openSUSE Small Office Setup
Desktop - OpenSUSE


You may be using Linux at home or in a office environment, but often we still need to provide access to Windows desktops. Using SAMBA on our Linux Servers provides easy access to centralized user log-on accounts, files shares and printers. Additionally, being a back-end solution it provides transparency to the users so there is no time or cost involved in user training (or fights with the kids). In this tutorial we will step you through, using openSUSE 11.4, the preparation, installation and configuration of the SAMBA Server as a Domain Controller and File Server.

 

Configuring a SAMBA Domain Controller and File Shares on openSUSE 11.4

Day 1. What is SAMBA

Day 2. Preparing the Linux Server for SAMBA

Day 3. SAMBA and Share Configuration through YaST

Day 4. Command Line Configuration of Shares (Tomorrow)

Day 5. Adding Standard Windows Domain Groups

 

Day 1: What is SAMBA

Installing SAMBA on to a Linux Server can enable the Linux Server at act as a File and Print Server for Windows Servers and Workstations; however, as this file service protocol is very common, it will also allow for connections from MAC OSX and Linux Clients enabling us to provide universal access with SAMBA.

Users are able to access shared folders and printers on the SAMBA server in the same way as they would on a Windows Server. Additionally if we configure the Linux SAMBA Server as a Domain Controller we can supply central user authentication, or host user accounts on the Server as we would within a Windows Domain. All with the same transparency for our users.

We have two main services that make up SAMBA on Linux:

1. smb daemon: This provides the actual SAMBA file and print services and can be the only service that is required if we only host these services and do not act as a Domain Controller.

2. nmb daemon: This advertises the hostname on the network and the domain name. By running the NetBIOS Name Daemon clients can locate the Domain Controller and do not DNS or host names created. This is very convenient when using home or small office networks.

Installing SAMBA will install both these services and configuration though the graphically YaST tools will ensure that they both are started and configured for auto-start.

Note: a daemon is a word that describes a server service in Linux. It is a sleeping process that will spawn child processes as required for new incoming connections.

Come back tomorrow for Day 2 of our OpenSUSE Small Office Setup tutorial series "Preparing the Linux Server for SAMBA".