Linux Windows Name Lookup

I finally got netbios lookup to work on linux so a windows computer name can be used to identify computers on the local network in linux.

First ensure that you have a libnss_wins.so in a lib directory (/usr/lib or /lib). If you do not, samba was not configured with the winbind option, so in Gentoo add the winbind use flag and rebuild samba, in other flavors rebuild samba so it will provide that library.

Next add wins to the hosts: line of /etc/nsswitch.conf

hosts:       files dns wins

now you should be able to ping a windows name.

References

Integrating MS Windows networks with Samba

Not the original source, but it does have this information in it

Gentoo Linux Documentation -- Gentoo Samba3/CUPS/ClamAV HOWTO

Slightly inaccurate setup, but almost there, just add the 'winbind' use flag and it works.