Samba For Mac

Samba is a handy open source and multi-platform utility that makes it easy for system and network administrators to easily setup, configure and use various systems and equipment.

Samba delivers file and print services for different Microsoft Windows clients and it is capable to integrate with a Windows Server domain as a Primary Domain Controllers or as a domain member. The name comes from SMB, short for Server Message Block, the standard protocol used by the Microsoft Windows network file system.

The easy to configure Windows interoperability suite offers essential print and file services to CIFS and SMB clients, straightforward protocols for file and print sharing. Samba uses the TCP/IP protocol and enables the host to interact with a Windows server or client.

Samba also offers a replacement for domain controllers and a reliable file and print server that acts as a member. Thanks to Samba you can gain access to SMB client that enables you to use PC printers and discs directly from your Mac.

On top of that, Samba offers an extension for PC backup, as well as a tool that supports NT administrative functionality. Consequently, Samba helps you with the migration process and supports the interoperability with Windows and other administration tools.

In order to successfully compile Samba from source you first have to extract the contents of the downloaded archive, open a Terminal window, go to Samba’s folder and run the following commands from the command line:

./configure make sudo make install

All things considered, Samba is a powerful albeit GUI-less free and open source suite designed from scratch to deliver seamless file and print services to SMB/CIFS clients.