Windows 8 Support

	Skill level: medium
	The instructions on this page require a basic knowledge of linux.

Background

Windows 8 was released in december 2012. Due to changes in the way that trust relationships are established with domain controllers, older versions of Samba (need at least 3.6.6) do not allow Windows 8 clients to log in once joined to a domain. see bugzilla:7172

Join a SME Server 8.0 Domain with Win8

Previously you needed to edit your Win8 registry to facilitate the joining of a SME Server Domain, however this can more easily be achieved by importing win8samba.reg fix by using either a usb key or by the network with http.

• Save the Win8 registry patch (win8samba.reg) from https://your-server-ip/server-resources/regedit/ with your favourite web browser.
• On your windows desktop, start "regedit" from the search menu in the top right corner and import the win8samba.reg.
• Set your domain instead of your workgroup. Add the client machine to the domain as normal.
• When asked on your Windows PC use the 'admin'(*) username and your SME Server admins password.
• You should get back the response 'Connected to Domain'
• You have to reboot your computer to reach the Domain

Tip:

To connect a windows 8 client to your SME Server Domain, Go to the Top right corner of your Desktop, select "settings" and then "PC Info", select the link "change Settings", then click on "Change" Tab.. Enter your servers "Domain" value in the domain field and 'Connect'. Enter the username of admin(*) with the servers admin password when asked, and You should get back the response 'Connected to Domain'. Reboot the computer to reach the Domain.

(*) Admin or any user in the 'Domain Admins' group can join the domain.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Note:

You will receive one warning about DNS domain name configuration after the join has succeeded: "Changing the Primary Domain DNS name of this computer to "" failed. The name will remain "MYDOM". The error was: The specified domain either does not exist or could not be contacted" This warning can be ignored but there is a hotfix available (originally for W7) from Microsoft to address this, see This Url for details.

Slow login with win8 to sme8 domain

With certain networks you may have an issue with a slow login to the SME Server domain due to a timeout issue on the network. In this case you should install a second patch (in first you have to install the win8samba.reg). The history of this patch can be found at bugzilla:7332 The version of package needed e-smith-samba-2.2.0-57.el5.sme is in smeupdates-testing but will shortly be by default in smeupdates so in the first instance verify your package version

rpm -qa e-smith-samba
e-smith-samba-2.2.0-57.el5.sme

You need at least this version as above, otherwise try this

yum update --enablerepo=smeupdates-testing e-smith-samba
signal-event post-upgrade; signal-event reboot

This is what you need to find in your server-ressources

cat /home/e-smith/files/server-resources/regedit/windows_samba_performance.reg 

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System]
"SlowLinkDetectEnabled"=dword:00000000
"DeleteRoamingCache"=dword:00000001
"WaitForNetwork"=dword:00000000
"CompatibleRUPSecurity"=dword:00000001

After this you follow the usual way to add the patch to your windows registery

• Save the registry patch (windows_samba_performance.reg) from https://your-server-ip/server-resources/regedit/ with your favourite web browser
• On your windows desktop, start "regedit" from the start menu and import the windows_samba_performance.reg

---