[SGVLUG] stupid newbie questions

[Emerson, Tom]

> -----Original Message----- Of K. Zachary Abbott
> 
> Is there an easy way to rename a Linux (specifically Red Hat 
> Enterprise 4WS) box?

Technically, the "name" of the computer is it's HOSTNAME (found under
/etc) but...

> In windows, I would right-click "my computer", select the 
> Name tab and change the name....

This is the name "as it's known to the SMB network", which is different.

You set this in the smb.conf file, specifically in the [GLOBAL] section
-- some excerpts from the smb.conf(5) man page showing which parameters
to set and why:

-------------------------------
netbios name (G)
This sets the NetBIOS name by which a Samba server is known. By default
it is the same as the first component of the host's DNS name. If a
machine is a browse server or logon server this name (or the first
component of the hosts DNS name) will be the name that these services
are advertised under. 

There is a bug in Samba-3 that breaks operation of browsing and access
to shares if the netbios name is set to the literal name PIPE. To avoid
this problem, do not name your Samba-3 server PIPE. 

Default: netbios name = # machine DNS name 

Example: netbios name = MYNAME 
-------------------------------

comment (S)

[note: this actually goes in each "share" segment]

This is a text field that is seen next to a share when a client does a
queries the server, either via the network neighborhood or via net view
to list what shares are available.

If you want to set the string that is displayed next to the machine name
then see the server string parameter.

Default: comment = # No comment 

Example: comment = Fred's Files 
-------------------------------
server string (G)
This controls what string will show up in the printer comment box in
print manager and next to the IPC connection in net view. It can be any
string that you wish to show to your users.

It also sets what will appear in browse lists next to the machine name.

A %v will be replaced with the Samba version number.

A %h will be replaced with the hostname.

Default: server string = Samba %v 

Example: server string = University of GNUs Samba Server 
-------------------------------