What is Samba?
--------------
-Samba is a Unix based SMB file server. This allows a Unix host to
-act as a file and print server for SMB clients. This includes
-Lan-Manager compatible clients such as LanManager for DOS, Windows for
-Workgroups, Windows NT, Windows 95, OS/2, Pathworks and many more.
+Samba is a SMB file server that runs on Unix and other operating
+systems. It allows these operating systems (currently Unix, Netware,
+OS/2 and AmigaDOS) to act as a file and print server for SMB and CIFS
+clients. There are many Lan-Manager compatible clients such as
+LanManager for DOS, Windows for Workgroups, Windows NT, Windows 95,
+Linux smbfs, OS/2, Pathworks and more.
-The package also includes a Unix SMB client and a netbios nameserver.
+The package also includes a SMB client for accessing other SMB servers,
+and an advanced netbios/WINS nameserver for browsing support.
What can it do for me?
----------------------
If you have any PCs running SMB clients, such as a PC running Windows
-for Workgroups, then you can mount file space or printers from a unix
-host, so that directories, files and printers on the unix host are
+for Workgroups, then you can mount file space or printers on a Samba
+host, so that directories, files and printers on the host are
available on the PC.
+If you have any SMB servers such as Windows NT Server, Warp Server or
+Pathworks you may be able to replace them by or supplement them with
+Samba. One of Samba's big strengths is integration, so you can use it
+to tie together your Unix (or VMS etc) hosts and PC clients. If you
+are tired of the insecurity, expense and instability of PCNFS then Samba
+may be for you.
+
The client part of the package will also allow you to attach to other
SMB-based servers (such as windows NT and windows for workgroups) so
that you can copy files to and from your unix host. The client also
WfWg server) from Unix, using an entry in /etc/printcap, or by
explicitly specifying the command used to print files.
-What are it's features?
+What are its features?
------------------------
Samba supports many features that are not supported in other SMB
-implementations (all of which are commercial). Some of it's features
-include host as well as username/password security, a unix client,
-automatic home directory exporting, automatic printer exporting, dead
-connection timeouts, umask support, guest connections, name mangling
-and hidden and system attribute mapping. Look at the man pages
-included with the package for a full list of features.
+implementations (all of which are commercial). These include host as
+well as username/password security, a client, automatic home directory
+exporting, automatic printer exporting, dead connection timeouts,
+umask support, guest connections, name mangling and hidden and system
+attribute mapping. Look at the FAQs included with the package for
+a full list of features.
What's new since 1.8?
---------------------
There is a free client for MS-DOS based PCs available from
ftp.microsoft.com in the directory bussys/Clients/MSCLIENT/. Please
-read the licencing information before downloading. The built in
-Windows for Workgroups client is also very good.
+read the licencing information before downloading. The add-on 32-bit
+TCP/IP Windows for Workgroups client is also very good. Windows 95,
+Windows NT and OS/2 come with suitable clients by default.
What network protocols are supported?
-------------------------------------
GNU Public licence in source code form at no cost. Please read the
file COPYING that comes with the package for more information.
-What flavours of unix does it support?
+What operating systems does it support?
---------------------------------------
The code has been written to be as portable as possible. It has been
Linux, SunOS, Solaris, SVR4, Ultrix, OSF1, AIX, BSDI, NetBSD,
Sequent, HP-UX, SGI, FreeBSD, NeXT, ISC, A/UX, SCO, Intergraph,
-Domain/OS and DGUX.
+Silicon Graphics Inc., Domain/OS and DGUX.
Some of these have received more testing than others. If it doesn't
-work with your unix then it should be easy to fix.
+work with your unix then it should be easy to fix. It has also been ported
+to Netware, OS/2 and the Amiga. A VMS port is available too. See the web site
+for more details.
Who wrote it?
-------------
Where can I get it?
-------------------
-The package is available via anonymous ftp from samba.anu.edu.au in
+The package is available via anonymous ftp from samba.org in
the directory pub/samba/.
What about SMBServer?
newsgroup comp.protocols.smb.
A WWW site with lots of Samba info can be found at
-http://samba.canberra.edu.au/pub/samba/
+http://samba.org/
-Andrew Tridgell (Contact: samba-bugs@anu.edu.au)
-January 1995
+The Samba Team (Contact: samba-bugs@samba.org)
+June 1996
git.samba.org / samba.git / blobdiff