Mint 17.2 computer not visible on network

[Ken Coburn]

I have three computers on a wireless network. The network is set up as a workgroup. The main computer is Windows 7, 64 bit. The other two computers are a Windows 10 unit and a Mint 17.2 unit. The last two units connect via USB dongles. Both Windows computers can see each other and share files. Neither Windows unit can see the Linux unit. However, the Linux unit sees both Windows units and can use access their files. How can I make the Linux unit visible o the two Windows units?

[altair4]

Please go through the check-list first: Samba Browsing Problems Checklist
It might be something simple like your host name being too long. The HowTo will tell you how to override it for samba purposes.

Should that not fix things please post the output of the following commands so we can see how you are set up:

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testparm -s

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net usershare info --long

Some notes on Windows 10 specifically:

*** Since Build 1511 there is a serious problem with network browsing on Win10. I am following several forums concerning this like this one:
Cannot connect to CIFS / SMB / Samba Network Shares & Shared Folders in Windows 10 after update 1511/10586
Microsoft is aware of the problem and we are awaiting a fix. There are some crazy remedies suggested like disabling smb2/3 on Win10 that seems to fix this but that is something I wouldn't do. That would bring Win10 back to Win98 days.

*** But Win10 can do something that no other Windows version can do and that is it's ability to use dns-sd to connect to Linux and OSX machines. But in the case of Win10 you have to ask for it explicitly using a ".local" top level domain with it's host name. And that is the host name not the netbios name. DNS-SD doesn't use the deprecated netbios process.

So open a terminal on your Mint box and run:

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hostname

Then on the Win10 machine open Run ( WinKey + R ) and ask for the Mint machine directly using the host name you found above.

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\\mint-host-name.local

Assuming you have avahi-daemon running and aren't blocking it's port ( 5353 ) on the Mint box it should display the mint machine in explorer.

[Ken Coburn]

ken@KENLAPTOP ~ $ testparm -s
Load smb config files from /etc/samba/smb.conf
rlimit_max: increasing rlimit_max (1024) to minimum Windows limit (16384)
Processing section "[printers]"
Processing section "[print$]"
Loaded services file OK.
Server role: ROLE_STANDALONE
[global]
server string = %h server (Samba, Linux Mint)
server role = standalone server
map to guest = Bad User
obey pam restrictions = Yes
pam password change = Yes
passwd program = /usr/bin/passwd %u
passwd chat = *Enter\snew\s*\spassword:* %n\n *Retype\snew\s*\spassword:* %n\n *password\supdated\ssuccessfully* .
unix password sync = Yes
syslog = 0
log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
max log size = 1000
dns proxy = No
usershare allow guests = Yes
panic action = /usr/share/samba/panic-action %d
idmap config * : backend = tdb

[printers]
comment = All Printers
path = /var/spool/samba
create mask = 0700
printable = Yes
print ok = Yes
browseable = No

[print$]
comment = Printer Drivers
path = /var/lib/samba/printers
ken@KENLAPTOP ~ $
ken@KENLAPTOP ~ $ net usershare info --long
ken@KENLAPTOP ~ $

[altair4]

There's nothing wrong with that output other than:

** You aren't sharing anything.

** And you didn't follow the checklist because you have a line missing form the testparm output.