-This is the release version of Samba, the free SMB and CIFS client and
-server and Domain Controller for UNIX and other operating
-systems. Samba is maintained by the Samba Team, who support the
-original author, Andrew Tridgell.
+About Samba
+===========
+
+Samba is the standard Windows interoperability suite of
+programs for Linux and Unix.
+Samba is Free Software licensed under the GNU General Public License and
+the Samba project is a member of the Software Freedom Conservancy.
+Since 1992, Samba has provided secure, stable and fast file and print services
+for all clients using the SMB/CIFS protocol, such as all versions of DOS
+and Windows, OS/2, Linux and many others.
+Samba is an important component to seamlessly integrate Linux/Unix Servers and
+Desktops into Active Directory environments. It can function both as a
+domain controller or as a regular domain member.
-**Please read THE WHOLE of this file as it gives important information
-about the configuration and use of Samba.**
NOTE: Installation instructions may be found
for the file/print server and domain member in:
called COPYING).
-WHAT IS SMB/CIFS?
-=================
-
-This is a big question.
-
-The very short answer is that it is the protocol by which a lot of
-PC-related machines share files and printers and other information
-such as lists of available files and printers. Operating systems that
-support this natively include Windows 9x, Windows NT (and derivatives),
-OS/2, Mac OS X and Linux. Add on packages that achieve the same
-thing are available for DOS, Windows 3.1, VMS, Unix of all kinds,
-MVS, and more. Some Web Browsers can speak this protocol as well
-(smb://). Alternatives to SMB include Netware, NFS, Appletalk,
-Banyan Vines, Decnet etc; many of these have advantages but none are
-both public specifications and widely implemented in desktop machines
-by default.
-
-The Common Internet File system (CIFS) is what the new SMB initiative
-is called. For details watch https://www.samba.org/cifs/.
-
-
-WHY DO PEOPLE WANT TO USE SMB?
-==============================
-
-1. Many people want to integrate their Microsoft desktop clients
- with their Unix servers.
-
-2. Others want to integrate their Microsoft (etc) servers with Unix
- servers. This is a different problem to integrating desktop
- clients.
-
-3. Others want to replace protocols like NFS, DecNet and Novell NCP,
- especially when used with PCs.
-
-
-WHAT CAN SAMBA DO?
-==================
-
-Please refer to the WHATSNEW.txt included with this README for
-a list of features in the latest Samba release.
-
-Here is a very short list of what samba includes, and what it does.
-For many networks this can be simply summarized by "Samba provides
-a complete replacement for Windows NT, Warp, NFS or Netware servers."
-
-- a SMB server, to provide Windows NT and LAN Manager-style file and print
- services to SMB clients such as Windows 95, Warp Server, smbfs and others.
-
-- a Windows Domain Controller (NT4 and AD) replacement.
-
-- a file/print server that can act as a member of a Windows NT 4.0
- or Active Directory domain.
-
-- a NetBIOS (rfc1001/1002) nameserver, which amongst other things gives
- browsing support. Samba can be the master browser on your LAN if you wish.
-
-- a ftp-like SMB client so you can access PC resources (disks and
- printers) from UNIX, Netware, and other operating systems
-
-- a tar extension to the client for backing up PCs
-
-- limited command-line tool that supports some of the NT administrative
- functionality, which can be used on Samba, NT workstation and NT server.
-
-For a much better overview have a look at the website at
-https://www.samba.org/samba/, and browse the user survey.
-
-Related packages include:
-
-- cifsvfs, an advanced Linux-only filesystem allowing you to mount
- remote SMB filesystems from PCs on your Linux box. This is included
- as standard with Linux 2.5 and later.
-
-- smbfs, the previous Linux-only filesystem allowing you to mount remote SMB
- filesystems from PCs on your Linux box. This is included as standard with
- Linux 2.0 and later.
-
-
CONTRIBUTIONS
=============
we get. If no one tells us they like it then we'll probably move onto
something else.
+
MORE INFO
=========
7. Give as much *relevant* information as possible such as Samba
release number, OS, kernel version, etc...
-8. RTFM. Google. groups.google.com.
+8. RTFM. Google.
WEBSITE
As well as general information and documentation, this also has searchable
archives of the mailing list and links to other useful resources such as
the wiki.
-
git.samba.org / amitay / samba.git / blobdiff