NAS update - seems to be a local server problem as well

Problems with launching data files of the nas and saving to them is a kde problem. The dot desktop files have to contain access rights for smb/http etc and even when given these it still will not work. I have mainly concentrated on getting the VLC video player to work as it is capable of playing from just about any source, comes with codecs etc etc. Amazing package really.

Pure K apps such as kwrite at least work fine. I tried setting up samba but to no avail.

As dropping a file into VLC’s focus didn’t do anything I created a vlc desktop icon and dragged the nas file onto that. It plays and a kde error message pops up from plasma shell - sorry can’t find file!

I enable kde automount. The content of that when it starts is disturbing. It shows my system disks a detachable and not attached! No need to worry though. I selected mount on log in and attachment where the server was shown. VLC still wouldn’t work.

Next I enable NFS file transfers on the NAS. This has allowed me to use open with directly onto an avi file on the nas. I can also click launch them. Remaining problem is opening files on the nas from within VLC. Up pops the kde message “you can only select local files”. The file manager here seems to be an instance of dolphin. This suggest that there is going to be a problem saving files to the nas as well. Looks to be the case. VLC can convert formats and all sorts of things. If I select a file locally and try and convert it and save to the nas up pops the “you can only select local files” as soon as I select ok having set the path and file name.

Strange thing is that working transfers seem to be using CIF even though it took an NFS enable to get it partly working via KDE’s automount. Dolphin only allows a CIF set up which has a distinct advantage as a direct ip address can be entered. The automount has introduced a very very long delay before kde is up and running following a log in. Samba is even worse in this respect and both seem to lack a method of direct ip input which means they have to find the server.

One other aspect. As far as NFS is concerned from a very recent post elsewhere nautilus works. Pass on CIF. And of course it’s all instantaneous and ok on windows even on vista. Enabling the TV protocol on the nas has confused Vista as it only wants to connect like that and needs drivers. Might also be down to having NFS enabled though. MS might not like that.

I have filed all of this on bugzilla if anyone would like to vote - bug number 695648. Seems to me that the CIFs route should be the default for ease with many users on home networks. I’m also sure that the problem is basically KDE preventing aps from accessing the nas.

kde and gnome enabled apps have the ability to use VFS like feature and open files with various protocols.
vlc on the other hand, doesn’t really, you need to open files using unix file paths (as in ~/.gvfs/cifs_share/path/to/movie.avi ), and then it works.

you can mount the share by adding a user mountable share in /etc/fstab. this way, files are “local” as far as apps are concerned.

On the face of everything described by the OP, I’d speculate that this network is subject to some basic networking issues typical of Workgroups (which would typically be resolved by deploying a Domain or similar network security), possibly also network quality issues.

As such, without further information this rises to some kind of “bug” status, the problems described are more likely the result of lack of “better” networking knowledge.

Putting this in plainer words, if you intend to use paths as used by CIFS, then you better know how to deploy SAMBA. If that proves difficult, a reasonable alternative is to deploy a webserver with WebDAV, then using URLs for your paths instead. Either solution should resolve the problems described by the OP.

IMO,
Tony