Linux adminstartion : Samba server Configuration

Configuring the Samba Server

1)     Beginning with version 2.0 Samba includes a utility called SWAT, the Samba Web Administration Tool. This tool makes setting up Samba very easy.

2)     The samba configuration file is called smb.c onf and is located in /etc/samba directory by the installation program, a smb.conf file was created during the installation that can be used for reference and modification.

3)     SWAT enables you to use a Web browser as the interface to /etc/smb.conf and makes the necessary modifications to this file.

4)     The smb.conf file is divided into several sections, Each section contains a list of options and values in the format:
option = value
some of them are :

5)     [global] :smbqq
The first section of the smb.conf file is the [global] section.
There are various option available with variety of respective values.

      Example :

[global]

workgroup = ONE

Explanation :
This is global section and has value workgroup.

workgroup = ONE is the name of the workgroup shown in the identification tab of the network properties box on the Windows computer.

6)     [homes]

[homes], is used to enable the server to give users quick access to their home directories.
Example :
[homes]

comment = Home Directories

read only = No

Explanation :
comment = Home Directories is a comment line which has purpose of user understanding.
read only = No specifies that users can write to their directories.

7)     [printers] :

This section sets the options for printing.

Example :

[printers]

path = /var/spool/samba

Explanation :
path = /var/spool/samba is the location of the printer spool directory.

Note :

Spool Directory : spool refers to the process of placing data in a temporary working area for another program to process. The most common use is in writing files on a magnetic tape or disk and entering them in the work queue (possibly just linking it to a designated folder in the file system) for another process.

Spooling is useful because devices access data at different rates. Spooling allows one program to assign work to another without directly communicating with it.

Creating Samba Users

1)     You can convert all of your system users to Samba users by running the following command:
cat /etc/passwd | mksmbpasswd.sh > /etc/samba/smbpasswd

2)     To create passwords for your users by using the smbpasswd command and the user’s name as shown here:
[root@terry terry]# smbpasswd terry

Output:
New SMB password:
Retype new SMB password:
Password changed for user terry

Starting Samba Server

1)     The last step in samba server is to start samba daemon, the command to start is :
smb start

2)     Example
[root@terry terry]# /sbin/service smb start

O/P
Starting SMB services: [OK]
Starting SMB services: [OK] 

                                       

                                         Connecting to samba client: 

1)     We can connect our system to other system running on SMB protocol.

2)     All Microsoft OS use SMB protocol for communication, but it is not necessary that we could only connect to Microsoft networks rather whichever computer supports SMB protocol we can connect to it.

3)     In order to make connection linux machine should be configured with samba server.

4)     We can connect to other computer by two methods, either by smbclient utility or by smbmount command.

5)     smbclient

i)       You can log in to any windows PC from RED Hat system.

ii)     You will prompted for a password to log in and  will get some information about the windows system.

iii)   Syntax : [root@terry terry]#smbclient//computer name/sharename

iv)   Example :- [root@terry terry]# smbclient //terrycollings/c

6)     smbmount

i)       Another way to make the files on the samba client accessible on your  RED HAT system is mount the client file system on your file system.

ii)     The syntax for this command is :
smbmount//computer name/directory/mysystem/mount/point  

iii)   Example
[root@terry terry]# smbmount //terrycollings/c /mnt/windows
O/P : Password:

iv)   You can change to the directory on the system where you mounted the windows system.
[root@terry terry]# cd /mnt/windows

Connecting from a windows PC to the samba Server

1.     After configuring samba and starting samba daemon you are ready to test your connection on the Windows PC.

2.     For systems running Windows 2000 or XP, no configuration is required.

3.     On the Windows computer, Double-click the My Network Places icon from the desktop.

4.     In the Network Places window, you should now see a listing for the Red Hat computer.