Slashdot Mirror
The Official Samba 3 HOWTO and Reference Guide
The book itself For people with little time, the book starts with the chapter "FastStart: Cure for the Impatient," which features many example configurations of working solutions, each illustrating working setups using Samba to different ends -- as a file and print server, CD-ROM server, etc.
In the following chapters, the How-To and Reference Guide deals with all aspects of server and security modes, domain control and backup domain control and stand-alone configurations. Each of the chapters include further example configurations as well as in-depth discussion of the chapter's topic, and a "common errors" section that answers the most obvious real life errors.
In the third part of the book (Advanced Configuration) the reader is presented with detailed information on the topics of network browsing, account information databases, and group mapping from MS Windows to the Unix world, as well as file, directory and share access controls and file and record locking. There is also a second chapter about security in this part of the book.
Still in the third part, the book explains the new features of Samba 3.0.0, for instance interdomain trust relationships and distributed file systems.
Two very thorough chapters explain the conventional printing support with Samba, as well as printing via the newer print system CUPS. Following short chapters about winbind and network management, the Guide explains how to set up and maintain system and account policies, and how to exercise desktop profile management, and provides short but informative chapters about PAM authentication, Windows/Samba network integration, character sets, and some words about backups and high availability.
Part 4 of the Samba How-To Guide deals exclusively with updating and migrating from Samba 2.x to Samba 3.0.0, including an example migration from a NT4 PDC to a Samba-3 PDC and a user guide to the SWAT (graphical interface for configuring Samba) tool.
In part 5 (Troubleshooting) the reader is given a very good checklist to verify all functions of the Samba installation are working correctly and a guide how to analyze and solve problems with Samba.
In the appendices, the book gives information on how to obtain and compile Samba, lists supported platforms, gives hints for performance tuning, dhcp and dns, and includes the man pages to the Samba programs and configuration files.
Primary audience The book is written for people in the "Windows world" who want to take a look into the services and possibilities Samba offers for them. Beginners get very detailed information which things are possible with Samba and which are not (for now), as well as the necessary background for installing and configuring Samba on a Unix/Linux system. For the advanced user, there are still some diamonds of new information and also a good reference for all the new settings and options in the new Samba release. Personal Rating I can recommend this book to everyone interested in Samba - especially the new 3.0 version - no matter if you are new to Samba or even an experienced user of the software who is interested in expanding your knowledge and trying new features. It has its place on my bookshelf of very useful documentation.You can purchase The Official Samba 3 HOWTO and Reference Guide from bn.com. Slashdot welcomes readers' book reviews -- to see your own review here, read the book review guidelines, then visit the submission page.
The book is written with special focus towards administrators of Microsoft Windows systems giving them a first insight into the capabilities of Samba and a well guided step by step guide for migrating systems from a Microsoft solution to Samba.
Wait a minute - What's wrong with Microsoft?
"If you think you have things under control, you're not going fast enough." --Mario Andretti
Do they include more info on delivering Pizza to Samba authors?
45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
I seriously considered purchasing this book the other day, however, I paused because its contents sound so similar to what you download with the product for free. If there are better explanations, information, etc., I would love to acquire it. Does anyone familiar with both have any comments?
Help save the critically endangered Blue Iguana
Ref: Amazon has this book for the same price as bn and with free shipping
First good looking proce I found was at Amazon, 39.99 + free shipping ...
Looks cool, I'm gonna get it...
Samba is excellent, but the documentation leaves a little to be desired if you're not well up on the Windows platform. I'm sure all the Samba gurus will now disagree :-)
:-)
Just a big thankyou to the Samba team as well - a truly excellent piece of software
Simon
Physicists get Hadrons!
Does this book explain why Samba's WINS service does not work half of the time ir is slow to respond in most cases? Does it tell how to work around this problem?
Does Samba 3 negate the problem that was so prevalent in Samba 2?
Viva La SnearkerNet!
where the acquire, compile, install instructions are in the appendix. So many books on Linux and Linux apps usually waste several of the first few chapters on this. Happily, Linux an Linux app installation has improved to the point that any more than a paragraph or two on compiling and installation is a waste.
While it is an excellent idea to financially support the Samba project, not only because of what they are doing but for how well they do it, but for those who are looking for who can't afford this book essentially the same document can be found here. Keep in mind this was the pre-release version of the published book. And I would just like to say thanks to the Samba team for all the excellent work they have done!!!
Yeah, like the documentaion that comes with Windows is so wonderful that books aren't written to do the same things. Like the whole books for "Dummies" or the "Complete idiots guide to..." books didn't start with computer software. HA!
The fact is that good documentation is hard to write, and no one likes doing it. That is why people write documentation for pay.
My inner self is ineffable, so don't eff with me.
Except that you also have to buy all sorts of books for say, Windows servers, Oracle, etc.
and tell him to start looking for "Penis Enlargement Pills" ad in his mail, he needs it.
It's a copy/paste from the table of contents.
But anyway, the problem I have with this book is that as you read about configuration in more detail as the book progresses, it sort of assumes you understand various MS networked file system concepts.
I think the book could definitely use either an intro chapter or at least an appendix that discusses the core concepts of SMB first. Then I could make better decisions on deployment.
-Shane
I love teh int4rw3b!!!!!111one1
So does anyone know of an easy, free solution for NFS on Windows? All the ones I could find were comercial products. Emphasis on free, this is home and I just don't want to pay for the mimimal functionality I need.
Now come off it. Books are useful when they are more in depth than what is included with the software. MSDN (if that's what you're refering too) is good, but it's not the be all and end all of Windows Programming documentation. I'm not familiar enough with the Windows Admin side to know if there is even an equivelent.
From a programming perspective, I generally find simple man pages to be much more in depth and up to date than MSDN or any other windows help files. And the many HOWTOs from LDP go even further.
I know this is a blatant troll but, for the sake of any newbies that might put credence in your statements, I must respond. The amount of documentation that comes with open source applications and the quality of said documentation varies depending on the application. Just as it does in the Microsoft world. There is almost always a man page and usually a readme file with the necessary documentation for most open source apps. These are usually far more detailed than the Windows Help or .chm files. Additionally, one can usually find a detailed online how-to for the desired application which is usually harder to find for Windows applications.
.chm for its included documentation. It is incomplete, to say the least. That is why there are at least three very large books available from Microsoft Press on the subject and there are dozens of third party books that cover Exchange 2000. This is only one example but there are many many more. A casual stroll throught the Computer section of any book store clearly demonstrates this.
Finally, if Windows documentation is so good, why are there so many books from Microsoft Press and third parties for so many Windows applications? Microsoft Exchange 2000 uses a
The fact of the matter is that there definitely is a lot of free documentation for open source software and some is excellent. That does not mean that there shouldn't be third party books for it too though.
Sorry for feeding the trolls.
The book is written for people in the "Windows world" who want to take a look into the services and possibilities Samba offers for them.
We need more books that help Windows users make the change to Linux. Although I probably wouldn't benefit from this book since I'm now used to reading the documentation myself, I would have appreciated such a text a few short years ago.
Making the transition from Windows to Linux can be a lot like learning to ski. Windows is all about bunny hills, where you can learn to snow plow quickly and initially have some fun, but it gets boring fast. Linux, on the other hand, is like a full mountain without proper directions. Some people start with Linux and find the green runs and have fun. Others end up beginning on a double diamond run, and hate it because it was such a harrowing and confusing experience.
Books like these help those bunny hill Windows users find the Linux green runs, and help them advance to the blue and black diamond aspects of Linux at a controlled pace.
Ruby on Rails Screencast
Good thing we have only experts writing the HOWTOs. Now when newbies are trying to use samba they can read difficult language written by people who can't relate to simple end users, tied with a bunch of information we don't need! Thanks Linux community, this is so helpful :D
BN, Amazon. You'd think they're the only games in town.
<sigh>
Try looking at addall.com, bestwebbuys.com, and bookpool.com; prices are $30.19, $33.52, and $31.50, respectively.
CALs.
Extra words follow...
For our small corporate network, I have determined that it would cost us nearly $40,000 USD (Just for the Software!) to maintain a Primary and Back-up Domain Controller using Microsoft Windows 2000. This includes both the Main Server License costs and the multiple packs of CALs required to allow each user access to the servers.
Instead of that, we went with a Linux/Samba solution using the same hardware and saved... $40,000 in licensing costs. Sure, it took me a little longer to setup in the first place, of course my pay rate isn't even high enough to consider an issue in regards to choosing between Linux/Samba or Windows 2000 for our domain.
From my reading, I can double and even triple the number of users with the current Samba system and see no additional license costs for CALs (or the time to calculate how many CALs we would need) or the need for upgrading the hardware.
If you ignore the other uses of a tool, does that make the tool less useful, or you less useful?
A name, say, like "Anonymous Coward"?
(if it's not Dutch, it's not much)
This wasn't just plain terrible, this was fancy terrible. This was terrible with raisins in it. - Dorothy Parker
Thanks
Bruce
Bruce Perens.
This is a book primarily for WINDOWS users looking to migrate to a Samba server. As a windows user myself, the HOWTO on the web is REALLY helpfull to me as I get SAMBA up and running with my MS network, so I'm sure the book will be just as helpful, perhaps even more. :)
Also, I'm glad to see the HOWTO come out in book form, since sometimes it's really handy to have the book there in front of you while you're pounding away at the config.
Reread what they said. They said it's not like the Windows and Windows-related products are documented and Dummies and Complete Idiots Guide books aren't needed. Were vendors to produce decent documentatioon, those books would be worthless.
And that's why the reader was saying it's a hidden cost of "free" software - if you buy books|documentation, then it's not free.
Thanks
Bruce
Bruce Perens.
You don't need books to have sex with your mare.
... and was very disapointed. I mean, it had all this stuff about those new-fangled computers in it. What on earth do computers know about Samba dancing? Seriously! I want my money back.
It's all available online from samba.org: Note: There are a couple of chapters that are missing from these versions but all-in-all it should answer most of your questions.
Bullcrap, there are a few of us weirdos who like writing documentation... It's still hard work, and I prefer to get paid for it, but...
See my Top 100 list for most of my documentation...
As I was just finishing up a major project I've been working on for the past few months, I decided it's about time to look into moving my NT4 PDC to Samba, which I've been intending to do for a year. Just last night I was looking at samba.org, and saw this book, and was wondering if it was worth buying ;)
Speak before you think
Is there a free version of this? Or is it just Man pages for poor admins?
---- Booth was a patriot ----
My only thing is I wanna know how to transfer the windows login account's passwords to samba. there seems to be no way to do this. all you can do is set all user accounts on the linux server to a default password and let all your users know. sucks balls when you have to migrate hundreds of users.
Does the name Pavlov ring a bell?
As being on the subject of Samba 3.0
Couple of weeks back I was trying to get Samba 3.0 to run as a simple PDC for my home network. However the computers on the network were not visible in the network neighbourhood.
The network shares were available and browseable, by manually typing them in the path to the computer. i.e. "\\computer_name".
Now I have read through all the available documentation and went through a number of mailing lists trying to find a solution. Also tried all the possible configuration settings relating to browsing and WINS server trying to resolve the problem but with no success.
Eventually went back to Samba 2.2 for running the PDC and its working fine.
So was wondering has anyone else had this problem or know the solution for it?
Overstock.com. $28.79 USD... nice, real nice.
"The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as long as we live." - M.J. A
I'm posting this as an anonymous coward because I'm just too ashamed. I don't know about other /. readers but I've been a strict Linux, Openbsd and Solaris user for as long as I can remember. I know next to nothing about Windows NT/2K administration or networking. Can someone please suggest a book or a couple of books which shed some light on administering and networking with Windows workstations and servers? And I mean _everything_ WINS, netbios, netbeui, netwhatever, master domain controller *huh?*. I know I can search Amazon but I would rather hear comments from users who have read these books and what they did or did not like about said books. Thanks!
Chapter 3, Server Types and Security Modes, is available online for free.
People jump on the Linux bandwagon because it's "more secure" or "more stable" or "faster", yet with analogies like these, I can understand why. So, in other words, what you're saying it you're one of those moron admins the penguin-heads are always laughing at? The kind of guy who knows where to clickity-click to restart IIS, and that's it? No idea how to SECURE IIS or change registry parameters to make it faster, or even know what the metabase is and it's purpose. There's a lot more to Windows than just what you see on the screen, little bunny, perhaps you should come back and take a look at the back side of the Windows mountain. Oh, and BTW, you don't need the source to get to it.
John spoke last night at my user group (BNUG meeting, on Open Source software in general and on Samba's development process and features. He was a quite informative and interesting speaker, and folks picked up a few copies of the book at the meeting.
Though the entire book is available online (minus a few chapters that will soon be put in), I think it's worthy to support authors and publishers who put information out there for free access. I've got my copy of the book on order (would have picked it up last night, but I was short on cash), and given the amount of use I've gotten out of Samba in my work over the years I consider it to be a worthy investment.
-- Josh Turiel
"2. Do not eat iPod Shuffle."
John Terpstra, the author of this book, will be at SCALE 2003 doing a book signing. He will also be giving two talks: -Samba-3: Integration and Migration Options -FLOSS: No Roadblocks Ahead If you want to meet John at SCALE you can get a free exhibit hall pass by pre-registering on the SCALE website with the promo code "free". Those who want to hear his talks can use the promo code: "invtd" for a discount.
I've been wanting to set up a PDC with Samba but have discovered that 2.2.8 is a bit limited (i.e. no NT Users and Groups aside from "Domain Users" and "Domain Admins").. is it safe to upgrade to Samba 3 yet? Is it reliable?
"You're too hopeless to even RTFM, go install Windoze."
the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
My first slashdot post is a flamebait... (diminished self-esteem)
There are two main advantages to M$ that I see, both as a consultant and as a small company.
Consultant hat: You don't have to explain *nix to clients. They want computers to provide solutions to their problems, and they don't want to do/learn anything new.
Small Business hat: It is easy to build and administer Windows server. You can even build your SQL server relationships in Visio now. It doesn't require much knowledge or effort to configure a workable solution. Not the most high performance or secure solution, but good enough to get the job done.
That being said, if samba allows 30 simultaneous users doing much of anything on a 266mhz box (see previous post), then I can see some real value.
"If you think you have things under control, you're not going fast enough." --Mario Andretti
I have to favor the O'Reilly Book in this case.
There is a local company that supports Linux systems exclusively. In fact, we have used them in the past to handle a few of our minor areas that I hadn't the time to learn/configure myself.
If soemthing happens to me, they are available to take over administration of the network at a rather inexpensive cost.
As for documentation, it is my life's blood. If I didn't document anything, how would I be able to fix, restore things after a catastrophic event?
Do you have anything else to add?
If you ignore the other uses of a tool, does that make the tool less useful, or you less useful?
Only downside is that it's getting a little dated--how about a 3rd edition, Mark? =)
Terpstra isn't really Dutch. ;-) )
It more sounds Frisian to me.
A minority languange close to
old english, before the Norman/French
invasion)
(Those Anglo-Saxons that did not invade
England in the 5th century
- Terp: artificial elevated land in wet environment
- Stra: inhabitant
Groeten !
Hey dude,
...
did you know yankee was derived from middle
dutch: Jan Kees.
In english one would say Joe Cheese.
The dutch have something with cheese
Regards
Why do you need documentation when you have the source?
The source is free.
So, basically, you're telling me that because you can't understand source code, or perhaps you can but are too lazy to read it and perfer a summary, that your need of summary information is a 'hidden cost' while you have full, complete, and total documention provided to you via the GPL?
--Demonspawn
John Terpstra, co-founder of the Samba-Team, will be speaking at the Southern California Linux Expo on November 22nd at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. John will be giving an overview of Samba 3 including the ability to integrate into an Active Directory enviroment. Autographed copies of "The Official Samba 3 Howto and Reference Guide" will be available for purchase. Regular priced and student priced tickets giving full access to the event are still available. Free expo only tickets are also available using the "FREE" promotional code on the orders page. The Southern California Linux Expo is a non-profit event organized by LUG volunteers.
I took my FreeBSD 5.1 box, installed Samba. Set it up as a PDC, joined my XP box to the domain, setup roaming profiles for the couple of users and shared them out. Next, I setup CUPS and setup/shared my HP printer, and installed the drivers so that Windows machines can 'double-click' on the printer and have it setup right away for them. CUPS + Samba seem to integrate pretty well, and it took the mess out of hand crafting the printcap file and samba printer definitions. "printing = cups" and I'm done with it.
...
In a few hours, I had created basically what 98% of my clients use their current Windows File/Domain/Print servers for
Now I have to look and see if Samba has any Group Policy support for enforcing restrictions on the client machines. That, and integrating the authentication into a LDAP server for one-stop authentication.
Hi Mark.
/etc/samba/smb.conf (or maybe /etc/smb.conf) and restart smbd and nmbd.
You don't mention which distribution you're using but you shouldn't have to compile it on your own.
In Mandrake you issue "urpmi samba-server", in RedHat you probably say "rpm -i samba-server", in Debian perhaps "apt-get samba-server" and in Slackware maybe "pkg_add samba". That should give you a reasonably sane samba-install.
The only thing to change then is
security=user in
The other thing that might be an issue is weather to use encrypted passwords or not. The easiest is to do that, and then you have to run "smbpasswd -a your-user-name" and enter a password.
You normally don't need to tweak any other options in a vendor distributed package.
Peder
Darn, by today's numbers it looks like I only saved nearly $6,000. Wait a minute... you are telling me that as I add more users, I will have to spend more money, even though the OS and hardware can handle the extra load already?
So to add 20 more users, I would be spending an extra $670 dollars? So... If I were to add 200 users, I would be spening an additional $6,700, just on the CALs for the one server? (You know that you need to have CALs for EACH potential user that can access EACH server at any given time?)
So... To handle 200 users, I would, or should have ONE PDC, at least TWO BDCs and likely one or two fileservers, each of which would need at least 200 CALs. (Unless MS cahnged the licensing recently, which I doubt.)
Let's add this up, shall we? (To make it more 'fair' we will go with 1 file server from the above mix...)
4 Windows 2000 Server w/ 25 CALs $6400
9 - 20 CAL packs per server (4) $24,120
WOW! We are already over $30,000
Let's see what else would be needed...
Ahh... email... How much is Exchange Server these days? Oh wait, I would need to add another TWO servers to the mix to have the redundancy and also keep Exchange up and running with no issues... (Slowdowns or otherwise)
Now, we are looking at maintaining at least 6 Microsoft Windows 2000 Servers to have a redundant and high-availability network. Of course, now we should have two admins, just for monitoring/maintaining the servers as well as to provide tech support assistance. Our electricity costs have increased, our hardware costs have risen.
I see no cost benefit in going the Microsoft Way.
If you ignore the other uses of a tool, does that make the tool less useful, or you less useful?
Writing good documentation is never superfluous. It requires patience, a certain distance from what you are documenting so as to avoid bias and alienation of new users.