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Summary: Using Samba
Review: Really did like the book. It cleared up a lot off questions I had about Samba. Should make one comment though.... The writer's presume an audience from a unix env. Because off this the book has a bit off a NT for dummies feel over it.
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Summary: The essential book on SMB networking
Review: Samba is one of the wonders of the Open source movement. A small bunch of guys in out of the way Canberra, Australia develop a product that emulates a Windows Server Message Block (SMB) server. They do such a good job that within a couple of years they have sponsors assisting programmers around the world in bringing out a product that does a better job than anything Microsoft offers.I've installed Samba in a number of different environments and used it both as a server and client. I wish I'd had this book. It does a good job of explaining how to set it all up, get it running and maintain it. Nothing else does as good a job. While you can (probably) install and run Samba using just the online manuals you will find it a lot easier if you buy this book. It certainly saves me a lot of time. It is well written, easy to read, thorough and well paced. It contains a large number of examples and goes through the almost monolithic smb.conf file till it feels like an old friend. While it does cover some of the underlying network protocols it does not unnecessarily dwell on them, it is a good mix of explanation and getting your hands dirty examples. The book is well structured, starting with simple configurations and proceeding through to complex ones involving printers, domain controllers and the like. A marvelous way to learn, at the same time it is easy to find particular snippets of information when you require them. I find Appendices C (a configuration option quick reference) and D (a summary of the command line options for the daemons) and the fault tree in Chapter 9 particularly useful. I would recommend this book to everyone who wishes to integrate Samba into a Windows environment, regardless if it is a small home network or an entire office building. And yes, you can download the entire text for free - the Samba team have now adopted it as part of the official documentation thanks to the authors and O'Reilly, but call me old fashioned, I like having the paper.
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Summary: This book is now available for free along with the software
Review: This book is a must read...but you don't have to pay for it. O'Reilly made the book free by including it along with the software download. So you not only get updated versions of the book, you don't have to pay a penny for it.
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Summary: Very good coverage
Review: This book is an incredible reference for using samba. I have had this book a little over a week now, and have been using the many well documented examples in this book in a test environment. My intention when I first purchased this book was to do away with my nt pdc and go to a samba dc. I have accomplished this in my test environment (complete with user shares, wins, etc.) thanks to this book. If you are even the slightest bit interested in the accomplishment(s) that samba allows, this book will guide you every step of the way.
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Summary: Good for beginners
Review: This book is good if you don't really know all that much about networking and linux configuration. If you do then I think that the online manuals to Samba should probably suffice for your purposes. However, for those who have little experience in setting up networks, this book assumes little previous knowledge and starts from the beginning. It's an easy read, and worth reading to familarize yourself with all the features of Samba and SMB.
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Summary: Outstanding Treatment of Samba and Networking
Review: This is by far the finest computer book I have ever read. I recommend this book to people wanting to install and use Samba because no other book, HOWTO, or online forum explains SAMBA so well. I also recommend this book to people just getting their feet wet with networking because it comprehensively examines both Linux and Windows networking issues in an extremely easy to read, step-by-step way. This book has screen shots -- a lot of them. This book has examples -- a lot of them. This book has very easily followed writing that tells you how to set up your Linux and Windows machines and how to get Samba going. The book sits down with you, rolls up your sleeves, and shows you how to progress in a way that yeilds desired results -- Samba installs and works on your network! It blends instruction with just the right amount of background explanation without forcing you to read page after page of useless, smothering detail. A lot of authors would be well advised to achieve this kind of balance in computer books and darn few succeed. I had my Windows box talking to my Linux box via Samba in just a day. I spent about 2 weeks going over the book and studying my existing Windows network before making any software changes whatsoever. This book offers a comprehensive networking fault tree people new to networking will find extremely useful. Follow this fault tree and you will be able to correct general networking problems as well as specific Samba problems. When I had networking problems back when I first got into Linux with Red Hat 6.0, I could have fixed them with this book's fault tree. It would have saved me hours of frustration to have worked through this book's fault tree. I think everyone wanting to connect Linux boxes to Windows boxes should rush to order this book and then spend 2 weeks reading it cover to cover before messing with ANY network settings. You will be rewarded for your money and patience with results and a feeling of genuine accomplishment. I've noticed a trend in Linux books where the authors like to waste space and reader's time with useless banner "warnings" and sometimes repetitive moralizing. Some writers print warnings every 2 pages and sound as bad as hoax emails. Well you won't find many warnings in Using Samba. They are worth reading when found. As far as I can see, there are only 2 bad points about this book and you can't blame the authors for them: unless it is lovingly revised in a new edition, increasing rollouts of Windows 2000 will rapidly obsolete the excellent Samba advice you can get here. As of this writing (August 2000), Windows Millenium Edition will be available to consumers September 14, and depending on sales this may help obsolete the book also. The second bad point is that Samba has not gone into a new version which can deal with Windows 2000 and Millenium Edition yet. It is still stuck at 2.0.7. Hopefully the Samba team will release a new version in the near future covering Windows 2000. And I sure hope The Samba Book, as it is called, is revised to cover the new Windows products!
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Summary: superb
Review: This is THE book for samba configuration. No two ways about it. This book rules. These guys really want you to succeed an not only working a half-decent smb.conf file to implement a file server or print server but REALLY work your servers by creating stable, secure configurations where you do know what the options mean so you are implmenting knoweldge rather than mimicking the actions of others: lending robustness to your servers. It also help when you need to troubleshoot that you understand what you've done. Listen to these guys and that's what you'll accomplish: understanding. There is also good documentation on configuring various windows clients (as well as some insightful opinions on windows and it's failings and foibles: eg. Windows XP home being almost useless in a domain environment) Lots of really good knowledge here. Pick it up and read it NOW! And then read it again. To top it off, it is also very well written and easy to read! You now have no excuse not too...:)
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Summary: A must for sysadmins
Review: What I liked the most:
1. A straightforward and detailed giude on setting up the application. I had it up and working in an NT domain with shares and all in a matter of hours. Built it from the source code.
2. Clear and systematic review of Netbios concepts and MS flavors of networking. The things Redmond guys prefer to leave on the level 'it works we know how and you need not bother'. Explained here.
3. Nice chapter with a troubleshooting tree. When I actually ran into a problem it helped. This time RTFM was sorta painless.
4. When you are through you understand why it is essential to make the MS guys publish their protocol standards and doc specs.
The book is a must read for admins wishing to know more of life than just NT.
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