Simple Samba (SMB) Setup with the main focus being of of having a file share method for www developers on windows machines.

Install Samba on Debian or Ubuntu

apt-get install samba samba-common system-config-samba

Note: If firewalls or port filters are in use then please make sure that Tcp 445 is allowed to talk to the Samba Server

Configure Samba with a local user for www-data

Configure Samba with a local user to authenticate and enforce the user www-data to be used on the share level

Add a new group

addgroup sambagrp

Create a user (demo01), no home directory and no local login, just to authenticate with Samba, add the user to the new group

useradd demo01 -M -G sambagrp -s /usr/sbin/nologin

Add a the new user (-a) to the Samba authentication and create a new password

smbpasswd -a demo01

Create or edit /etc/samba/smb.conf

[global]
   workgroup = WORKGROUP
   server string = %h server (Linux)
   interfaces = eth0
   bind interfaces only = yes
   log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
   panic action = /usr/share/samba/panic-action %d
   server role = standalone server
   obey pam restrictions = Yes
   passwd program = /usr/bin/passwd %u
   passwd chat = *Enter\snew\s*\spassword:* %n\n *Retype\snew\s*\spassword:* %n\n *password\supdated\ssuccessfully* .
   pam password change = Yes
   map to guest = Bad User
   #log level = 4 #To be used for debugging purposes

[www]
   comment = www
   path = /var/www
   valid users = @sambagrp
   browsable = yes
   writable = yes
   read only = no
   force user = www-data

Restart Samba

systemctl restart smbd

Ready to use the demo01 user to connect to the Samba Server

Configure Samba with a foreign user for www-data

Configure a new user which gets authenticated with other methods such as 'sssd (ldap authentication)' like with ActiveDirectory

Add a new group, this time we use a ldap group

addgroup ldapgrp

Add the Ldap user to the new group

usermod -a -G ldapgrp  <ldap user>

Add a the new user (-a) to the Samba authentication and create a new password. This can become interesting because if the same password is used for ldap then the result will be some kind of a improved single sign on, ldap or active directory users will not get prompted for a password this way

smbpasswd -a <ldap user>

Create or edit /etc/samba/smb.conf, note that obey pam restrictions is not used anymore in this sample

[global]
   workgroup = WORKGROUP
   server string = %h server (Linux)
   interfaces = eth0
   bind interfaces only = yes
   log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
   panic action = /usr/share/samba/panic-action %d
   server role = standalone server
   #obey pam restrictions = Yes
   passwd program = /usr/bin/passwd %u
   passwd chat = *Enter\snew\s*\spassword:* %n\n *Retype\snew\s*\spassword:* %n\n *password\supdated\ssuccessfully* .
   pam password change = Yes
   map to guest = Bad User
   #log level = 4 #To be used for debugging purposes

[www]
   comment = www
   path = /var/www
   valid users = @ldapgrp
   browsable = yes
   writable = yes
   read only = no
   force user = www-data

Maintenance Commands

Delete Windows Connection

This must be used whenever credentials or other share parameter has been changed==

Show connections

net use

Delete default connection

net use \\<Name or IP> /delete

Or delete a shared specific connection

net use \\<Name or IP>\sharename /delete

Samba Account

Create a new samba account with password

smbpasswd -a username

Change a samba account password

smbpasswd username

Delete a samba account

smbpasswd -x username

Groups

Create

addgroup groupname

Delete

deluser username groupname

Local User

Add with no home, no login

useradd username -M -G groupname -s /usr/sbin/nologin

Samba

Stop/Start/Restart/Status

systemctl stop smbd
systemctl start smbd
systemctl restart smbd
systemctl status smbd

Test configuration

testparm

Status

smbstatus

Simple Samba Setup

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