Samba Installation and Configuration (Sharing Files with Windows)

Samba Configuration

There are four things that one can do with samba:

1. Share a Linux drive with  Microsoft windows machines
2. Share a windows drive with  Linux  machines
3. Share a Linux printer with  Microsoft windows machines
4. Share a windows printer with  Linux machines

Web Based Samaba Configuration Tool

To configure from web or browser , there is a tool SWAT.

SWAT – Samab Web Administration Tool

It works through xinetd.conf.

1. Go to /etc/xinetd.d/ and edit swat.

2. Change the key word

                only_from = host_name like linux1 or 192.168.1.1

3. Kill and run xinetd daemon

4. Go to /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf

                Change the following  tag

                ServerName linux1 or 192.168.1.1 or FQDN like linux1.dot.com

5. Kill and run httpd

Now type the following line through your browser.

http://192.168.0.1:901/

Now go to Network Neighborhood and see the shared directories of Linux machines.

 

Configuration of samba in text-mode

1. Share a Linux drive with windows machine (Step by Step)
1. Fist check either samba software is installed or not by issuing the command

# find / -name smb.conf –print

The default location if smb.conf file is in /etc/

Text mode samba configuration

2. Configure smb.conf file. This file has the following sections

1. [global]
2. [homes]
3. [printers]
4. share section with name like [public]
5. [netlogon]

1. [global] section

[global]

workgroup = samba

server string = Samba Server

Here the workgroup parameter determines the server’s workgroup name , or domain name in NT. And server string describes the server, which will work as samba server.

Hosts allow = 192.168.0.  

This will restrict access to the Samba server based on IP address.

loading printers = yes

printcap name = /etc/printcap

printing = bsd

The global printer parameter determines how Samab will share any local printers on the server. The load printers parameter automatically reads the /etc/printcap file announce all the printers in /etc/printcap file.

local master  =  no

; os level = 33 (OS level should be lower if NT is the master browser)

;domain master = yes or no

;domain logon = yes or no

;logon script = %m.bat (log will be by machine name)

;logon script = %U.bat  (log will be by user name)

guest account = nobody

security = share

log file = /usr/local/samba/var/log.%m

[homes] section

[homes]

comment = Home directories

path = /home/%S (Here %S is the sahre name or exported dir)

browseable = no

writable = yes

Share Sections

[public]

comment = Public staff

path = /home/public

;valid users = user1 user2 user2

public = yes or no

writable = yes

[tmp]

comment = tmp is the shared directory

path = /tmp

;valid users = user1 user2 user2

public = yes or no

writable = yes

[alpha]

comment = tmp is the shared directory

path = /auto/alpha

;valid users = user1 user2 user2

public = yes or no

writable = yes

[printer]

comment = My shared printer is hp6l

;valid users = user1 user2 user2

path = /home/printer/spool (This is the spool directory)

printer = hp6l

public =  yes or no

3.       Run isuue the following command

# /usr/sbin/smbd ( smbd daemon for controlling file and print sharing)

# /usr/sbin/nmbd (netbios name resolution and browsing function)

4.       Now test samba is working or not , issue the command

# nmblookup hostname

example:

# nmblookup linux1

The output of this command will be following

Querying linux1 on 192.168.0.1

192.168.0.1 linux1 <00>

This means samba is working fine.

5.       Utilities for testing samba

a.       testparm

format of testparm

Testparm smb.conf host-name

Example:

# testparm smb.conf linux1

b.       testprns

example:

testprns hp6l /etc/printcap

Now read the following instructions

Now see the shared directories of a windows machine

Issue the command

# /usr/bin/smbclient  -L machine-name (like PC1)

To go to any share from linux machine, run the command

# smbclient  \\\\hostname\shared-dir  passwd

Here passwd may be any string for windows 95/98 PCs

Mounting windows shared director from Linux           

Issue the command

# /usr/bin/smbmount  //pc-name/mount-point   user –P passwd or user%passwd