[KLUG Members] samba and symbolic links

[Adam Williams]

> I have a rather annoying problem that I can't seem to find an answer to.

Please post a new message for new topics, and don't hi-jack other topic
threads by hitting reply and chaning the subject.  This screws up the
threading of messages in threaded mail clients, and more importantly, in
the mail archive.

> We use Samba to allow access to their home directory under Windows 2000
> as the Z: drive. 

You shouldn't use Z: thats reserved for mounting the logon volume during
logon;  although it is probably unmounted by the time you map it - still
could cause wierd problems.

> The problem is that Windows can't tell that symbolic links to
> directories are any different then regular directories. So, when someone
> wants to search for a file in their home directory under Windows,
> Windows spins its wheel searching an endless virtual tree because their
> are symbolic links like ~/.openoffice/work symbolicly linking back to ~
> Virus checkers also have problems with this and never finish.
> Is there a way around this? Like maybe telling samba to ignore symbolic
> links.

follow symlinks = no

Or you could just "dont descend = .openoffice" if you just have a couple
directories that are biting you.  Of course there is also the veto file
option as well (just make them NOT appear to CIFS clients).