Simple Samba/CIFS Configuration

Any time I have to do something with Samba, I run into stupid configuration and permissions issues. I just set up a dead simple Samba config and am documenting it here for next time. Possibly someone else might get some use out of it too.

Some reading I based this on: creating a public share in Samba, and some Samba on Ubuntu docs.

Overview:

• Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic as the smb server
• Whatever Samba 3.x it comes with
• Windows and Linux client machines
• Anyone on 192.168.1.0/24 has access: not secure, but convenient
• Machine called myhostname is the file server, at IP 192.168.1.4

Config:

1. On the file server, myhostname in this example, create a user smbuser to act as the 'guest' in Samba. Client machines that don't authenticate will act as this user:

   sudo adduser smbuser

   Then make sure /etc/passwd and /etc/group have lines something like this:

   # /etc/passwd
   smbuser:x:1001:1001:Samba user,,,:/home/smbuser:/usr/sbin/nologin
   
   # /etc/group
   smbuser:x:1001:
   

2. Edit /etc/samba/smb.conf:

   [global]
   netbios name = myhostname
   workgroup = WORKGROUP
   server string = File Server
   security = user
   map to guest = bad user
   guest account = smbuser
   create mask = 0644
   directory mask = 0755
   hosts allow = 192.168.1.0/24
   hosts deny = 0.0.0.0/0
   unix extensions = no  # unless you REALLY need them
   
   # Simple share that anyone can read/write to
   [photos]
   path = /data/photos
   browsable = yes
   guest ok = yes
   read only = no
   

3. Client linux machine's /etc/fstab (Make sure smbfs is installed: sudo apt-get install smbfs):

   //192.168.1.4/data /data cifs username=smbuser,password=,uid=bob,gid=bob 0 0
   Client Windows machine: just browse to \\192.168.1.4 or \\myhostname