Enabling Samba on FreeBSD

The following steps can be used to enable Samba on FreeBSD.

• These steps seem to work on FreeBSD 5.2.1. They should work on other versions as well.
• The ports collection needs to be installed.

• FreeBSD Addicts SAMBA ULTRA-Fast How-To
• FreeBSD Howtos: Samba

1. Install Samba from /usr/ports/net/samba-devel:

   # cd /usr/ports/net/samba-devel
   # make install

2. Enable Samba:

   # echo 'samba_enable="YES"' >> /etc/rc.conf.local

3. Customize /usr/local/etc/smb.conf:

   • Set the workgroup by change the following:

     workgroup = MYGROUP

     to

     workgroup = workgroup

     This is around line 21.

     If a NT Domain/Workgroup doesn't exist, the workgroup can be set to the DNS domain name.

   • Set the server string by changing the following:

     server string = Samba Server

     to

     server string = hostname

     This is around line 24.

   • Enable password encryption for the [global] share by adding the following:

     # Enable password encryption
        encrypt passwords = yes

     This can be added around line 31.

   • (Optional) Disable printer loading by changing the following:

     load printers = yes

     to

     load printers = no

     This is around line 43.
     

   • (Optional) Disable the [printers] share by changing the following:

     [printers]
        comment = All Printers
        path = /var/spool/samba
        browseable = no
     # Set public = yes to allow user 'guest account' to print
        guest ok = no
        writable = no
        printable = yes

     to

     ;[printers]
     ;   comment = All Printers
     ;   path = /var/spool/samba
     ;   browseable = no
     # Set public = yes to allow user 'guest account' to print 
     ;   guest ok = no
     ;   writable = no
     ;   printable = yes

     This starts around line 192.

   • (Optional) If CUPS is installed and Samba printing should be enabled change the following:

     ;   printing = bsd

     to

         printing = cups

     This is around line 56.

   • (Optional) Act as a time server:

     # Act as a time server
        time server = yes

     This can be added around line 41.

4. Valiate smb.conf:

   # /usr/local/bin/testparm -s

5. Save the default smbpasswd and secrets.tdb:

   # cd /usr/local/private 
   # mv secrets.tdb secrets.tdb.default
   # mv smbpasswd smbpasswd.default

   This may be required only when upgrading from older versions of samba.

6. Set the samba password for users who need samba access:

   # /usr/local/bin/pdbedit -a username

7. Start Samba:

   # /usr/local/etc/rc.d/samba.sh start

8. (Optional) Check to see if samba is running:

   $ ps -auwxx | egrep '[sn]mbd'
   root    909  0.0  0.8  6504 4008  ??  Is   11:29PM   0:00.00 /usr/local/sbin/smbd -D
   root    911  0.0  0.4  3488 2048  ??  Ss   11:29PM   0:00.00 /usr/local/sbin/nmbd -D

9. (Optional) Test samba using smbclient:

   $ /usr/local/bin/smbclient -U username \\\\localhost\\username

   or

   $ /usr/local/bin/smbclient -U username //localhost/username

1. Install Samba from /usr/ports:

   # cd cd /usr/ports/net/samba-devel
   # make install

2. Enable Samba:

   # cd /usr/local/etc/rc.d
   # ln -s samba.sh.sample samba.sh

3. Customize /usr/local/etc/smb.conf:

   • Set the server string by changing the following:

     server string = Samba Server

     to

     server string = hostname

     This is around line 21.

   • Modify logging (samba creates two log files per host that connects, so a separate samba log directory is useful) by changing the following:

     log file = /var/log/log.%m

     to

     log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m

     This is around line 54.

   • Enable password encryption by changing the following:

     ;  encrypt passwords = yes

     to

        encrypt passwords = yes

     This is around line 67.

   • Enable password synchronization by adding the following to the [global] share:

     # Enable unix password synchronization
       unix password sync = yes
       passwd program = /usr/bin/passwd %u

     This can be added around line 69.

   • (Optional) Disable printer loading by changing the following:

     load printers = yes

     to

     load printers = no

     This is around line 32.
     

   • (Optional) Disable the [printers] share by changing the following:

     [printers]
        comment = All Printers
        path = /var/spool/samba
        browseable = no
     # Set public = yes to allow user 'guest account' to print
        guest ok = no
        writeable = no
        printable = yes

     to

     ;[printers]
     ;   comment = All Printers
     ;   path = /var/spool/samba
     ;   browseable = no
     ;# Set public = yes to allow user 'guest account' to print
     ;   guest ok = no
     ;   writeable = no
     ;   printable = yes

     This starts around line 170.

   • (Optional) If CUPS is installed and Samba printing should be enabled change the following:

     ;   printing = bsd

     to

         printing = cups

     This is around line 45.

4. Create the samba log file directory:

   # mkdir -p /var/log/samba

5. Set the samba password for users who need samba access:

   # /usr/local/bin/pdbedit -a username

6. Start Samba:

   # /usr/local/etc/rc.d/samba.sh start

7. (Optional) Check to see if samba is running:

   $ ps -auwxx | egrep '[sn]mbd'
   root    909  0.0  0.8  6504 4008  ??  Is   11:29PM   0:00.00 /usr/local/sbin/smbd -D
   root    911  0.0  0.4  3488 2048  ??  Ss   11:29PM   0:00.00 /usr/local/sbin/nmbd -D

8. (Optional) Test samba using smbclient:

   $ /usr/local/bin/smbclient \\\\localhost\\username

   or

   $ /usr/local/bin/smbclient //localhost/username