[Samba] Can someone explain SMB passwords?

[Volker Lendecke]

On Mon, Jul 22, 2013 at 01:07:34AM -0700, Paul D. DeRocco wrote:
> > From: Volker Lendecke [mailto:Volker.Lendecke at SerNet.DE] 
> > 
> > "force user" happens after any user authentication. Samba
> > uses the client provided username to find the entry in the
> > smbpasswd file. After that succeeded, when connecting to the
> > share, it will switch back to root for accessing files. But
> > the local user must exist for Samba to let the user in at
> > all.
> 
> So is there ANY way to provide access to a share, with only a password, not
> caring about a username? Or must I pick a name (e.g., "root") and tell all
> clients to log in under that username? If I do the latter, and root isn't
> listed in smbpasswd, will it just do ordinary Unix authentication, demanding
> a password that matches the local root password? Is the purpose of an SMB
> password to allow a client to be assigned a different password, without
> having to reveal the local Unix one? Or MUST I list "root" in smbpasswd with
> the same password as the local Unix one?

There is also the "username map" parameter, using which you
can for example say

username map = /etc/samba/usermap

and then open a file named /etc/samba/username with a single
line containing

root = *

With best regards,

Volker Lendecke

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