Linux Samba Notes

1. Purpose

This document describes the process for setting up File Sharing via Samba on a Linux host.
Files shared via Samba can then be accessed remotely from Windows, Linux, and macOS devices.

Original document is here

2. Reference Docs

3. Open the FW Port

  1. Add the samba service to the FW config

    Fedora
    sudo firewall-cmd --add-service=samba --permanent

  2. Restart the FW

    Fedora
    sudo firewall-cmd --reload

4. Install Samba

  1. Install Samba

    Ubuntu
    sudo apt install -y samba keyutils cifs-utils smbclient
    Fedora
    sudo dnf install -y samba samba-common samba-client

  2. Start Samba

    Ubuntu
    sudo systemctl enable --now smbd
    Fedora
    sudo systemctl enable --now smb nmb

  3. Set SELinux to allow Samba to share directories with both read and write permissions across the network.

    Fedora
    sudo setsebool -P samba_export_all_rw 1

5. Create Samba Group

  1. Create new Group for Samba

    Ubuntu
    sudo addgroup sambagroup
    Fedora
    sudo groupadd sambagroup

6. Add User

  1. Add User into new Group for Samba

    1. Add user to group

      Ubuntu
      sudo usermod -aG sambagroup mattosd
      Fedora
      sudo usermod -g sambagroup mattosd

    2. Confirm User added to new group

      id mattosd
      Example
      uid=1000(mattosd) gid=1000(mattosd) groups=1000(mattosd),4(adm),24(cdrom),27(sudo),30(dip),46(plugdev),122(lpadmin),134(lxd),135(sambashare),1001(sambagroup)

  2. Configure username & password

    sudo smbpasswd -a mattosd (1)(2)
    1 Must be an actual local account name
    2 This password is for Samba use only - it can be different from the account’s password but if it is the same as the network password, then credentials will not need to be provided for the connection when accessed from Windows OS.

  3. Enable User

    sudo smbpasswd -e mattosd

7. Update Samba Conf file

  1. Edit file

    sudo vi /etc/samba/smb.conf

  2. Change line that contains workgroup = SAMBA to the name of the workgroup or NT-domain your Samba server will exist within.
    Most likely it should be workgroup = WORKGROUP.

  3. Add additional entries

    Example Contents
    [repos]
        comment = Contains a repo for pod container compose files
        path = /mnt/MirroredDisk/repo-pod-master
        browsable = yes
        read only = no
        guest ok = no
        writable = yes
        valid users = @sambagroup
        create mask = 0660
        directory mask = 0770
        force group = +sambagroup

  4. Confirm config

    testparm
    Expand for Sample output 
    Load smb config files from /etc/samba/smb.conf
Loaded services file OK.
Weak crypto is allowed

Server role: ROLE_STANDALONE

Press enter to see a dump of your service definitions

# Global parameters
[global]
        log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
        logging = file
        map to guest = Bad User
        max log size = 1000
        obey pam restrictions = Yes
        pam password change = Yes
        panic action = /usr/share/samba/panic-action %d
        passwd chat = *Enter\snew\s*\spassword:* %n\n *Retype\snew\s*\spassword:* %n\n *password\supdated\ssuccessfully* .
        passwd program = /usr/bin/passwd %u
        server role = standalone server
        server string = %h server (Samba, Ubuntu)
        unix password sync = Yes
        usershare allow guests = Yes
        idmap config * : backend = tdb


[printers]
        browseable = No
        comment = All Printers
        create mask = 0700
        path = /var/spool/samba
        printable = Yes


[print$]
        comment = Printer Drivers
        path = /var/lib/samba/printers


[RAIDZStoragePool]
        comment = A ZFS Mirror drive
        force create mode = 0666
        force directory mode = 0777
        path = /mnt/RAIDZStoragePool
        read only = No
        valid users = mattosd
        write list = @sambagroup


[repo-docker-master]
        comment = Contains a repo for docker container compose files
        force create mode = 0666
        force directory mode = 0777
        path = /home/mattosd/repo-docker-master
        read only = No
        valid users = mattosd
        write list = @sambagroup

  5. Restart Samba

    Ubuntu
    sudo systemctl restart smbd
    Fedora
    sudo systemctl restart smb nmb

8. Test

  1. Test with the smbclient

    smbclient -L localhost
    Sample output
    Password for [SAMBA\mattosd]:   (1)
Anonymous login successful

	Sharename       Type      Comment
	---------       ----      -------
	print$          Disk      Printer Drivers
	repos           Disk      Contains a repo for docker container compose files    (2)
	IPC$            IPC       IPC Service (Samba 4.22.1)
    1 Provide the user’s Samba password
    2 This is the new Samba share

9. Remove a User

  1. Remove

    sudo smbpasswd -x mattosd