Samba (software)
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| Samba (software) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Samba |
| Developer | Andrew Tridgell, Jeremy Allison |
| Initial release | 1992 |
| Latest release version | 4.15.5 |
| Latest release date | 2022 |
| Operating system | Cross-platform |
| Language | C (programming language), Python (programming language) |
| Genre | Network file system |
| License | GNU General Public License |
Samba (software) is a popular free and open-source software that allows Microsoft Windows clients to access Unix-based file systems over a network. Developed by Andrew Tridgell and Jeremy Allison, Samba is widely used in Linux and Unix-like operating systems, including Ubuntu, Debian, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Samba is also used in various embedded systems, such as network-attached storage devices from Synology and Qnap. Additionally, Samba is used in mainframe computers from IBM and Unisys.
Introduction
Samba is a network file system that provides a way for Windows clients to access Unix-based file systems over a network. It is based on the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol, which was developed by IBM and Microsoft. Samba is widely used in Linux and Unix-like operating systems, including Fedora, CentOS, and OpenBSD. Samba is also used in various cloud computing platforms, such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. Furthermore, Samba is used in virtualization platforms, such as VMware and VirtualBox, developed by Oracle Corporation.
History
The development of Samba began in 1991 by Andrew Tridgell, who was working at the Australian National University. Tridgell was trying to access a Windows file server from his Unix workstation, but he found that the existing SMB implementations were not compatible with the Windows server. He decided to write his own implementation of the SMB protocol, which eventually became Samba. In 1992, Tridgell released the first version of Samba, which was called SMBserver. The software quickly gained popularity, and in 1993, Jeremy Allison joined the project. Allison and Tridgell continued to develop Samba, and in 1996, they released version 2.0, which added support for Windows NT and Windows 95. Samba has since become a widely used open-source software project, with contributions from developers around the world, including Google, Facebook, and Apple Inc..
Features
Samba provides a wide range of features, including file sharing, printer sharing, and authentication. It supports various SMB protocols, including SMBv1, SMBv2, and SMBv3, developed by Microsoft. Samba also supports Active Directory integration, which allows Windows clients to authenticate with a Unix-based server. Additionally, Samba provides support for LDAP and Kerberos authentication, developed by MIT. Samba is highly configurable, and it can be customized to meet the needs of different network environments, including local area networks and wide area networks. Samba is also compatible with various cloud storage services, such as Dropbox and Google Drive, developed by Google.
Security
Samba has a strong focus on security, and it provides various features to protect against hacking and malware. It supports encryption and authentication protocols, such as SSL/TLS and Kerberos, developed by MIT. Samba also provides support for access control lists (ACLs), which allow administrators to control access to files and directories. Additionally, Samba has a built-in virus scanner that can detect and prevent the spread of malware. Samba is also compatible with various firewall software, such as iptables and ufw, developed by Netfilter and Canonical Ltd.. Samba has undergone various security audits and penetration testing by organizations, such as OWASP and CERT/CC, developed by Carnegie Mellon University.
Applications
Samba has a wide range of applications, including file sharing, printer sharing, and backup and recovery. It is widely used in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large enterprises, such as IBM, HP, and Dell. Samba is also used in various educational institutions, such as Harvard University and Stanford University. Additionally, Samba is used in government agencies, such as the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Samba is also used in various non-profit organizations, such as the Free Software Foundation and the Apache Software Foundation, developed by Apache Software Foundation.
Development
The development of Samba is led by the Samba Team, which is a group of volunteer developers from around the world. The team is responsible for maintaining and improving the Samba codebase, which is hosted on GitLab. The Samba Team works closely with other open-source software projects, such as Linux and OpenSSL, developed by OpenSSL Project. Samba is released under the GNU General Public License (GPL), which allows users to freely modify and distribute the software. The Samba Team also provides support and documentation for Samba, including a wiki and a mailing list, hosted by SourceForge. Samba has also been used in various research projects, such as the GENI project, developed by National Science Foundation.