Amazon.com Review
If the best software is perhaps that which is inspired by the narrowest ambition, Samba exemplifies the doctrine of doing one thing and doing it well. It enables computers that run Microsoft Windows to access--without any special client-side software--file and print servers that run on Unix variants.
Samba Administrator's Handbook exhibits similar focus in its single-minded quest to document Samba administration procedures and, especially, the contents of Samba's configuration files. It does a fine job of explaining how to install, configure, optimize, and troubleshoot Samba on all of its platforms, with a good balance of instruction and explanation. Instruction is emphasized, but enough background is provided to satisfy readers' curiosity and help them to try new approaches.
Much of this book follows the proven format of Unix man pages, in which a command is presented in generic form with all of its parameters and switches; detailed descriptions of the parameters and switches follow. (The descriptions in this book go into significantly more detail than online documentation.) An excellent section on best practices recommends practical ways to perform backups, manage log files, configure profiles for roaming users, and do other Samba administration work. Sections on troubleshooting are not so much about bug-squashing strategies as about potentially handy utilities, such as ipconfig and net print, but that's not the end of the world. This is solid Samba documentation for those who want more meat than the online documents can provide. --David Wall
Topics covered: Samba on Free BSD, Net BSD, several proprietary Unix flavors, and several Linux distributions (especially Red Hat Linux and Caldera OpenLinux). Installation, configuration with the Samba Web Administration Tool (SWAT), and strategies for configuring Unix for Samba's benefit, in addition to recommended settings and procedures for top network performance. An appendix documents error messages.
About the Author
About the Authors Ed Brooksbank is a veteran IT professional specializing in UNIX network design and development. George Haberberger is a customer support specialist who has worked extensively with UNIX printers and Windows clients. Lisa Doyle, an experienced technical writer and editor is the author of Basic Digital Electronics.
