Samba Server How-To

Samba Server How-To.

What is Samba server?

Samba server is used to enable file sharing on Linux in windows network. It is also used for authentication on Linux with Active directory users by joining domain to Linux clients, in other words we can achieve goal of single-sign-on on network having windows and Unix/Linux users.

What are Samba Server Modes?

1. User 
2. Server / domain ( PDC/DC)
3.  ADS ( Active Directory Services )

• What is User Mode?

        

              User mode is normally used for file sharing on Linux; one samba user is defined against each Linux users with the same name. In this mode authentication is handled by samba server itself.

• Samba server /Domain (PDC/DC)

 In this mode authentication is handled by windows 2003/NT/2008 domain controller , but this still requires defining samba users in Linux against all domain users trying to login in Linux box for accessing file shares.

• ADS (Active Directory Services)

Authentication is handled by Active Directory , it requires correct configuration of Kerberos ,samba and winbind. Namely the following files

·         /etc/krb5.conf

·         /etc/samba/smb.conf

·         /etc/pam.d/system-auth

·         /etc/nsswitch.conf

This mode of samba do not requires local users defined in samba server against Active Directory users.

Configure Samba & Join Active Directory Domain in ADS Mode.

• 1.       Install swat ( samba web administration tool )
• 2.       Configure kerbros  ( /etc/krb5.conf)
• 3.       Configure samba ( /etc/samba/smb.conf)
• 4.       Join domain
• 5.       Configure winbind  (/etc/pam.d/system-auth , /etc/nsswitch.conf)
• 6.       Log-in Linux using Active Drectory credentials
• 7.       File permissions and rights to Linux file shares