted in documentation: RESTART the SMB service after any change to shares or the service parameters. Otherwise, the changes never get applied.

No problem, first things must come first. FYI, I've been diligently stopping and restarting the SMB Service. Unfortunately to no avail.
I'm seriouly contemplating disabling the Pool and Datasets, re-formatting the 2x4TB mirrors and reinstalling TrueNAS from ground zero.
Before I do, I'll go back over your posts and create a step by step install instruction set, which I'll cross check with the various online videos and the User Manual.
Even though I've rigorously followed the various tips and tricks, it's apparent that my last ditch stand is to create this guide for dummies to eliminate any human error potential.
I still don't get the part where, when I create a User account prior to creating an SMB Share, TrueNAS creates a dataset by the same name as assigned to that User account. There must be some out of sequence config step causing that to happen, but it confuses the hell out of me when I go to set the User Home Directory, as I had a different dataset in mind but FreeNAS jumps the gun by arbitrarily creating its own dataset.

 

[geoffwhere]

Is there a user on the NAS with that username? (and does it have the same password as the user on your W10 client?

Yes, I've created a user on the NAS called gwhitele - this user doesn't exist on the W10 client (and I'm increasingly suspicious of this anomaly) because the W10 client uses a Microsoft Account, it does not have a local account (this has been the case since MS introduced the MS Account concept which traverses their software ecosystem across apps such as Skype, Teams, Outlook/Office, etc. I'm unsure of the implications of creating a local Windows account as I depend heavily on the MS family for my work activities.
The weird thing in all this is that I have no problem mapping a couple of simple NAS drives (pre-packaged LaCie and D-Link things), except I have to remap after each W10 restart.

 

[geoffwhere]

Sorry, I've been tied up with work. One thing that's not obvious nor highlighted in documentation: RESTART the SMB service after any change to shares or the service parameters. Otherwise, the changes never get applied.

I appreciate you have a life and my predicament probably falls low on any related activity list, but I thought I'd update you on something that may be significant in finding a way forward from this mess.
On searching for 'Ping TN Server gets response but can't Login', I found an old Forum post which referred to binding the CIFS IP address. I searched the meaning of CIFS and learned it's part of SMB, so checked the TN Services Settings and put my TN IP address in SMB Advanced Options 'Bind IP Addresses' and User 'geoff' in 'Guest Account'. Then the FreeNAS Server appears in Windows Explorer (if I remove 'geoff' from Guest Account it disappears), but I still get Login error 'incorrect network password'.
Don't know if this tells you something or not, but I thought it might be a lead.
(BTW, I have been stopping and restarting the SMB service each time I make a change to its settings)

 

[geoffwhere]

Yes, I've created a user on the NAS called gwhitele - this user doesn't exist on the W10 client (and I'm increasingly suspicious of this anomaly) because the W10 client uses a Microsoft Account, it does not have a local account (this has been the case since MS introduced the MS Account concept which traverses their software ecosystem across apps such as Skype, Teams, Outlook/Office, etc. I'm unsure of the implications of creating a local Windows account as I depend heavily on the MS family for my work activities.
The weird thing in all this is that I have no problem mapping a couple of simple NAS drives (pre-packaged LaCie and D-Link things), except I have to remap after each W10 restart.

Hello, Re your previous questions, please see my post above about SMB Advanced Options and related findings I uncovered earlier today.

 

[GBillR]

I am going to take a stab... have you used the windows credential manager (in the control panel) to add and save a "Windows Credential" with the exact user and pw as a user account you have on the NAS? My experience is that even with a Microsoft Account (not as local account), that as long as I add the user and password as a "Windows Credential", with the correct server ip (e.g. \\192.168.90.14) I am able to access those user's shares. Also, as previously mentioned, I would be sure to select "browseable to network clients" until this is sorted out. At a minimum, that should allow you to be able to see the shares in file explorer even if you can't open them.

 

[geoffwhere]

I am going to take a stab... have you used the windows credential manager (in the control panel) to add and save a "Windows Credential" with the exact user and pw as a user account you have on the NAS? My experience is that even with a Microsoft Account (not as local account), that as long as I add the user and password as a "Windows Credential", with the correct server ip (e.g. \\192.168.90.14) I am able to access those user's shares. Also, as previously mentioned, I would be sure to select "browseable to network clients" until this is sorted out. At a minimum, that should allow you to be able to see the shares in file explorer even if you can't open them.

Good stab, unfortunately not in the heart But thanks for the suggestion, which I revisited and tried, even tried it after establishing a Windows Local Account (haven't had one of those before - except back in the days before MS got all Google like), but none of these combinations work.
What's really got me puzzled is when I set "TN Services Settings and put my TN IP address in SMB Advanced Options 'Bind IP Addresses' and User 'geoff' in 'Guest Account'. Then the FreeNAS Server appears in Windows Explorer (if I remove 'geoff' from Guest Account it disappears), but I still get Login error 'incorrect network password'." - that's really weird and I suspect significant, but in what way I can't fathom.

 

[geoffwhere]

I am going to take a stab... have you used the windows credential manager (in the control panel) to add and save a "Windows Credential" with the exact user and pw as a user account you have on the NAS? My experience is that even with a Microsoft Account (not as local account), that as long as I add the user and password as a "Windows Credential", with the correct server ip (e.g. \\192.168.90.14) I am able to access those user's shares. Also, as previously mentioned, I would be sure to select "browseable to network clients" until this is sorted out. At a minimum, that should allow you to be able to see the shares in file explorer even if you can't open them.

To Whom It May Concern, After more than 12 months of unsuccessful attempts to get my Windows PC to map to a FreeNAS instance, I've crossed the line, but not in the way that many in this Forum may have expected or hoped for.
I acquired Windows Server 2019 yesterday, installed it to replace the FreeNAS instance, set up some Services, created a Mirror Share and, within seconds, I was able to connect to this storage from my Windows 10 PC! Not only were the Share and related Folders visible, I was able to manipulate the Share Permissions within Windows Server from a single input screen, which comprised an intuitive, easy to understand user interface that controlled permissions from a single point in the Server environment. This was a revelation that I would recommend FreeNAS developers consider for future enhancement.
Not only was that rapid configuration and deployment very pleasing, but I was also able to connect a USB DVD Drive and it was immediately available, no shenanigans under the covers involving complex code to commission an external device.
I was reminded during this process of the Windows Server heritage, based on my employment at DEC during the mid-90s emergence of Windows NT. Many on this Forum may be unaware that, although the first version of Windows NT was a Microsoft engineering project, subsequent development that took NT into the Data Center was the product of a joint engineering effort by Microsoft and DEC. In fact, later versions of NT incorporated millions of lines of code from the well known and bullet proof DEC Operating System, VAX-VMS (later OpenVMS). During this project, NT core redeveloped to not only incorporate reams of VMS code, but also was the basis for NT becoming available on the DEC Apha 64-bit architecture. This strong heritage has of course progressed over several iterations of Windows Server, which emerged from Windows NT.
In fact, it was this collaboration that resulted in NT inheriting capabilities such as server redundancy, load balancing and clustering.
So, given this heritage, I'm not surprised that I've been able to resolve my FreeNAS frustrations with a system of very strong pedigree, one that not only worked for me first time, but seems to perform extremely well and has very versatile functionality including my need for a robust and user friendly NAS system.
Thanks to those who tried their best to get FreeNAS happening. Hopefully my result will encourage the FreeNAS develoment team to consider my very poor FreeNAS experience while trying to establish a Windows 10 NAS Share envirnoment.
Best regards,
GeoffW

 

[geoffwhere]

It's easy enough to start over. You can delete the share definition, the user account, and the datasets, and you'll be back at square 1.

So, here's how I did my Windows home share. You can follow along, and change things to suit your installation.

1. First, enable the SMB service. I use these parameters on mine.
View attachment 46337
You can leave the Guest Account, and Bind IP addresses at the default. What's important are the Auxiliary parameters. On my system, I use:

Code:

wins support = yes
domain master = yes
preferred master = yes
os level = 65
directory name cache size = 0
smb encrypt = desired
restrict anonymous = 2

2. Dataset
View attachment 46338

View attachment 46339

3. User
View attachment 46340

Note, the home directory is underneath the dataset from step 2. In the shell, the permissions look like this:

Code:

root@raven:/mnt/main/home/windows # ls -l
total 36
-rwx------  1 root    wheel   0 Nov 11  2017 .windows*
drwx------  8 samuel  samuel  8 Feb 10 09:18 samuel/

I don't use any ACLs at all, as ACLs confuse everyone to no end.

4. Share
View attachment 46341

Once the share is defined and saved, restart the SMB service to have the share definition take effect. I then map a share as \\<my server name>\samuel\, using "Connect with different credentials", and authenticate to the share as the samuel account and password.

Dear Samuel, After more than 12 months of unsuccessful attempts to get my Windows PC to map to a FreeNAS instance, I've crossed the line, but not in the way that may have been expected or hoped for.
I acquired Windows Server 2019 yesterday, installed it to replace the FreeNAS instance, set up some Services, created a Mirror Share and, within seconds, I was able to connect to this storage from my Windows 10 PC! Not only were the Share and related Folders visible, I was able to manipulate the Share Permissions within Windows Server from a single input screen, which comprised an intuitive, easy to understand user interface that controlled permissions from a single point in the Server environment. This was a revelation that I would recommend FreeNAS developers consider for future enhancement.
Not only was that rapid configuration and deployment very pleasing, but I was also able to connect a USB DVD Drive and it was immediately available, no shenanigans under the covers involving complex code to commission an external device.
I was reminded during this process of the Windows Server heritage, based on my employment at DEC during the mid-90s emergence of Windows NT. Many on this Forum may be unaware that, although the first version of Windows NT was a Microsoft engineering project, subsequent development that took NT into the Data Center was the product of a joint engineering effort by Microsoft and DEC. In fact, later versions of NT incorporated millions of lines of code from the well known and bullet proof DEC Operating System, VAX-VMS (later OpenVMS). During this project, NT core redeveloped to not only incorporate reams of VMS code, but also was the basis for NT becoming available on the DEC Apha 64-bit architecture. This strong heritage has of course progressed over several iterations of Windows Server, which emerged from Windows NT.
In fact, it was this collaboration that resulted in NT inheriting capabilities such as server redundancy, load balancing and clustering.
So, given this heritage, I'm not surprised that I've been able to resolve my FreeNAS frustrations with a system of very strong pedigree, one that not only worked for me first time, but seems to perform extremely well and has very versatile functionality including my need for a robust and user friendly NAS system.
Thanks for trying to help me to get FreeNAS happening. Hopefully my result will encourage the FreeNAS develoment team to consider my very poor FreeNAS experience while trying to establish a Windows 10 NAS Share envirnoment.
Best regards,
GeoffW

 

[wiebenor]

Well... Sounds like I'm not going to be using TrueNAS, as I've been searching for an answer to this exact problem, and well, this post has given me the most unwanted answer, which unfortunately, is to call this a crappy waste of my time, for almost a day, and I'm not going to keep trying to get my virtual machine with 10gigs of memory allocated to it, on my 3900x(made specifically for among other things, testing is functions in a VM) and reach that guy's 12 month mark. I love the interface, I really do, but, I just can't be wasting my time, even with all the time in the world available, as I'm currently not employed... Sorry if I sound pissed off or something, because I don't mean to, but this has been kicking my a$$ for around 6 hours straight.

**Note** I'm using it virtual machine, because I don't have hardware to dedicate specifically for a backup/data storage rig yet, and I want to test things out before I get too into buying the hardware I want, and also, another detractor from using TrueNAS, is the fact that if I have a monitor attached I still need the network interface, when I should by all rights NOT be stuck with that cmdline interface, and should have an option to actually run a GUI over all that...