SWAT immediately changes the functioning of Samba whenever you commit your changes through the web GUI.
Creating A Starter Configuration
I'll now illustrate how to configure a Samba server to be the PDC for a small network is by using SWAT. You'll need to edit the various sections of the smb.conf file, so I'll walk you through what you'll find in each.
The [Global] Section
The [global] section governs the general Samba settings. Table 10-2 explains the parameters you need to set in order to create a PDC.
Table 10-2 : smb.conf Minimum Settings, "Global" Section
| Parameter | value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| domain logons | Yes | Tells Samba to become the PDC |
| preferred master | Yes | Makes the PDC act as the central store for the names of all windows clients, servers and printers on the network. Very helpful when you need to "browse" your local network for resources. Also known as a local master browser. |
| domain master | Yes | Tells Samba to become the master browser across multiple networks all over the domain. The local master browsers register themselves with the domain master to learn about resources on other networks. |
| os level | 65 | Sets the priority the Samba server should use when negotiating to become the PDC with other Windows servers. A value of 65 will usually make the Samba server win. |
| wins support | Yes | Allows the Samba server to provide name services for the network. In other words keeps track of the IP addresses of all the domain's servers and clients. |
| time server | Yes | Lets the samba server provide time updates for the domain's clients. |
| workgroup | "homenet" | The name of the Windows domain we'll create. The name you select is your choice. I've decided to use "homenet". |
| security | user | Make domain logins query the Samba password database located on the samba server itself. |
| smb passwd file | /etc/samba/smbpasswd | It is useful to specify the name and location of the Samba password file. This helps to make Samba version upgrades where the default locations may change. |
| private dir | /etc/samba | Specifies default directory for some supporting temporary files. As with the password file, it is a good practice to specify this value. |
Here's how to set the values using SWAT.
- Log into SWAT and click on the [global] section.
- Click the Advanced button to see all the options.
- Make your changes and click on the Commit Changes button when finished.
- Your smb.conf file should resemble the example below when you're finished. You can view the contents of the configuration file by logging in to the samba server via a command prompt and using the cat /etc/samba/smb.conf to verify your changes as you do them.
[global]
workgroup = HOMENET
time server = Yes
domain logons = Yes
os level = 65
preferred master = Yes
domain master = Yes
smb passwd file = /etc/samba/smbpasswd
private dir = /etc/samba
Note: security = user and WINS support = yes are default settings for Samba and they may not show up in your smb.conf file, even though you may see them in SWAT.
