Public bug reported: [copied from the Linux Mint forum]
Just installed Mint 19 and noticed a WINS name resolution buglet. I assume this applies to Ubuntu 18.04 as well. Windows, i.e., NetBIOS, name resolution is on Linux provided for by the "winbindd" daemon, part of the Samba suite. One does not need either of the other two Samba daemons "smbd" and "nmbd" when NetBIOS name resolution is all you need: sudo apt-get install libnss-winbind (which additionally pulls in "winbind" itself) and adding "wins" before "dns" to the "hosts" line of /etc/nsswitch.conf is enough. While this works fine directly after installation it does no more after reboot due to a systemd unit file dependency issue. The standard /lib/systemd/system/winbind.service orders itself after "network.target" and "nmbd.service" which if you do not in fact have "samba" hence "nmbd.service" installed amounts to "network.target" only. It however needs "network-online.target" -- itself a dependency of "smbd.service" if you do have that installed as well. You can solve things by copying the unit file to its corresponding directory under /etc and editing it, sudo cp /{lib,etc}/systemd/system/winbind.service xed admin:/etc/systemd/system/winbind.service to change the line After=network.target nmbd.service to the two lines After=network-online.target nmbd.service Wants=network-online.target After save and reboot you will have NetBIOS name resolution functional without all of the rest of Samba running. Note that although this fix is not needed when you do have "samba" itself installed the above is still fine also the ** Affects: samba (Ubuntu) Importance: Undecided Status: New -- You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu Bugs, which is subscribed to Ubuntu. https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1789097 Title: winbind does not work after reboot on Mint 19 / Ubuntu 18.04 To manage notifications about this bug go to: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/samba/+bug/1789097/+subscriptions -- ubuntu-bugs mailing list ubuntu-bugs@lists.ubuntu.com https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-bugs