Samba; Why Use Samba; Configuring A Samba Server; Graphical Configuration - Red Hat ENTERPRISE LINUX 4 System Administration Manual

Chapter 22.

Samba

Samba uses the SMB protocol to share files and printers across a network connection. Operating
systems that support this protocol include Microsoft Windows, OS/2, and Linux.
The Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 kernel contains Access Control List (ACL) support for ext3 file
systems. If the Samba server shares an ext3 file system with ACLs enabled for it, and the kernel on
the client system contains support for reading ACLs from ext3 file systems, the client automatically
Chapter 14, Access Control Lists
recognizes and uses the ACLs. Refer to for more information on
ACLs.

22.1. Why Use Samba?

Samba is useful if you have a network of both Windows and Linux machines. Samba allows files and
printers to be shared by all the systems in a network. To share files between Linux machines only,
Chapter 21, Network File System (NFS). To share printers between Linux
use NFS as discussed in
Chapter 33, Printer Configuration.
machines only, you do not need to use Samba; refer to

22.2. Configuring a Samba Server

The default configuration file (/etc/samba/smb.conf) allows users to view their home directories
as a Samba share. It also shares all printers configured for the system as Samba shared printers. In
other words, you can attach a printer to the system and print to it from the Windows machines on your
network.

22.2.1. Graphical Configuration

To configure Samba using a graphical interface, use the Samba Server Configuration Tool. For
Section 22.2.2, "Command Line Configuration".
command line configuration, skip to
The Samba Server Configuration Tool is a graphical interface for managing Samba shares, users,
and basic server settings. It modifies the configuration files in the /etc/samba/ directory. Any
changes to these files not made using the application are preserved.
To use this application, you must be running the X Window System, have root privileges, and have
the system-config-samba RPM package installed. To start the Samba Server Configuration
Tool from the desktop, go to the Main Menu Button (on the Panel) => System Settings => Server
Settings => Samba or type the command system-config-samba at a shell prompt (for example, in
an XTerm or a GNOME terminal).
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