Server + Client == Debian stable 7.3 (Version 4.1.3) Hi, if the following holds true, then I found a bug: "force user" == the effective user for all disk access on the samba server (like which user a new file belongs to) related to this share This user does NOT need to be a smbuser ! "valid users" == smbusers (having corresponding linux system users) that are allowed to connect to a samba servers share ========================================================= Server: smb.conf: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [global] workgroup = LOCALNET server string = %h server disable netbios = yes dns proxy = no domain master = no preferred master = no smb ports = 445 log level = 1 log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m syslog = 0 encrypt passwords = yes passdb backend = tdbsam obey pam restrictions = yes pam password change = yes map to guest = bad user load printers = no disable spoolss = yes [web] path = /data/www valid users = me create mask = 0660 directory mask = 0770 force user = xxx force group = www-data ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ groups xxx xxx : www-data xxx xxx is NOT a smbuser groups me me : mine cdrom floppy audio dip video plugdev xxx pdbedit -L me me:1000:me ========================================================= Client: smbclient -L web -Ume -d1 Enter me's password: Domain=[LOCALNET] OS=[Unix] Server=[Samba 4.1.3-Debian] Sharename Type Comment --------- ---- ------- IPC$ IPC IPC Service (web server) web Disk web Connection to web failed (Error NT_STATUS_CONNECTION_REFUSED) NetBIOS over TCP disabled -- no workgroup available smbclient //web/web -Ume -d1 Enter me's password: Domain=[LOCALNET] OS=[Unix] Server=[Samba 4.1.3-Debian] tree connect failed: NT_STATUS_ACCESS_DENIED AND WHEN I * comment out the "valid users = me" line on the [web] share then I get on the CLIENT: smbclient -L web -Ume -d1 Enter me's password: Domain=[LOCALNET] OS=[Unix] Server=[Samba 4.1.3-Debian] Sharename Type Comment --------- ---- ------- web Disk web IPC$ IPC IPC Service (web server) Connection to web failed (Error NT_STATUS_CONNECTION_REFUSED) NetBIOS over TCP disabled -- no workgroup available <<< so this Error there STAYS ... ... BUT the mount succeeds: smbclient //web/web -Ume -d1 $1 #46720 me@seven pts/10 Enter me's password: Domain=[LOCALNET] OS=[Unix] Server=[Samba 4.1.3-Debian] smb: \> ls . D 0 Thu Jan 23 15:32:38 2014 .. D 0 Thu Jan 23 15:20:13 2014 class.krumo.php N 24780 Wed Oct 30 22:08:11 2013 logs D 0 Tue Oct 8 11:25:32 2013 public_html D 0 Wed Jan 22 13:59:42 2014 krumo.ini N 418 Wed Oct 30 22:08:11 2013 44431 blocks of size 524288. 38602 blocks available smb: \> ... and on the server: smbstatus -d1 Samba version 4.1.3-Debian PID Username Group Machine ------------------------------------------------------------------- 54818 me mine 172.27.127.7 (ipv4:172.27.127.7:32807) Service pid machine Connected at ------------------------------------------------------- web 54818 172.27.127.7 Thu Jan 23 19:40:14 2014 No locked files Please let me know if you need more info / input. Tormen