[agrath]

Hi All.
I'm using XBMC Live 10.1 installed onto my HDD.
I have been having a problem where after boot, I can't access any samba shares.
They come up with "connection timed out" followed by "cannot connect to network share" or something similar like that.
I ran it with the debug log and the log showed connection timed out coming back from the underlying OS when I checked it in the shell.
If I go to System->Network Settings->SMB Client and edit the "Workgroup"
Focus the field, don't change it, leave it as "Workgroup", hit done, then the X
Then XBMC prompts me to restart it to reload networking.
After this edit and restart (I call it the shuffle, I've been doing it for about 6 months) every single time the network shares work flawlessly until next time I boot up.
I've taught everyone who uses XBMC in the lounge here how to do it because it seems to be the only way to get it working.
Out of frustration, tonight I went digging through the advancedsettings.xml file located in /home/xbmc/.xmbc/userdata/advancedsettings.xml
and searched for "workgroup"
This is what I saw:
<smb>
<wins></wins>
<workgroup>WORKGROUP</workgroup>
</smb>
I edited this to remove the empty <wins> tag, so it was just
<smb>
<workgroup>WORKGROUP</workgroup>
</smb>
After reboot, network shares worked flawlessly without the shuffle.
I wonder if this is a bug, writing a WINS server out which is empty causing the network lookup/DNS lookup to fail?
The shares I couldn't access were both guest (non password protected) shares, with full read/write on both a windows 7 machine (security tweaked to allow guest in & smb2 turned off & no windows live signin assist) and a ubuntu 10.10 linux machine running fully upgraded samba via aptitude (also guest shares)
Neither would work without the shuffle, and they would work from other machines on the network.
Anyway, problem solved but I thought I'd post this here in case other people have the same issue or a developer would like to investigate what would happen if you had an empty <wins></wins> tag.
n/b I never edited this file, it just seemed to be like this from day-dot

[agrath]

An update to the above...
First off, I got the filename path wrong - I changed /home/agrath/.xbmc/userdata/guisettings.xml

Unfortunately, the "fix" only survived one reboot, the next time we booted the box up, the guisettings.xml has reverted and we're back to having to edit the workgroup and then "restart" (autoprompted) xbmc to get samba shares working.

I know this issue has been around a while, I fixed it on a previous install of the live cd, but I can't remember the fix..

Anyone know what to do?

[heavySoul]

An update to the above...
First off, I got the filename path wrong - I changed /home/agrath/.xbmc/userdata/guisettings.xml

Unfortunately, the "fix" only survived one reboot, the next time we booted the box up, the guisettings.xml has reverted and we're back to having to edit the workgroup and then "restart" (autoprompted) xbmc to get samba shares working.

I know this issue has been around a while, I fixed it on a previous install of the live cd, but I can't remember the fix..

Anyone know what to do?

I also have this 'shuffle' problem. Running the latest live version installed to hdd. So no fix yet?

[moontan77]

do you find a solution for this? have the same problem with xbmc on ubuntu natty and openelec. Have to reboot my windows 7 pc to get shares working again. Theres lots and lots of thread abot this error on xbmc but there doesnt seem to be any solution (apart from some people saying its some windows live login thing thats the problem but i dont even have that).

Am raging! Built a new pc to store media and now i cant use it properly with xbmc.

[rhapsody28]

I fixed this issue by not using the windows share names. Set your server to a static IP and use the ip address on XBMC for the samba share. You will want to connect a keyboard to xbmc because it is cumbersome with a MC remote control I've found....

Dan

[rhapsody28]

Additionally, SMB doesn't seem to do well with WINS resolution... Unless you build a server to tell XBMC how to resolve a windows name down to the IP. Just use the IP and it will work after a reboot..

Having to boot into windows tells the NIC card how to handle WINS, but it will not survive a reboot. That is why you are seeing that issue. I had the very same issue. Using an IP is a small price to pay to ditch Windows media center garbage.

Dan

[PulsatingQuasar]

I have the same problem too.

I use XBMC with OpenELEC and I also have Linux Mint and Ubuntu.

If I boot up my Windows 7 machine with the shares I can connect without problems to the shares for about 15 minutes I think. If my Windows machine with the shares has been running for about a few hours none of the Linux machines can access the Windows shares and all give Connection Timed Out. If I then reboot the Windows machine it works again and if I then immediatly access the files from a Linux machine it will keep working.


So I think it's not really an XBMC problem but a Linux problem in general.

Needless to say I am still dissapointed with Linux. Linux doesn't find it's way into homes on a large level because of this kind of nonsense.

Another issues is that Linux in general still seems to have problems to properly using LIRC connect an USB infrared device from boot. If you unplug an replug it works.

Pretty dissapointing all in all.

[FishOil]

I fixed this issue by not using the windows share names. Set your server to a static IP and use the ip address on XBMC for the samba share. You will want to connect a keyboard to xbmc because it is cumbersome with a MC remote control I've found....

Dan

This is the key. DONT USE SHARE NAMES. You will get nothing but frustrated. ALWAYS use the ip.

[FishOil]

So I think it's not really an XBMC problem but a Linux problem in general.

Needless to say I am still dissapointed with Linux. Linux doesn't find it's way into homes on a large level because of this kind of nonsense.

Pretty dissapointing all in all.

So let me get this right. Linux sucks because its not windows? You do understand that Windows shares is "a windows share" dont you. Its not a Linux problem its crappy windows shares problem. SAMBA shares going Linux to Linux have ZERO issues. Its only when fucked up microsoft comes into the picture that things get crappy. Linux people have no issues with SAMBA shares. Call mr gates and complain.

Linux doesn't make it into homes because a tiny sliver of knowledge is required. Linux does EXACTLY what its supposed to do and it does it VERY well. Its not for stupid people. Feel free to switch back to winblows

[KaosKid13]

I have all my network shares on a Win7 PC with a static IP, in various other rooms around the house i have a MC (also Win 7) running Kodi, an ATV2 running Kodi and a Raspberry Pi running Kodi (OPENELEC) all these devices are streaming media from the Win 7 PC

I have never had any problems connecting to my network shares from the Win 7 MC however although my shares are added using static ip and not windows share names, the ATV2 and Raspberry Pi seem to drop connection all the time and I'm having to reboot my PC to regain the connection.

It does only seem to be happening once or twice a day however it is still annoying to have to reboot my pc every time i want to watch something from another room and I'm hoping that i can find a fix. if anyone can help please

Thanks