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Using Samba
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Using Samba
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Using Samba
Using Samba
by Robert Eckstein; David Collier-Brown; Peter Kelly

Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
Pub Date: November 1, 1999
More recent edition of this book available.
Print ISBN-13: 978-1-565-92449-9
Pages: 413
Slots: 1.0
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Overview

This book, which has been officially adopted by the Samba team under an open content license, is a comprehensive guide to Samba administration, including such recent additions as integration with Windows NT domains and the SWAT graphic configuration tool. Samba is a cross-platform triumph: it turns a Unix or Linux system into a file and print server for Microsoft Windows network clients. Now you can let users store their files (and even important executables) in a single place for easy sharing and backup, protected by Unix or NT security mechanisms, and still offer such transparent access that PC users don't even realize they're going to another system. The magic behind Samba is that it recognizes and speaks the SMB protocol developed by Microsoft for file and printer sharing on its own systems. Basic Samba configuration is simple, but you'll want to make sure your security settings are just right and find out about the full range of options (how do you like your filenames mangled?). Trouble-shooting, security, connectivity, performance, and logging are thoroughly covered with examples in this book. Samba is so robust, flexible, and secure that many people are choosing it over Windows NT for their file and print services. Furthermore, Samba is proving to be a necessity for the many organizations that have an existing Unix or Linux system and want to tie in PCs running Microsoft software. Samba is also open source software, licensed under the GNU General Public License. The authors present the most common configurations and problems in an easy-to-follow manner, along with instructions for getting the most out of Samba. Whether you're playing on one note or a full three-octave range, this book will give you an efficient and secure server. The included CD-ROM holds sources and ready-to-install binaries, plus other useful information.

 
Editorial Reviews
Product Description
This book, which has been officially adopted by the Samba team under an open content license, is a comprehensive guide to Samba administration, including such recent additions as integration with Windows NT domains and the SWAT graphic configuration tool. Troubleshooting, security, connectivity, performance, and logging are thoroughly covered with examples in this book. Samba is a cross-platform triumph: it turns a Unix or Linux system into a file and print server for Microsoft Windows network clients. Now you can let users store their files (and even important executables) in a single place for easy sharing and backup, protected by Unix or NT security mechanisms, and still offer such transparent access the PC users don't even realize they're going to another system. Samba is also open source software, licensed under the GNU General Public License.
Amazon.com Review
Samba, the Server Message Block (SMB) server software that makes it relatively easy to integrate Unix or Linux servers into networks of Microsoft Windows workstations, has to date been mostly explained as an afterthought. Most often, it's appeared in the latter chapters of books about Linux. It deserves better, and the authors of Using Samba have delivered exactly that.

This book documents Samba 2.0.4 fully (version 2.0.5, source and binary, appears on the companion CD-ROM), focusing on smbd, nmbd, the command-line tools, and Samba's newfound ability to integrate itself securely with Windows NT domains.

Though it includes a bit of information on the SMB and Common Internet File System (CIFS) protocols that underlie Samba, the emphasis here is on setting up and configuring software. Explicit sections explain how to install Samba on a Unix/Linux system and how to set up Microsoft clients to communicate with the Samba machine. The authors pay lavish attention to the Samba configuration file, smb.conf, and explain exactly what settings you need to include in it to allow disk shares, network browsing, and integration with Windows domains. A highly useful reference that lists all Samba configuration options (along with their valid values, default values, and explanations) appears in an appendix. --David Wall

Topics covered: All aspects of setting up and configuring Samba 2.0 and its variants, including client configuration, file sharing, network browsing, file system differences between Windows and Unix/Linux, security, and the contents of the Samba configuration file.

 
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Reader Reviews From Amazon (Ranked by 'Helpfulness')
Average Customer Rating:based on 33 reviews.
Samba, 2009-06-23
Reviewer rating:
Great book for the price. Assisted in setting up shares for linux and windows systems. Need to read it thoroughly to get an understanding of samba.
Late Delivery but charged one day shipping, 2008-11-22
Reviewer rating:
I had ordered this book for a one day delivery on wednesday evening and the shipping showed me that I would get the book by Friday. The book DID NOT ARRIVE ON FRIDAY but came in rather saturday and I was still charged a one day shipping. I dont want to pay for the one day shipping. Please refund my credit card.

thanks
Divya
Would have been nice., 2008-02-29
Reviewer rating:
I browsed through this book at my local Borders store and it looked like it was going to offer all of the information I needed. Too bad the seller never shipped the book.
Nice and simple - easy to follow - gets the job done., 2007-12-05
Reviewer rating:
So, I got the 2nd edition of this book (which is out of date now) because I'm a cheap skate and I saw it on Amazon second hand for a rediculously low price (somewhere in the range of $1 - $2). For the most part, it was still pretty relevant. It was released just before Samba 3.0.x was rolled out (well, in that vicinity, anyway), and it does address some of the updates in the 'new' updated version. There were a couple of things that were no longer accurate, so I had to go online and find out how to do it with the latest version of Samba.

Setting up your Samba server is much easier than working with some other services in UNIX/Linux. This book does a good job getting you up and running quickly then showing you some more detailed settings and tweaks. It also shows you how to configure things on the Windows side for various versions (9x/Me/NT/2000/XP).

One of the coolest things is configuring roaming profiles for your various Windows accounts - these let you log into any computer with your username and password and it will load up your system settings (such as desktop background). If you only use Windows XP Home Edition, be warned that you really won't be able to enjoy that much functionality in the networked environment.
Using Samba, 2007-07-30
Reviewer rating:
I was able to configure a samba server that met all my needs after reading only 4 chapters of this book.
I am not an expert but at no time at all did I feel like this book is outdated. Mine, 3rd edition, was focused on samba 3.0.22 -- correct release being 3.0.25.
 
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Using Samba
Using Samba
by Robert Eckstein; David Collier-Brown; Peter Kelly

Publisher: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
Pub Date: November 1, 1999
More recent edition of this book available.
Print ISBN-13: 978-1-565-92449-9
Pages: 413
Slots: 1.0
Start Reading
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