Using Samba, Second Edition

Connection Scripts

Samba supports a mechanism called connection scripts, by which commands can be executed on the server as clients connect to a share or later disconnect from it. By using configuration file variables along with some custom programming, you can create connection scripts that perform a wide range of functions. As a simple example, here is a “quick and dirty” way to monitor connections to shares on the Samba server in real time. First, the value of the preexec parameter is set as follows:

[global]
    preexec = /bin/echo %u at %m connected to //%L/%S on %T >>/tmp/smblog

This causes information about the user and the connection to be written to the file /tmp/smblog whenever any client connects to any share. To watch clients connect, run the following command:

$ tail -f /tmp/smblog
jay at maya connected to //toltec/data on 2002/11/21 21:21:15
david at apache connected to //toltec/techs on 2002/11/21 21:21:57
sally at seminole connected to //toltec/payroll on 2002/11/21 21:22:16
martha at dine connected to //toltec/profiles on 2002/11/21 21:23:38
martha at dine connected to //toltec/netlogon on 2002/11/21 21:23:39
martha at dine connected to //toltec/martha on 2002/11/21 21:23:40
aaron at huastec connected to //toltec/netlogon on 2002/11/21 21:24:19
aaron at huastec connected to //toltec/aaron on 2002/11/21 21:24:20

With the -f option, the tail command monitors /tmp/smblog and prints additional output as new data is appended to the file. Every time a new connection is made, ...