smb "domain" and DNS "domain name" are not equivalent.
It's easy to confuse, so let's help you past that...
 
if you use the command "net view" or "net view /domain:cynical"
in a command shell on your WinXP host, what do you see?
 
you should see a list of hosts in your "cynical" smb domain.
 
can you share a bit more information about your network:
1. the hostnames of the WinXP host and the linux host
2. IP addresses of the WinXP host and the linux host
 
 

my WinXP has the following config:
hostname: alpha
ip add: 192.168.104.2
subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
gateway: 192.168.104.1
 
my linux has the followin g:
hostname: crypt
workgroup: cynical
ip add: 192.168.104.1
subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
gateway: 192.168.104.1
 
when i tried the net view /domain:cynical it says:
There are no entries on the list.
 
My XP is not a member of any domain yet.
it's temporary workgroup is "NEW". (without the qoutes)

if you don't have an actual MS Domain Controller or haven't set up
Samba to behave like a Domain Controller (you don't have to do this),
then you don't have a domain to join. Just a workgroup.
 
your basic network setup looks ok.
 
on the WinXP host:
 
Control Panel (app) -> System (app) -> Computer Name (tab) ->
Change (button) -> Workgroup (radio button) -> type in "cynical"
(without the quotes)
 
reboot if necessary.
 
then try both "net view" and "net view /domain:cynical" again.
 
you can also try "net view \\crypt" (two backslashes before the smb hostname)
from the WinXP host and
"smbclient -L alpha -U validusername" (and provide the account pwd)
from the linux host.
 
report back with your results...

actually my linux machine has smb configures to be a PDC (Primary Domain Controller). When i try to join my WinXP machine to the smb PDC Domain called cynical an error would occur saying Network Path not found. and also is there a group command in Fedora Core 2 or an equivalent of that?

I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean by "a group command".
 
Is the NetBIOS name service (nmbd) running on the linux host?
If it isn't, then that would explain why the WinXP host can't turn the name "crypt"
into a network address.
 
Does "net view \\192.168.104.1" from the WinXP host and
"smbclient -L 192.168.104.2 -U validusername" from the linux host
at least indicate the one host can attempt to list shared resources of the other?
 
If you're just trying to have the two hosts share files, then you don't need
to have the linux host be a domain controller. Peer to Peer sharing will do the job.
 
 

i know that samba has the capability of being a Primary Domain Controller and that is what i want ot implement. i already did everything what the tutorial from ibm said about making your linux a Primary Domain Controller. Thee group command was i think to add or create a new group or something like that. when i tried the command in fedora core 2 it did not recognized the command and neither my dearching for the command succesful.
 
when i tried to the net view \\192.168.104.1 on windows it said System Error 53 occured. The network path was not found. I can ping succesfully to 192.18.104.1 but when i go to run and typed \\192.168.104.1 it just said The Network Path was not found! what could possibly be wrong? When i tried to joing my WinXP to the smb domain "cynical" windows prompted me for a username and password, so i typed root and then it's password but again the error "The Network Path was not found" pops out again!!
 
i'm really confused now! pls help!

Samba can be a bit tricky to configure. You should examine your /etc/samba/smb.conf file, it should look something like this:
 
[global]
workgroup = <Your workgroup name>
netbios name = CYNICAL
server string = <Some text description>
printcap name = /etc/printcap
load printers = yes
printing = lprng
socket options = TCP_NODELAY
dns proxy = no
browseable = yes
 
[homes]
comment = Home Directories
path = /home/%u
browseable = no
writeable = yes
create mask = 0750
follow symlinks = no
 
***** WindowsXP workgroup defaults to MYGROUP. Make sure your computer workgroup (not the same as domain) is set to whatever value you put in <Your workgroup name>.
 
Become the superuser.
 
Restart your samba server with something like:
 
/etc/rc.d/init.d/smb restart
 
You should now check that you can connect as a valid user. But, you must tell samba the username. The samba username does not have to be the same as the Linux user name. And samba does not automatically add usernames from the Linux password file. So, depending upon the release of Linux/Samba you are running type:
 
smbadduser <netbiosname>:<netbiosname> (This is older ... If you get an error "command not found" then you have newer samba. So type:
 
smbpasswd -a <netbiosname>
 
You will be prompted for passwords. Enter them.
 
Check that you can connect, type:
 
smbclient -L CYNICAL -U <netbiosname>
 
You should get a response showing the resources defined in your smb.conf file.
 
BTW: You cannot connect to a samba server as root. You MUST connect as a samba defined user.
 
If you get a good answer, exit superuser mode.
 
Now, from the Windows machine, Search => Computers and look for CYNICAL. You should get a response if the <Your workgroup name> is the same for both machines.
 
When you connect from Windows to the samba server you will use the samba name you created above.
 
Hope this helps.

jarves, be very careful as you read through BSchindler's post:
where you see "CYNICAL" please substitute "CRYPT". I realize you
may get a bit confused if you don't apprehend BSchindler's got the
names you've chosen mixed up.
 
workgroup/domain name = cynical
netbiosname = crypt
server string = this is the linux host
 
 
you can also check the basic functionality from the linux host
itself before trying to set up the WinXP host.
 
try "smbclient -L 127.0.0.1 -U validusername" - if the linux host
can't list its own shared resources, then the linux box isn't set
up right..
 

Thanks Martouf,
 
Oops, as one cannot view the orig thread when writing a reply, I did, as you suggest, get the names bass akwards. I should have paid better attention.
 
Agreed, you can try smbclient -L localhost -U <netbiosname>
 
however, this is not as good as using the netbios name. The connection mechanism is not quite the same and you really need to verify that smb is listening on the ethernet interface (socket) and correctly mapping the the netbios name of the samba server.
 
In any event, I agree, as I said earlier. You should verify that samba is running correctly on the local box before going to the Windows machine which in this case is a client not a host.