Error 43 and 5002 while trying to login to OES server over AFP from 10.5.x MAC clients

  • 7004444
  • 15-Sep-2009
  • 26-Apr-2012

Environment

Novell Open Enterprise Server 2 (OES 2) Linux

Novell Apple Filing Protocol (AFP)

Situation

While trying to login to an OES 2 SP 1 (or later) AFP share the client errors out with the following messages (which behavior is not observed from a 10.4.x MAC client):
 
ERROR:  Connection failed
There was an error connecting to the server.  Check the server name or IP address and try again.  If you are unable to resolve the problem contact your system administrator.
 
ERROR:  The operation cannot be completed because one or more required items cannot be found (Error code -43)
 
The following is received when the "Authentication Mode" is set to cleartext:
ERROR:  Sorry, the operation could not be completed because an unexpected error occurred. (Error code -5002)
 

Resolution

These errors generally are encountered when the AFP user does not have sufficient permissions on the volume. This is not the same user as the proxy user.
 
On Mac 10.4, AFP logins and mountings of remote volumes are performed in two different steps. The first step is the authentication piece, the second is a volume mount operation.
 
On 10.5 clients, the operations of authenticating and mounting of a remote volume are done in a single, integrated way during logon of the AFP user. While it may appear that the authentication has failed it may actually may be successful and just the volume mount operation has failed.
 
To resolve this issue, please grant sufficient access rights to the AFP user (again, not the proxy user) on the NSS volume