Can't share files/folders

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Level 1

13 points

Can't share files/folders

I have a new Mac Mini and want to set up file sharing. I've turned on File Sharing within System Preferences. By default I should now be able to connect to the main user's public folder which is shared automatically. The Mac Mini shows up on in the Finder's Network on my MacBook Pro, however clicking on it does nothing. Clicking on the Connect As… button does nothing. So I resort to trying Connect to Server with Cmd+K. I type in the Mac Mini's address and get the log in dialog box which is as far as I can get. Guest access isn't allowed, nor is my Mac Mini user. I try enabling Remote Login and connect to the Mac Mini using SSH with the same user which works.

Next I tried adding the user in Options > Windows File Sharing. That works, but it shouldn't be necessary because I am connecting via a mac. It does leave me with a larger problem. That is the whole idea of this Mac Mini is to use it as a server with OpenDirectory/LDAP; it's not possible to add Network Users to that Windows File Sharing box, and nor should I have to.

This is without binding to OD yet. I bind the Mac Mini to OD and set up some network users. Again I try connecting to the Mac Mini using SSH with a network user and that works too.

Whatever the problem is, it's specific authentication of the file sharing system.

Both Mac Mini (server) and MacBook Pro (client) are on macOS 10.15.2

<rant>

Before Apple discontinued macOS Server setting up the entire machine would have taken about 15 minutes. It took me over an hour just to get Bind 9 downloaded, figure out it's dependancies, build it, install it and get that configured and running. Xcode Server has a file permission problem with one of its config files which is causing it to crash and be relaunched every 10 seconds.

Whatever happened to macs "just work". Two years of going backwards.

</rant>

Posted on Dec 30, 2019 3:13 PM

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Answer 1

Barney-15E

Level 10

116,206 points

Dec 31, 2019 5:47 AM in response to Senjaz

If by "years" you mean since Mojave, then yes it has been the default for "years."

If your user name/password is being rejected, see if you can find the entry in your keychain and delete any references to it. Then try again.

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Answer 2

Senjaz Author

Level 1

13 points

Dec 31, 2019 7:48 AM in response to Barney-15E

I appreciate you taking the time to try and help.

SMB has been the default since Mavericks in 2013 so yes it has been years.

Keychain also isn’t the issue here. The file sharing daemon isn’t handling authentication via directory services properly.

I’ve also started looking at the manual page for nsmb.conf to see there is anything in there that will help. But I’m fumbling in the dark and there’s hardly any information on how this is supposed to work.

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