Unable to install samba4 to share resources among my network!! :(

You don't need samba4 to share folders, just install samba

Thank you for the response, actionparsnip. I should have mentioned that, aside from the error messages in trying to install samba4, I am unable to share folders across my network. I assumed that that would be inherent, but I should not make such assumptions obviously. Aside from getting error messages as described above when trying to install samba4, I am unable to access shares on my network. When I try to browse the network, the other computer shows up in the Network window.. when I try to open the other computer from the network window, I get the following message:

Unable to mount location

Failed to retrieve share list from server

I would appreciate any insight anyone could give me about this! Why can't I share folders across my network? I assume that it has something to do with my inability to install samba4 on any of my machines.

Thankyou!!

Run:

sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get clean; sudo apt-get install samba

You can then use nautilus to share folders.

I entered the commands exactly as you said, and got the following output from apt-get install samba (on BOTH machines):

Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
samba is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 2 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
After this operation, 0 B of additional disk space will be used.
Do you want to continue [Y/n]?
Setting up samba4 (4.0.0~alpha18.dfsg1-4ubuntu2) ...
Unknown parameter encountered: "max log size"
Ignoring unknown parameter "max log size"
Unknown parameter encountered: "syslog"
Ignoring unknown parameter "syslog"
Unknown parameter encountered: "unix password sync"
Ignoring unknown parameter "unix password sync"
Unknown parameter encountered: "passwd program"
Ignoring unknown parameter "passwd program"
Unknown parameter encountered: "pam password change"
Ignoring unknown parameter "pam password change"
Unknown parameter encountered: "map to guest"
Ignoring unknown parameter "map to guest"
Unknown parameter encountered: "usershare allow guests"
Ignoring unknown parameter "usershare allow guests"
Unknown parameter encountered: "username map"
Ignoring unknown parameter "username map"
Unknown parameter encountered: "writeable"
Ignoring unknown parameter "writeable"
Unknown parameter encountered: "guest ok"
Ignoring unknown parameter "guest ok"
Unknown parameter encountered: "writeable"
Ignoring unknown parameter "writeable"
Unknown parameter encountered: "valid users"
Ignoring unknown parameter "valid users"
Unknown parameter encountered: "max log size"
Ignoring unknown parameter "max log size"
Unknown parameter encountered: "syslog"
Ignoring unknown parameter "syslog"
Unknown parameter encountered: "unix password sync"
Ignoring unknown parameter "unix password sync"
Unknown parameter encountered: "passwd program"
Ignoring unknown parameter "passwd program"
Unknown parameter encountered: "pam password change"
Ignoring unknown parameter "pam password change"
Unknown parameter encountered: "map to guest"
Ignoring unknown parameter "map to guest"
Unknown parameter encountered: "usershare allow guests"
Ignoring unknown parameter "usershare allow guests"
Unknown parameter encountered: "username map"
Ignoring unknown parameter "username map"
Unknown parameter encountered: "writeable"
Ignoring unknown parameter "writeable"
Unknown parameter encountered: "guest ok"
Ignoring unknown parameter "guest ok"
Unknown parameter encountered: "writeable"
Ignoring unknown parameter "writeable"
Unknown parameter encountered: "valid users"
Ignoring unknown parameter "valid users"
/var/lib/dpkg/info/samba4.postinst: 14: /var/lib/dpkg/info/samba4.postinst: /usr/share/samba/setoption.pl: Permission denied
dpkg: error processing samba4 (--configure):
 subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 126
No apport report written because MaxReports is reached already
                                                              Errors were encountered while processing:
 samba4
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

sudo apt-get --purge remove samba4

why did you even install samba4?

I removed samba4 using the command that you provided, and I am still getting the same message:

Failed to retrieve share list from server

I don't remember exactly why I installed samba4, other than that something made me think that installing it might allow me to share folders across my network.

Thanks for your response. Do you have any ideas of why this might be happening, and how I might go about resolving it?

sudo fuser -vvv /var/lib/dpkg/lock
sudo rm /var/lib/apt/lists/lock
sudo cp -arf /var/lib/dpkg /var/lib/dpkg.backup
sudo cp /var/lib/dpkg/status-old /var/lib/dpkg/status
sudo cp /var/lib/dpkg/available-old /var/lib/dpkg/available
sudo rm -rf /var/lib/dpkg/updates/*
sudo rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists
sudo rm /var/cache/apt/*.bin
sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt/lists
sudo mkdir /var/lib/apt/lists/partial
LANG=C;sudo apt-get clean
LANG=C;sudo apt-get autoclean
LANG=C;sudo apt-get --purge autoremove
LANG=C;sudo apt-get update -o APT::Cache-Limit=25165824
sudo dpkg --clear-avail
sudo dpkg --configure -a
LANG=C;sudo apt-get -f install
LANG=C;sudo apt-get --fix-missing install
LANG=C;sudo apt-get update -o APT::Cache-Limit=25165824 && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

I entered the commands but it just made it worse :(((((((((
Now on one of my machines, I can open the Network window but the other computers don't show up at all, and on the other machine it can't even do that it says "Could not open location 'network://'
This seems hopeless. I think I'm gonna just have to accept that I cannot share folders across my network with Ubuntu.

I'm sorry for losing morale.. it's just that I feel so helpless, and I was getting depressed. I really want to be able to share folders across my network!! I restored the dpkg.backup to the dpkg, and now my computers are able to at least list the various machines on the network, although unable to open any folders. Do you have any other ideas of how I might go about this? I really appreciate your efforts!!

Then just right click a folder and select sharing options. It's all handled for you.

actionparsnip!! I thought that you had a better idea of my situation than that!! I thought that it was obvious that I know how to right click on a folder and set the sharing options for it.. and allow permissions.. yes, I know how to do that. This is not where my difficulty lies. After the folder is set as a share and the Other permissions are set to read and write, I am still not able to access the folder from another machine on the network. The other machine shows up under Places > Network. Until I executed your last suggested commands, then the other machines would not show up at all under Places > Network. I restored the dpkg from the backup folder. I am grateful for your wisdom in backing up this important folder before making a significant change. After restoring the back up, I am once again able to at least see that there are other machines on the network, but although I have set up shares with open permissions on the other computer, when I attempt to access the other computer, I get the message: Unable to retrieve share list from the server ..something like that. After all this you thought that my issue was just that I did not configure the share?? I thought we were on the same page!!! At any rate, I appreciate your involvement.

Does anyone have any idea of what might be preventing me from sharing folders across my network? Has anyone had a similar issue, not being able to share folders across a network (after configuring the folders as shared with Others Read/Write permissions)?

This question was expired because it remained in the 'Open' state without activity for the last 15 days.

you could try following this guide but before you do run sudo apt-get autoremove --purge samba4

oops the link for he guide is: http://www.sitepoint.com/ubuntu-12-04-lts-precise-pangolin-file-sharing-with-samba/