Samba is the bridge between Linux and Microsoft worlds. Samba-3 can help administrators create transparent interoperability of Microsoft Windows client with a Unix or Linux server environment. Even so, seamless interoperability is not easy to achieve, but mastering some Samba configuration tasks helps. So, let's get started with this tutorial on smb.conf.
Use the configuration parameters in the Samba smb.conf configuration control file to permit the transparent management of Samba using tools that are native to the Microsoft Windows environment.
By the way, this is the third installment in my series on Managing Samba. The first article in this series explains how Samba handles Windows security identifiers. The second tip describes user rights and privileges in the Microsoft Windows networking environment.
Anatomy of a Samba configuration
To appreciate the complexity involved in creating transparent interoperability of a Microsoft Windows client with a Unix or Linux environment, open up a system shell on your Samba host server and execute this command:
testparm -sv | more
You will soon discover that there are over 300 parameters that are capable of being set in the smb.conf configuration file. While it may be tempting to discuss every one of them, this is not necessary. Even a complex Samba configuration can usually be accomplished using fewer than 30 specific parameters in the [global] section of the smb.conf file.
The parameters fit into a set of functional categories. The functional categories determine how Samba will interact with Windows networking protocols, how Samba will interact with the underlying Unix file system and how Samba will interface with the host operating system.
In this next section, I'll list some terms that summarize commonlyused configuration parameters.
Base parameters
Lightweight Directory Access protocol (LDAP) controls
LD
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AP controls are only necessary when Samba is run as a primary domain controller/backup domain controller (PDC/BDC) combination. Basic mandatory controls when using an LDAP directory to store Samba account credentials include:
Logging parameters
The default parameter values are usually adequate and normally used for debugging. Commonly used parameters include:
System interface scripts
The system interface scripts are called when an external application requires management of host operating system environment information. An external application can be the NT4 Domain User Manager or the Samba net utility. When a Windows client is joined to the domain, the add machine script is called to create the Unix system account that is needed so that the appropriate SambaSAMAccount entry can be created to store the machine trust account information.
Examples of necessary actions include user/group account manipulation, add/edit/delete shares, add/edit/delete printers, call system initialization scripts, etc. The common parameters needed are as follows:
Samba operating mode parameters
Let's move on to Samba operating mode parameters:
domain master - Leave this set at the default value on all systems except a BDC. On a BDC, this parameter must be set to No.
There are many additional parameters that are useful for specific purposes. Refer to the smb.conf online main page for detailed information regarding each parameter.
For the most part, the setting of unnecessary parameters in the smb.conf files is unnecessary and potentially problematic. It is very good advice to keep the smb.conf file as simple as possible.
Now that your appetite is whetted for Samba configuration, I've got a new treat for you. Move on to part two for an example of a Samba PDC configuration. I'm sure you'll find it very satisfying.
Click here to read part two of this tip.
