The Definitive Guide to Samba 3

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 648 pages
• Published by: Apress
• Edition: 1st Edition January 12, 2004
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 1590592778
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-1590592779
• Book Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.1 x 1.3 inches
• Weighs: 2.2 pounds

Product Description


If you're familiar with Unix administration, TCP/IP networking, and other common Unix servers, and you want to learn how to deploy Samba, this book is ideal for you. With this book as a guide, you can quickly configure a basic Samba server and then move on to learn about Samba's more exotic features, including those new to Samba 3.0. The topics in this book are approached from both an experienced Unix user and an administrator's point of view, to help you optimize Samba.

Samba is an efficient file and print server that enables you to get the most out of your computer hardware. In Samba 3.0, many important features have been added, particularly in the realm of domain administration and membership, such as improved support for membership in Windows 200x domains and a wider array of authentication options. Samba also boasts several advanced features with which you can perform very complex tasks. For instance, Samba can control an NT domain, burn CD-Rs with drag-and-drop operations from the client, and function as part of a network backup system.

The Samba dance after which the server is named is known for its liveliness, and the server is similarly energetic and dynamic. So join inyou may make a misstep or two, but this book will help you avoid making too many, and you'll soon be doing the (TCP/IP) Samba along with the best!

Download Description


This book is a thorough tutorial and reference to Samba 3.0, the forthcoming revision of the networking and client/server software package that allows non-Windows machines (such as Unix, Linux, FreeBSD, MacOS X, and Solaris) to seamlessly interoperate and reciprocally share resources such as files, printers, and data services with Microsoft Windows. This book describes how to configure a maintain a network of heterogeneous machines, all interconnected with Samba.

Professional system administrators can use this book as well as advanced hobbyists who want to network Unix, Linux, FreeBSD, and Mac OS X computers with Windows computers. Using Samba, any of those machines can be centralized servers to any other machine.

Reader Reviews
A few years ago, Samba came on the scene as an effective and cheap [free!] way to get unix and Microsoft Windows machines on a common network to do file sharing. Very popular. In late 2003, the latest major revision was released, Samba 3. Now this text gives an independent and indepth evaluation of all its features. My impression from this book is that if you're already using Samba 2 and just upgrade to 3, you can essentially do all your existing procedures unchanged. Apart from bug fixes, of course, Samba 3 is, to good approximation, a superset of Samba 2. Makes the transition easier. This does mean that if you are using Samba 2, and have a text for it, and you upgrade, you may not really need this book. Ah, but when it comes to specifically new features, then the book shines. Smith goes into sometimes excrutiating details about items like improved Unicode handling and Active Directory integration. He points out the useful features; the details of which can be nontrivial, and which form the key sections of the narrative. All this is pitched to someone [you] that he assumes to be a unix sysadmin who has at least several months experience. Don't be intimidated by the length of the text. Sections are usable on an as-needed basis. In other words, you don't have to plough through all or even most of it, before you can start doing useful activities with Samba 3. Comment | | (Report this)