samba - Jun 2012 - Samba Platform Support Clarification

Good evening.  I'm seeking to verify the feasibility of using Samba as a
file and print server running under the Linux operating system (Red Hat or
SUSE), itself running under the System z Virtual Machine (z/VM).  The
documentation I've seen seems to indicate that Samba runs under Linux, but
virtually all the specifics seem to speak in terms of UNIX.   So  I'd
appreciate it for my peace of mind if you could please confirm whether (1)
Samba runs under Linux, and even more specifically if possible, (2) whether
Samba runs under Linux running under z/VM on System z.  Thank you for any
clarification you can provide. .

Regards

  Dave Moss
  Senior Certified Executive Systems Architect
  Open Group Distinguished Certified IT Architect
  System z Client Architect
  IBM Corporation  6710 Rockledge Drive
  Bethesda, Maryland  20817
  US Federal
  (301) 803-6220    8-262-6220  Cell Phone 703 268 0402
  mossd at us.ibm.com

David,

Samba indeed can be used on a wide range of operating systems to provide
file and print interoperability with Microsoft Windows platforms.  The
Samba source code can be compiled to run on many operating system
platforms.  In the past is has been built and run on Linux, UNIX (all
flavors), VME, VMS, MVE, etc.

Samba is included with nearly all Linux distributions whether used
natively or in virtual machines.

You should be able to obtain Samba binaries (RPM packages) for your z/VM
-baed Red Hat Linux system.  If not, you may have to build them on your
platform.

- John T.

On 06/15/2012 04:04 PM, David Moss wrote:
> 
> 
> Good evening.  I'm seeking to verify the feasibility of using Samba as
a
> file and print server running under the Linux operating system (Red Hat or
> SUSE), itself running under the System z Virtual Machine (z/VM).  The
> documentation I've seen seems to indicate that Samba runs under Linux,
but
> virtually all the specifics seem to speak in terms of UNIX.   So  I'd
> appreciate it for my peace of mind if you could please confirm whether (1)
> Samba runs under Linux, and even more specifically if possible, (2) whether
> Samba runs under Linux running under z/VM on System z.  Thank you for any
> clarification you can provide. .
> 
> Regards
> 
>   Dave Moss
>   Senior Certified Executive Systems Architect
>   Open Group Distinguished Certified IT Architect
>   System z Client Architect
>   IBM Corporation  6710 Rockledge Drive
>   Bethesda, Maryland  20817
>   US Federal
>   (301) 803-6220    8-262-6220  Cell Phone 703 268 0402
>   mossd at us.ibm.com

On Fri, Jun 15, 2012 at 5:04 PM, David Moss <mossd at us.ibm.com> wrote:
>
>
> Good evening.  I'm seeking to verify the feasibility of using Samba as
a
> file and print server running under the Linux operating system (Red Hat or
> SUSE), itself running under the System z Virtual Machine (z/VM).  The
> documentation I've seen seems to indicate that Samba runs under Linux,
but
> virtually all the specifics seem to speak in terms of UNIX.   So  I'd
>
I'm afraid many people don't like to deal with the distnction. I know
people who've tried to say they're the same and ignored the legal
registration of the UNIX trademark with the Open Source Institute, and the
specific API's necessary to be trademarked UNIX by that group.

> appreciate it for my peace of mind if you could please confirm whether (1)
> Samba runs under Linux, and even more specifically if possible, (2) whether
> Samba runs under Linux running under z/VM on System z.  Thank you for any
> clarification you can provide. .
>
Under Linux *absolutely*. t's the primary underlying kernel used to support
Samba servers, and is a core feature of almost all Linux distributions. I
highly recommend it over Windows servers for filesystems due to superior
stability, performance, and the usually simpler backup and access
management.  (The built-in Windows permission system is too complex to
manage in real life, the simpler POSIX used by by most Linux and UNIX
filesystems is lightweight enough to manage.)

z/VM..... that's another story. I assume you mean Linux *guests* under the
z/VM virtualization technology, *which is not itself Linux or a trademarked
UNIX!!* The filesystems z/VM supports, either as a guest or a server, are
whatever IBM built into that technology. You'd really have to ask IBM: for
their list of supported technologies.

But the guests running in z/VM should be just fine: I've used very
sophisticated Samba servers and clients under VMWare, VirtualBox, Xen, and
KVM, and don't see any likely problems for you unless you decide to use
some really, really funky filesystems in your guest environments.