Books about Samba

This page exists to list books about Samba. I've written two such books, and there's considerable overlap between books on this topic. The field is broad enough, however, that the ideal Samba book for one individual may not be the best for another. This page is intended to give you some guidance on what book is best for you.

In case you don't already know, Samba is a software package for Linux, UNIX, and other platforms that allows these OSs to participate in Windows-style SMB/CIFS networking. These protocols provide file and printer sharing services. The result is that a Linux or UNIX computer can function as a file or print server on a Windows network, or use file and printer shares on such a network. Samba comes with all major Linux distributions, or you can check its Web page for more information.

Samba books invariably assume that the reader knows something about basic system administration and networking. If you're unsure of your abilities in this respect, you should probably check my list of basic networking books, and buy one of those instead of or in addition to a book specific to Samba. I also have information on and recommendations about other Linux-related books.

The Definitive Guide to Samba 3

My twelfth book, The Definitive Guide to Samba 3, is, as you might guess, a book on version 3.0 of Samba. Unlike my previous Samba book, Linux Samba Server Administration, which covers Samba 2.0, this new book describes Samba and its operation on multiple OSs, including Linux, FreeBSD, MacOS X, and others. It includes coverage of Samba 3.0's new features, such as the ability to migrate a domain from a Windows NT domain controller and the new net utility. I maintain a separate Web page on this book. Approximate page count: 600.

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Linux Samba Server Administration

My Linux Samba Server Administration, part of Sybex's Craig Hunt Linux Library, is marketed as a book on Samba for Linux. Most of the book is applicable to Samba running on other platforms, but when appropriate, the book emphasizes the Linux options, such as smbmount vs. smbwrapper and common Linux binary packages. Whenever applicable, I've presented examples of the use of features to do useful and interesting things, such as using pseudo-printers to create PDF files or preexec/postexec scripts to create CD-R image files. I've tried to create a book that's packed with useful information without being difficult to read. This book covers through Samba 2.0.7, with additional comments on the experimental Samba TNG release. It has no companion CD-ROM. I also maintain a Web page devoted to additional information related to this book. Page count: 600.

A review by Matt Franz in the February, 2001 issue of Cisco's Security Bytes Newsletter called this "simply the best book on the Samba in print" and went on to say that "it should be required reading for any UNIX admins who must deal with Windows boxes on a regular basis."

Chapter 14 of this book, "Samba Security Considerations," has been excerpted in Sybex's Security Complete. Chapters 1-5 have been excerpted in Sybex's Linux Complete.

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Here are some additional books on Samba that I've read or at least examined in stores.

Implementing CIFS, by Christopher R. Hertel, 641 pages.
This book isn't about Samba per se, but about the protocol it implements. As such, it's got lots of nitty-gritty details about packet formats, browsing, authentication, and so on. This information is obviously most vital to those who want to implement SMB/CIFS clients or servers, but it's also useful to administrators who need to understand the protocol's intricate details when setting up or debugging an SMB/CIFS network. If you wish to peruse the book before buying it, you can read its text here.
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Teach Yourself Samba in 24 Hours, by Carter & Sharpe, 463 pages.
This is a good introductory guide to Samba. It does a good job of explaining most Samba networking tasks, and makes a good tutorial and reference. This book covers through Samba version 2.0.3 (which comes on CD-ROM with the book), which means it's not quite as up-to-date as many competing titles.
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Using Samba, by Eckstein, Collier-Brown, & Kelly, 383 pages.
This Samba book is fairly complete despite it's slimness, but it's much more of a reference manual than a tutorial. Its explanations occasionally lapse fairly deep into Samba jargon, so I recommend this book for somebody who already knows something about Samba or who intends to learn it intimately. The publisher, O'Reilly, has made the entire book available online in HTML and PDF formats, and it's now being distributed in HTML format with Samba as part of its official documentation. The book covers through Samba version 2.0.5a, and comes with that version on CD-ROM.
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Samba Unleashed, by Litt et al., 1,129 pages.
This is the physically largest available book on Samba. Much of this page count is devoted to in-depth examples of Samba use -- in software development, computer labs, and so on. If you need such chapters, this can be great; otherwise it'll be unread pageage. The book is mostly clear, but the style is somewhat inconsistent because it has seven authors. It covers through Samba 2.0.6, and has some information on development releases. The book comes without a companion CD-ROM.
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Samba Black Book, by Baines, 565 pages.
Like Teach Yourself Samba in 24 Hours, this book functions as a general-purpose introduction and tutorial to Samba. I bought it after the others, so I've read less of it. Overall, though, I'd say it's written to a slightly higher-level audience than is Teach Yourself Samba in 24 Hours. It contains less in the way of examples than my own Linux Samba Server Administration, and far less than Samba Unleashed. This book covers through Samba 2.0.6, which comes on its companion CD-ROM.
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If you have problems with or comments about this web page, please e-mail me at rodsmith@rodsbooks.com. Thanks.

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