mount_smbfs fails if password contains '@'

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mount_smbfs fails if password contains '@'

I am using mount_smbfs command in a shell script like this:
mount_smbfs -W <work-group> '//<user-name>:<password>@<host-name>/<share>' <mount-point>
But, if the password has the character '@', the command fails.
For example: mount_smbfs -W <workgroup1> '//user1:abcd@xy@hostname1/sharename1' /abcd/def
(Where password = abcd@xy
hostname = hostname1)
The command fails with the error -
mount_smbfs: can't get server address `xy@hostname1':
Unknown host
mount_smbfs: can't get server address: syserr = Network is down

Is there a way to overcome this problem?

MAC 10.4, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Dec 8, 2009 10:40 PM

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Answer 1

hungryjoe

Level 2

250 points

Dec 8, 2009 11:14 PM in response to Sailaja

There might be a few things worth trying:
* Don't use quotes at all and escape the @ character in the password:

//user1:abcd@xy@hostname1/sharename1

* Quote just the password:

//user1:'abcd@xy'@hostname1/sharename1

* Use double quotes and escape the @ character

"//user1:abcd@xy@hostname1/sharename1"

* Make the mount command ask for the password interactively

mount_smbfs -N -W <workgroup1> //user1:@hostname1/sharename1 /abcd/def

* If nothing else works then consider changing the password. 😉
Maybe one of them will work.

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Answer 2

Sailaja Author

Level 1

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Dec 9, 2009 1:36 AM in response to hungryjoe

I have already tried all these things without success.

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Answer 3

Sailaja Author

Level 1

0 points

Dec 9, 2009 1:51 AM in response to hungryjoe

Also, I need the command to work at one go, without having to manually enter a password. That option does not suit my purpose.

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Answer 4

hungryjoe

Level 2

250 points

Dec 9, 2009 5:14 AM in response to Sailaja

Let's see… Try escaping the @ with two backslashes to see if that works:

//user1:abcd\@xy@hostname1/sharename1

If that doesn't work you might have to create/modify the ~/Library/Preferences/nsmb.conf or /etc/nsmb.conf file and store the password there. If it comes to that then here's an [article|http://onlamp.com/bsd/2001/11/15/Big ScaryDaemons.html] that I found through a search engine that might be useful.

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Answer 5

Dec 9, 2009 5:22 PM in response to Sailaja

The problem sounds similar to that in another thread where the successful answer worked because, without a password, the program prompted for a password. In that case, the password was piped in, e.g.,

echo password | command

This should alleviate the parsing problem caused by the @ character, if you can get it to work.

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