Permission Problem - I guess

jescab

I am new to Linux.

I am using CenTos and Samba as much server stuff to control my XP and Win2000 Cient machines.

I am sure I have everything set up correctly but I have a problem. Whenever anyone opens a file (excel) and try to save, by clicking the little disc icon, a box pops up and ask if they want to overwrite. If they click overwrite and someone else tries to open the file tells that person that the file is read only. I am lost. LOL

Does anyone have any idea why this is happening? It did not happen on the old box. I gave everyone 777 permission to try and get around this problem and it still does not work. I did notice that I am using an old version of Samba (.10 version) and there is a newer (.20) version. Would this have anything to do with the problem. I'm assuming this is a permission or group mapping problem.

Any help is greatly appreciated.


HELP!!! HELP!!

sprkymrk

That actually sounds like a common issue on MS networks. If someone has a shared spreadsheet open for editing, and someone else goes to open it, Excel will inform them that the file is currently open and locked, and would they like to open a "read only" copy. When the original user closes the file, it can be edited by the next user, and so on.

I don't think it's a SAMBA problem so much as the default operation of Excel. However if SAMBA doesn't somehow close the connection when the original user has closed the file it could be an issue. I think there can be only 1 "write-able" instance of the file open at a time.

: : :

jescab

The original person closes the spreadsheet and puts it on the shared drive then another person tries to open it and gets the read only box.

Any thoughts on why the "Overwrite" box pops up?

I also noticed that it rooms the permissions from the everyone group. I had it set to 777 but when you righ tclick the spreadsheet and goes to properties everyone has no boxes checked for access.

jescab

I think I found the problem. It is a known bug on the HP Servers with a work around. See below.

Problem
The error message "The file may have been changed" occurs when you save an excel file to Samba. The error message also provides choices to either "save a copy" or "overwrite changes".

Workaround
When prompted, answer "overwrite changes" otherwise the file must be saved under a different name.

To avoid the error altogether, a registry change can resolve the problem as described in the MS knowledge base article found at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=324491

Samba community also observed the problem and has further characterized it in the Bugzilla at https://bugzilla.samba.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1094

sprkymrk

Glad you found it. That's a new one on me.

jescab

Glad I could help you out and teach you something new.

IT seems to be a time date stamp problem between Office (excel) and Samba.

If you turn oplocks off it fixes the problem. Go figure