Things have fared better on the new install of AIX 5200-09 on banora 192.168.0.144.
The IBM version of Samba 2.2.7-4 does not set up a smb.conf so I used the old one
with two modifications listed below in { .... } brackets.

[global]
workgroup = OPEN SOURCE
server string = Samba 3.0.4.0 { altered ver to 2.2.7-4 }
security = user
encrypt passwords = Yes
smb passwd file = /var/samba/private/smbpasswd
{ altered to: smb passwd file = /usr/bin/smbpasswd }
{ refer to #find / -name smbpasswd below }
log file = /usr/local/samba/var/log.%m
mangle case = Yes

[homes]
force user = %U
read only = No
hosts allow = 129.183.

[printers]
comment = All Printers
path = /usr/spool/samba
printable = Yes
browseable = No

[public]
path = /tmp
guest ok = Yes

The command # /usr/bin/smbclient -L banora seems to work better

added interface ip=192.168.0.144 bcast=192.168.0.255 nmask=255.255.255.0
Password:
Anonymous login successful
Domain=[OPEN SOURCE] OS=[Unix] Server=[Samba 2.2.7]
Sharename Type Comment

homes Disk
public Disk
IPC$ IPC IPC Service (Samba 2.2.7-4)
ADMIN$ Disk IPC Service (Samba 2.2.7-4)
hp4500duppcl Printer

Server Comment

Workgroup Master

The command #/usr/bin/testparm | pg seems to work well also

Load smb congig files from /etc/smb.conf
Processing section "[homes]"
Processing section "[printers]"
Precessing section "[public]"
Loaded services file OK.

Now to http://banora:901 in Seamonkey
Up pops a password box.
banora has only one user root who does not use a password
Log on to computer is always root and password left blank.
In the Seamonkey password box as a result of http://banora:901 I put in root as
user and leave the password box empty. Get 401 Bad Authorisation username or password incorrect.

I then tried this to set up user root without a password in smb.conf

# smbpasswd -a root
enter new smb password:
retype new smb password:
getsmbfilepwent: malformed password entry (no
getsmbfilepwent: malformed password entry (no
getsmbfilepwent: malformed password entry (no
getsmbfilepwent: malformed password entry (no
getsmbfilepwent: malformed password entry (no
add smbfilepwd entry: unable to open file.
Failed to add entry for user root.
Failed to modify password entry for user root
#
I tried to give user root a password as admin123 but still got this error.

Reading the web I think http://banora:901 to get into SWAT needs an association
between /etc/passwd and /etc/smbpasswd.
Here is my hunt on banora

# find / -name passwd
/usr/bin/passwd
/etc/passwd
/etc/security/passwd

# find / -name smbpasswd
/opt/freeware/bin/smbpasswd
/usr/bin/smbpasswd

# ls -l /etc/passwd
-rw-r--r-- 1 root security 526 Apr 13 11:22 /etc/passwd

# ls -l /usr/bin/smbpasswd
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root system 32 Apr 12 16:22 /usr/bin/smbpasswd
-> . ./../opt/freeware/bin/smbpasswd
#

Three questions please

(1) Is the password association matter stopping the http://banora:901 password
window in Seamonkey from working, using user root without a password ?

(2) Is the password path alteration I made in smb.conf okay ?

(3) The path in smb.conf " /usr/local/samba/var/log.%m " does not exist. There is
no file called log.%m in the computer. Does this matter ?

Regards