A Term Paper on

Master of Computer Application

Setting and configuring a Samba Server

Submitted by Submitted to
Shiba prasad prusty Dr.Devender Kumar
Reg No:12214969 ID:28818
Rollno:11

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1. ABSTRACT
Samba is the widely used set of Windows
interoperability applications for Linux and
Unix. Samba server is an FTP type of server.
While it has essentially two fundamental
components to a samba server the storage
space itself and the mechanism for accessing
it. In this we are going to know about the
setting and configuration of the samba server
in the Red-hat Linux operating system in
detail.
General Term: Samba Server
2. INTRODUCTION
Things were a little more difficult and
expensive in the old technologies, but they
were also less effective. The management of
the hardware and software needed to execute
their commercial activities cost the firms a lot
of money. However, current technology is
lowering the cost of the facilities for
organisations and corporations. For instance,
a decade ago, the trend toward workstations
was the preference of corporations for
discrete platforms on which to run their
business operations. However, in modern
times, the same business prefers to run their
processes on the share platform. In this we'll
delve deep into one element that makes
resource sharing really simple. One of the
most potent servers that makes it simple for
other operating systems to access shared files
and practical resources like printers is the
Linux samba server.
It lowers the cost of administration. You may
keep all of your vital data in one location (on
the file server) rather than having it spread
out among numerous different PCs, each of
which would need to be backed up. The only
device that requires routine backup is the file
server.
Because the security policy only needs to be
applied to the file server, it offers the chance
to implement a more restricted and
concentrated security policy.
You can offer a storage solution that is more
stable and dependable thanks to it. It makes it
possible for you to use high-end machines
with high levels of uptime to implement your
storage solution. Furthermore, it is easier to
build RAID or mirror SCSI discs on a central
file server than it is on many PCs, which help
maintain data dependability.
Additionally, there are benefits in terms of
the cost of file storage although this is less
pertinent in these days of cheap storage. First,
by making it available to all users, it makes
the best use of the storage space available.
Second, it offers a central location where
everyone can access shared resources
eliminating the need for each user to store
their own copy.
3. REVIEW OF RELATED WORK
AND HISTORY OF SAMBA
SERVER
In December 1991 and January1992, while
pursuing his PhD at the Australian National
University, Andrew Tridgell created the
initial iteration of Samba Unix by analysing
the network traffic of the DEC Pathworks
server software protocol using a packet
sniffer.It did not have a formal name at the
time of the first releases, versions0.1,0.5,
and1.0, all from the first half of January1992;
Tridgell simply referred to it as "a Unix file
server for Dos Pathworks. Tridgell produced
"netbios for unix," observer, version 1.5 in
December 1993 with a focus on compatibility
with Microsoft's LAN Manager. This version
was the first to incorporate both client and
server software.
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At this time, GPL2 was also selected as the
licence. The name was changed to smbserver
in the middle of the 1.5-series. Tridgell,
however, received a trademark notice from
the business "Syntax," which offered a
product called TotalNet Advanced Server
and had the "SMBserver" brand. By using the
Unix command grep to search the system
vocabulary for words that contained the
letters S, M, and B in that order, the name
"Samba" was created.
The name was changed to SUB server in the
middle of the 1.5-series. Tridgell, however,
received a trademark notice from the business
"Syntax," which offered a product called
Total Net Advanced Server and had the
"SBM Server" brand. By using the Unix
command grep to search the system
vocabulary for words that contained the
letters S, M, and B in that order, the name
"Samba" was created.
Versions 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, and 1.9 were released
very soon after, with version 1.9 debuting in
January 1995. Tridgell believes that the
Samba Team officially began in May 1996
with the adoption of CVS, notwithstanding
earlier contributions from others, including
Jeremy Allison. Versions 2.0.0 and 2.2.0
were released in January 1999 and April
2001, respectively.
On September 23, 2003, a significant update,
version 3.0.0, was made available. Despite
not being a domain controller, Samba now
has the option to join Active Directory as a
member. [7] Minor additional features have
been introduced to 3.0 through subsequent
point releases. The most recent version in this
series as of right now is 3.0.37, which was
made available on a voluntary basis on
October 1, 2009. [8] On August 5, 2009, the
3.0.x series officially reached its end of life.
Only development was carried on using
version.The project made the decision to
switch to time-based releases with version
3.2. Every six months, brand-new major
releases like 3.3, 3.4, etc., will be made
available. Point releases will only containbug
fixes; new features will only be includedafter
a major release. Furthermore, GPL2 was
replaced by GPL3 in version 3.2, and some
components were provided under LGPL3.
The primary technological improvement in
version 3.2 was the autogeneration of a large
portion of the previously handwritten
DCE/RPC-code. On July 1st, 2008, version
3.2.0 was made available. [10] The most
recent version, 3.2.15, was released on
October 1, 2009. On March 1, 2010, the
3.2.x series was formally declared no longer
supported.
Samba 3.6.3 and earlier versions have major
security flaws that might allow unauthorised
users to connect anonymously and exploit a
bug in Samba's remote procedure call to take
control of a machine. Bad lock ,a critical
security flaw in Windows and Samba, was
made public on April 12, 2016. CVE-2016-
2118 makes reference to Badlock for Samba
(SAMR and LSA man in the middle attacks
possible). Eternal Red, also known as Samba
Cry, a remote code execution vulnerability,
was discovered in Samba on May 24, 2017,
and it affects all versions of the software
starting with 3.5.0. The identification number
for this vulnerability is CVE-2017-7494.
4. ABOUT SAMBA SERVER
One of the most potent Linux servers, the
Samba server enables us to connect different
resources like printers and files with multiple
operating systems.
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The implementation of the essential protocol,
such as the common internet file system or
server message block, is thought to be done
using open-source software. It is the system
that uses Linux as its foundation yet enables
connection with Windows.
This server's major objective is to share files
or printers so that they may be used
effectively. Its capacity for resource sharing
justifies the notion that it is a powerful
system.
Linux's samba server, which makes resource
sharing for things like files and printers
incredibly simple and easy, can also be
thought of as open-source software. To share
resources, communication with window-
based systems can be established with
sufficient power.
It is crucial to realise that in order to function
or to enable resource sharing, it relies on the
SMB/CIFS protocol. It is one of the most
important tools Linux has to offer the
complete answer to work for making things
simpler for businesses and experts. We'll now
examine the Samba server's operation.
5. CONFIGURATION AND
INSTALLATION OF SAMBA
SERVER
5.1 Setting up a File Server
In its most basic form, a file server is a shared
storage area. File servers often offer its users
a central location for file storage and may be
accessed across a network. When you need to
share files with other users, file systems are
also useful since you can just put the file in a
public directory on the file server so thatother
users can access it.
Similar to FTP servers, a file server
essentially has two basic parts: the storage
area itself, and the means of accessing it. You
will utilise a file system to store your files
whether you're working on a solitary machine
at home or as part of a sizable network in a
large company. A file server adds the idea
that the file system is shared and accessible
by (potentially) many users.
Using a file server has several advantages,
including the following:
1. It lowers the cost of administration. You
may keep all of your vital data in one location
(on the file server) rather than having it
spread out among numerous different PCs,
each of which would need to be backed up.
The only device that requires routine backup
is the file server.
2. Having to simply apply the security policy
to the file server gives the chance to
implement a more regulated and focused
security policy.
3. You can offer a storage solution that ismore
stable and dependable thanks to it. It makes it
possible for you to use high-end machines
with high levels of uptime to implement your
storage solution. 4.Furthermore, it is easier to
build RAID or mirror SCSI discs on a central
file server thanit is on many PCs, which help
maintain data dependability.
5) In terms of file storage costs, there is also
something to be gained (although this is less
important now that storage is soinexpensive).
In the first place, it maximisesthe utilisation
of the storage capacity by making it available
to all users. Second, it offers a central
location where shared resources can be made
available to everyone.
The technique that allows the file system to
be shared is what distinguishes a file server
once it has a file system. There is a tonne of
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software available for this purpose, including
Coda, Samba, the Network File System
(NFS), and the Andrew file system (AFS).
Some of these are included in the Red Hat
Linux 9 distribution; we'll concentrate on
Samba specifically.

5.2 INSTALLING OF SAMBA

SERVER
Here we are installing samba server in the red
hat Linux operating system. Steps to
installation of samba server as follows
5.2.1 INSTALLING REQUIRED 5.2.2 CREATE A NEW USER AND
PACKAGES USER PASSWORD OF RHL
At first mount the cd drive and install the Create user name by using useradd
following packages command in red hat Linux it followed by the
user’s name and set password to the user by
a. Install Samba-common package to using passwd command as shown here
share on cross platform.
b. Install Samba which is main samba
config file.
c. Install Samba-client for the samba
clients.

5.2.3 SETTING OF SMB PASSWORD

Use the command smbpasswd -a and
followed by user name to reset the password
as shown below

Install these packages using rpm (Red Hat

Package Manager) in the terminal followed
by -ivh and path of the packages in the cd by
as shown below picture

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 secrets.tdb This is the database of
Samba secrets. Private
We can also check the encrypted password
data is kept there,
using the gedit followed by the path as gedit
including the machine
/etc/samba/smbpasswd as shown below
trust password and local
SID. Since it was
generated by a machine, a
text editor cannot read it.
Smbusers This text file maps the
users on your Linux
system to different SMB-
specific usernames.
smbpasswd This password file is
encrypted. This file's
5.2.4 CREATE A FOLDER AND A
format is fairly similar to
FILE IN IT the passwd file's. When
Here we are creating a sample file for the you first install Samba,
purpose of testing create the folder inside this file doesn't exist;
path home/samba and now create the file in instead, it is created when
that folder /home/samba/smbfolder/smbtest. you add Samba users.

Here we use mkdir command to create a

directory and cat to create a text file. 5.2.6 PROGRAMS USED WHILE
WORKING WITH SAMBA
program Purpose
Smbclient Access SMB/CIFS
resources on a file
server using this
client, which
resembles an FTP
server.
Smbadduser This script is used
5.2.5 SAMBA CONFIGURATION to add users to
Samba. It updates
FILES the passwd file,
smbusers, and
Configuration Description smbpasswd files.
File When you first
smb.conf For Samba, this file install Samba, this
serves as the primary file doesn't exist;
configuration. instead, it is created
when you add
Samba users.

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Lmhosts Samba's NetBIOS-to-IP
address mappings are
contained in this.

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 Smbpasswd This modifies the
SMB password for
a Samba user. It is
comparable to the
passwd command
in Unix.
Smbmount You can mount an
SMB filesystem 2. STOPPING SERVER
with this.
Smbunmount An SMB file We can use commands for stoping
system can be samba service as ‘service smb stop’ as
unmounted using shown below
this.
Smbstatus This displays a list
of the open Samba
connections.
Testparm This validates the
smb.conf
configuration file's
accuracy. 5.2.7 MAKING CHANGES IN
nmblookup Using NetBIOS via CONFIGURATION FILE
TCP/IP, this is used Here we are making changes in the samba
to query NetBIOS configuration file to open the samba.conf
names and map file follow this path as gedit /etc /samba
them to IP /samba.conf then this file will open now
addresses in a make the following changes in it
network.
Step1: Now read the note point that
whenever you modify this file you should
5.2.7 STARTING AND STOPPING sun the command “testparm” as shown
THE SAMBA SERVICE below picture

1. STARTING SERVER:
We can use commands for starting
samba service as ‘service smb start’ as
shown below

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Step2: Now go to the global settings and
change workgroup = ms home as shown
below
Step5: Now in [homes] change create mode
= 0777 as shown below

Step 6: At the bottom of the smb.conf file

write as shown
[smbfolder]
Step3: Check the smb.conf man page Path=/home/samba/smbfolder
; hostes allow = 192.168.2 127 Public = no
Printable = no
Create mask = 0775

Step4: change security = share as shown Step 7: In command promt smbclient -L ip

below address -U user name

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Step8: Now open smb.conf file and change
printer = yes
Start samba service and execute the samba
client command to establish connection with
the server using server’s IP address and
samba user details.so we have installed and
configured samba server in red hat linux
7. MERITS AND DEMERITS
7.1 MARITS OF SAMBA SERVER
 Share a directory tree or several trees
 Distributed filesystem (Dfs) trees can
be shared in any number.
 Share printers installed on the server
with networked Windows clients.
 Help clients navigate the network
 verifying client identities when they
join a Windows domain
 Resolution of Windows Internet
Name Service (WINS) name-servers
should be provided or assisted with.
7.2 DEMARITS OF SAMBA SERVER
(FTP SERVER)
 All FTP servers lack an encryption
feature, making it impossible to
secure data transfer.
 Bruce force attacks, when several
password hackers crack your
password, can be used to break weak
passwords.
 Hackers will be able to steal your
personal information and sensitive
information from all the data,
usernames, and passwords that files
include.
 FTP is susceptible to hacking.
 Monitoring activity is impossible
 Over https, TLS 1.2 is not supported.
 difficult to script jobs
 can unintentionally delete, erase, or
alter critical server files.
 Connection loss is regularly
experienced.
8. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
Thank you to Everyone who contributed to
the completion of this research work
especially NAVPREET KAUR Mam
9. CONCLUSION
One of the most potent servers that makes it
simple for other operating systems to access
shared files and practical resources like
printers is the Linux samba server. Given
that it is open-source software, you can get it
for nothing. It functions as a centralised
system that actually links different operating
systems with the shared resources that are
available. It is a crucial server because by
making resources available for sharing, it
makes functioning simple and affordable.
10. REFERENCES
Introducing Samba
J Blair - Linux Journal, 1998 - dl.acm.or
[BOOK] Using Samba
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R Eckstein, D Collier-Brown, P Kelly -
2000 - inweboftp.free.fr

Realization of Files Sharing

between Linux and Windows
Based on Samba

Z Huili - 2008 International Seminar on

Future BioMedical …, 2008 -
ieeexplore.ieee.org

Samba (software) - Wikipedia

Samba Server in Linux | Create, Work,
Access Samba Server in Linux
(educba.com)
[PDF] Just what is SMB?
R Sharpe - Oct, 2002 - docentes.uaa.mx

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