Using Samba, Second Edition

Chapter 6. The Samba Configuration File

In previous chapters, we showed you how to install Samba on a Unix server and set up Windows clients to use a simple disk share. This chapter will show you how Samba can assume more productive roles on your network.

Samba’s daemons, smbd and nmbd, are controlled through a single ASCII file, smb.conf, that can contain over 300 unique options (also called parameters). Some of these options you will use and change frequently; others you might never use, depending on how much functionality you want Samba to offer its clients.

This chapter introduces the structure of the Samba configuration file and shows you how to use options to create and modify disk shares. Subsequent chapters will discuss browsing, how to configure users, security, printing, and other topics related to implementing Samba on your network.

The Samba Configuration File

The Samba configuration file, called smb.conf by default, uses the same format as Windows .ini files. If you have ever worked with a .ini file, you will find smb.conf easy to create and modify. Even if you haven’t, you will find the format to be simple and easy to learn. Here is an example of a Samba configuration file:

[global]
    workgroup = METRAN
    encrypt passwords = yes
    wins support = yes
    log level = 1 
    max log size = 1000
    read only = no
[homes] 
    browsable = no
    map archive = yes
[printers] 
    path = /var/tmp
    printable = yes
    min print space = 2000
[test]
    browsable = yes
    read only = yes
    path = /usr/local/samba/tmp

This ...