I have twin computers running openSuSE 10.3 with the same directories shared on both computers. When I go to access them with a windows computer they have these long descriptions including the version of samba and Linux with the actual computer name on the very end. Is there a way to reduce that to just the share name and the computer?
I did look in the Samba Server of yast but did not find an option even under the advanced identity. Maybe I just missed something.
This is the value of the variable called “server string” in smb.conf.
Windows uses this variable as exported under to give the sever name, rather than taking the netbios name.
I tend to use the swat service as the means to edit smb.conf, so although I think you find it in /etc, I am not to sure.
Edit the samba configuration file with this console command:
KDE users: kdesu kwrite /etc/samba/smb.conf
Gnome suers: gnomesu gedit /etc/samba/smb.conf
There is a bunch of stanzas there, each commencing with [a_name] in square brackets. Put this line in the [global] stanza:
server string =
Put nothing after the equals sign.
Save
Restart samaba with these three commands in a console:
Should fix it.
I tried these changes, adding the “server string =” entry in the global section, and nothing seemed to change. I even waited several hours and rebooted just to see if windows would refresh things.
Maybe I should be more specific about the problem. When bringing up network neighborhood on wondows xp it give a list of accessible shares. Each line consists of three parts. First is the shared object’s name. Last is the name of the computer on which the shared object exists. However, in between seems to be a second part. For windows computers it does not exist. On Linux computers using Samba it lists four parts: Samba, its version, SUSE, and its version. This is what I am trying to remove. As I said I made the changes suggested but that did not disappear. 
On Sun February 22 2009 01:06 am, mtmigs wrote:
>
> I tried these changes, adding the “server string =” entry in the global
> section, and nothing seemed to change. I even waited several hours and
> rebooted just to see if windows would refresh things.
>
> Maybe I should be more specific about the problem. When bringing up
> network neighborhood on wondows xp it give a list of accessible shares.
> Each line consists of three parts. First is the shared object’s name.
> Last is the name of the computer on which the shared object exists.
> However, in between seems to be a second part. For windows computers it
> does not exist. On Linux computers using Samba it lists four parts:
> Samba, its version, SUSE, and its version. This is what I am trying to
> remove. As I said I made the changes suggested but that did not
> disappear.
>
mtmigs;
P. V.
“We’re all in this together, I’m pulling for you.” Red Green
On Sun February 22 2009 01:41 am, PV wrote:
> On Sun February 22 2009 01:06 am, mtmigs wrote:
>
>>
>> I tried these changes, adding the “server string =” entry in the global
>> section, and nothing seemed to change. I even waited several hours and
>> rebooted just to see if windows would refresh things.
>>
>> Maybe I should be more specific about the problem. When bringing up
>> network neighborhood on wondows xp it give a list of accessible shares.
>> Each line consists of three parts. First is the shared object’s name.
>> Last is the name of the computer on which the shared object exists.
>> However, in between seems to be a second part. For windows computers it
>> does not exist. On Linux computers using Samba it lists four parts:
>> Samba, its version, SUSE, and its version. This is what I am trying to
>> remove. As I said I made the changes suggested but that did not
>> disappear.
>>
> mtmigs;
>
> Windows caches this information, the only way to get rid of the old values
> is
> to delete the information in Network neighborhood and rescan. We set up
> Network Neighborhoods to show details, in groups and arrange by computer( of
> course the users often change this). I see the computer field listed as the
> current version of Samba but the share name as an obsolete version. I gave
> up worrying about this long ago. Any new share( or new computer) will show
> the current settings for the server string. This is a Windows XP problem,
> we
> do not see the same thing with VISTA, where access is by computer. This
> information is for a DOMAIN, but was also true for Workgroups with XP.
> Never had VISTA in the Workgroup.
PS
You do need to restart smb to reflect these new values in your smb.conf.
su
rcsmb restart
–
P. V.
“We’re all in this together, I’m pulling for you.” Red Green
The best I can do to simulate what you are saying is to get an icon with this name:
Samba 3.2.6-0.3.1-2042-SUSE-CODE11 (suse111).
Is that the sort of naming you mean?
When I make the change (server string =) that all changes to suse111
That is exactly it!
I am so happy that adding the line for you reduces the information to just the computer name. 
At least it is working for somebody.
Well it finally seems to be working for me also.
However, it can also disappear again. I was using “Samba Server” of yast to add the entry into the /etc/samba/smb.conf instead of directly editing the file. After exiting “Samba Server” I verified that the line was indeed in the file. It was there and I restarted both Samba services. However, I then went back into “Samba Server” to verify the start-up and shares configuration. Then I used Nautilus to share a different directory. When I looked at the /etc/samba/smb.conf file the “server string =” line was no longer there. :’(
It seems something removed that line.
That samba server GUI is SSSSooooooooooo tricky, and a tiny bit buggy. These work a treat, and much easier than the Yast gui:
Edit the samba configuration file with this console command:
KDE users: kdesu kwrite /etc/samba/smb.conf
Gnome suers: gnomesu gedit /etc/samba/smb.conf
EDIT: PS I sometimes go to the Samba Server module to see what it is that other folk mean by their descriptions of what they’ve done. I always check my smb.conf after going there. Smb.conf is only a text file and really should be treated as one IMNSHO.