Something between 2021-11-30 and 2021-12-10 broke ability to access other computers in the network via samba

Sadly, I will not be able to test as I have gone back to stable. Something between my 11/30/2021(Unstable)image and updates of 12/10 broke my ability to access other computers in the network via samba. In thunar when I would go to Browse Network and Click on a computer, nothing would happen. I tried to narrow it down to what was updated between those dates and could not find the issue. Just to be sure, I went back to 11/30 Unstable Image and Samba worked. I then updated Unstable on 12/11 and Samba did not work again. Strangely, the computers that were Stable could reach this computer, but this computer (Unstable xfce) would not reach the other computers. I gave it a try with 5.15.7 and 5.10LTS and had the same result. So I have gone back to Stable for the time being and hope that it doesn’t break on the next big stable update.

Did you look into /etc/nsswitch.conf updates by filesystem package?:

136979:[2021-12-10T07:53:58+0100] [ALPM] upgraded filesystem (2021.05.31-1 -> 2021.12.07-1)

thanks. I started one by one with what seemed likely. There were many mesa and graphics updates in the bunch. I tried dhcpcd and zfsprogs that I remember, but that didn’t work. My list from pamac history was lost when I imaged back. Later I will give that one a try after I image this stable system. I did not check filesystem package. Was there a pacnew upon the update? Should I backup my nsswitch.conf before I give it a try?

A pacnew file would only be created if the old /etc/nsswitch.conf was edited and different from what was installed by previous filesystem package and what would be installed by the new version, see
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Pacman/Pacnew_and_Pacsave#.pacnew

Creation of a pacnew file is entirely system dependend.

You can try restoring the previous contents with a fully updated system.
With any luck it’ll restore samba's ability to connect.
If not, you’d have to look into other possibilities.

Thank you so much!!! I imaged the Stable system, changed branches to Unstable and ran the Update ignoring the filesystem package. Everything works now as before. I don’t know where to go from here to get this fixed with a future filesystem package update.

I can access other computers but I have to enter smb://ipaddress as for some reason it’s not resolving hostnames. Dolphin can see the other computer but when I try and open the file it shows as can not connect. The other computer has no issue seeing the Manjaro computer and opening any files shared.I haven’t paid much attention as to which update it started and I don’t see anything different in nsswitch .

Have you tried reverting the filesystem package to 2021.05.31-1 on your unstable branch computer? I don’t typically access samba shares via thunar by ip address. I prefer to click on the computer that is listed in “Browse Network” and my expectation is that the shared folders would be visible and accessible. In the case with the latest filesystem package, I clicked and nothing would happen.

  • save your working version/contents of nsswitch.conf
  • update filesystem package
  • restore your saved version
  • future filesystem updates should now produce pacnew files for you to manually merge

Possibly report/mention the differences between files and samba repercussions in latest unstable announcement thread.

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Thanks. You nailed it again! I updated and it did not work. There were lots of changes with the latest (12.07) nsswitch.conf file compared to the one from 05.31(Stable). I replaced the new file with the old conf file and it worked again without a reboot. New .conf file was the culprit.

0531 Stable nsswitch.conf
# Name Service Switch configuration file.
# See nsswitch.conf(5) for details.

passwd: files mymachines systemd
group: files [SUCCESS=merge] mymachines systemd
shadow: files

publickey: files

hosts: files mymachines mdns4_minimal [NOTFOUND=return] resolve [!UNAVAIL=return] dns mdns4 myhostname
networks: files

protocols: files
services: files
ethers: files
rpc: files

netgroup: files
12.07(Unstable) nsswitch.conf
# Name Service Switch configuration file.
# See nsswitch.conf(5) for details.

passwd: files systemd
group: files [SUCCESS=merge] systemd
shadow: files systemd
gshadow: files systemd

publickey: files

hosts: mymachines resolve [!UNAVAIL=return] files myhostname dns
networks: files

protocols: files
services: files
ethers: files
rpc: files

netgroup: files

Thanks to you both jrichard326 and freggel.doe.I don’t know when nsswitch was changed but I backed up my new nsswitch and copied the 0531 Stable nsswitch.conf and pasted it into my nsswitch file and now Dolphin is back to normal.I can click on a shared folder and it opens.I still don’t know when or how it was changed as usually theres a .new file created.

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The latest filesystem package update broke Samba in Thunar “Browse Networks” The other computers appear, but clicking on a computer and nothing happens. The issue is with nsswitch.conf in the new version. When I replaced nsswitch.conf with the version from 05.31, I was able to access the samba shares. I do not have a clue which of the many changes might have caused the issue.
Here are the nsswitch.conf files for comparison purposes:

05.31 Stable
# Name Service Switch configuration file.
# See nsswitch.conf(5) for details.

passwd: files mymachines systemd
group: files [SUCCESS=merge] mymachines systemd
shadow: files

publickey: files

hosts: files mymachines mdns4_minimal [NOTFOUND=return] resolve [!UNAVAIL=return] dns mdns4 myhostname
networks: files

protocols: files
services: files
ethers: files
rpc: files

netgroup: files
12.07 Unstable
# Name Service Switch configuration file.
# See nsswitch.conf(5) for details.

passwd: files systemd
group: files [SUCCESS=merge] systemd
shadow: files systemd
gshadow: files systemd

publickey: files

hosts: mymachines resolve [!UNAVAIL=return] files myhostname dns
networks: files

protocols: files
services: files
ethers: files
rpc: files

netgroup: files
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I tried, it was merged back here. I voted “there was an issue and I was able to resolve” and commented to no avail. Thanks again for your assistance. It is much appreciated.

JR

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Is there a reason why the “hosts”-line in /etc/nsswitch.conf was changed?

I could not reach my wlan printer (brother hl-l2350dw).

It works again when I change that line back to:

hosts: files mymachines mdns4_minimal [NOTFOUND=return] resolve [!UNAVAIL=return] dns mdns4 myhostname
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Fixed with filesystem 2021.12.07-2.

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