[dba-Tech] Windows and Ubuntu mix

I worked on a small network today of 11 stations and one server.

The client originally had a collection of Windows 7 and XP boxes connecting
to a Server2003. It worked very well but after a series of issues with
hardware and partners, one individual assumed control. Half the stations
were found to be corrupted and with none of the original boot or repair
disks handy, there was no way to get MS to help and the client was pooched. 

It was decided, being that the costs of new Windows 7 OS disks and MS Office
was prohibitive, in price, maybe it would be worth trying an option like
Linux. For this effort, not the latest, but the previous version of Ubuntu
would be tried (11.10); it comes up a Ubuntu 1. The roll out was super easy
as we installed 6 copies simultaneously. (The client saved at least $4K to
$5K on OS and Office going this route)

It new Ubuntu layout is different in that its' menus are attached to the
left side of the screen by default and all system tools can be accessed from
a single cluster on the top right. Active applications still show at the
bottom of the screen. Once stations were named, standardized on shares and
Samba scripts, the networking was completed.

One more issue remained and that was to get Window7 station authentication
to allow the Ubuntu station to share. It appears that Ubuntu does not yet
use authentication version ntlmv2 so the following had to be done on each
Windows 7 station (it did not have issues with XP). See below for the
temporary fix, and NO, I did not figure it out on my own but that is why
there is Google. Go into each Windows7 policies; run gpedit.msc at the
start.

" local computer policies/computer configuration/windows setting/security
setting/local policies/security options/networksecurity:lan manager
authentication level "

Change/add both ntlmv1 and ntlmv2 responses. The older authentication
version has to been included within the new Samba but I would suspect, even
though ntlmv2 has been patented by MS to stop such collaborations, a
solution will be forth coming.  

Also adding \\MyServer_or_Station_hostname\\share_name\ and stations ip to
/etc/hosts, the shares became accessible. Maybe a bit of over-kill but it
worked. Rock solid. (Note: used fix IP addresses, though they are fairly
stable on a network and it heads off any later complications.)

The new Ubuntu is a real thing of beauty and installation took no longer,
maybe less, than it would on a Windows install...I was quite impressed. (It
loads and runs very fast.)

Jim