samba - Jul 2013 - What great things can a non-windows user do with Samba

Hi all,

I ask this question about once a decade.

I have about 7 computers, all Linux or BSD. Are there any cool things I
can do with Samba, even though I have no Windows computers?

Thanks,

SteveT

Steve Litt                *  http://www.troubleshooters.com/
Troubleshooting Training  *  Human Performance

On Thu, Jul 11, 2013 at 10:52 AM, Steve Litt <slitt at
troubleshooters.com> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I ask this question about once a decade.
>
> I have about 7 computers, all Linux or BSD. Are there any cool things I
> can do with Samba, even though I have no Windows computers?
Yes!

I've found samba and mount.cifs to be far faster than NFS, especially
when the server is of limited resources.
it's also easier since all your passwd dont' have to match up.  though
if you do take that effort you can use the unix-extensions and get
back a lot of posix features that cifs doesn't normally do.

Hi Steve,
> I have about 7 computers, all Linux or BSD. Are there any cool things I
> can do with Samba, even though I have no Windows computers?
I'd use Samba only to support Windows users. Samba provides three things:

1. File Services
2. Print Services
3. Network Logons

As you are a Unix-only shop, you have other (better) alternatives:

1. NFS, AFS
2. CUPS, LPD
3. LDAP, NIS, Kerberos

Some people already know how to configure Samba, because they needed it 
for mixed Unix/Windows shops, and keeps using it for Unix-only shops. 
That's fine, you won't have to learn NFS, LDAP, etc. But if you already 
know those, and not Samba, adding samba would bring no value IMHO.


[]s, Fernando Lozano

At Thu, 11 Jul 2013 11:52:49 -0400 Steve Litt <slitt at
troubleshooters.com> wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> I ask this question about once a decade.
> 
> I have about 7 computers, all Linux or BSD. Are there any cool things I
> can do with Samba, even though I have no Windows computers?
Not really.  Samba is just a tool to deal with pesky mess-windows machines.  
On a pure UNIX (Linux, BSD, Solaris, AIX, etc.) LAN, Samba is about as useful 
as Air Conditioners in Antartica in the middle of the Antartic winter.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> SteveT
> 
> Steve Litt                *  http://www.troubleshooters.com/
> Troubleshooting Training  *  Human Performance
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