[Samba] Name resolution for home network?

[Rowland Penny]

On Mon, 7 Apr 2025 13:56:05 +0200
Gilles via samba <samba at lists.samba.org> wrote:

> Hello,
> 
> For my home network, now that SMBv1 and WINS are gone, I currently
> rely on etc/hosts for name resolution. I can confirm that a host is
> no longer found after I comment it out in Windows' 
> C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts file.
> 
> I'd like to use a server instead. With just a couple of Samba
> servers, I don't bother with Active Directory, and just set them up
> as stand-alone servers.
> 
> Am I correct in understanding that I should install BIND on one of
> the two Linux hosts to resolve local names, and it will forward
> queries to my ISP's DNS server for unknown hosts (ie. the Internet)?
> Are there other options for name resolution?

Well, seeing as how you are going for lightness, how about dnsmasq ?
If you do not really want to run a dns server, then you could fall back
on Avahi.

> 
> Thank you.
> 
> PS : FWIW, here's my smb.conf:
> 
> =================
> [global]
> workgroup = WORKGROUP
> netbios name = LINUX1
> 
> security = user
> ;added, but makes no difference
> server role = standalone server
> 
> map to guest = Bad User
> ;www-data used by Nginx
> guest account = www-data
> 
> interfaces = 192.168.0.15/255.255.255.0 127.0.0.1/255.255.255.255
> bind interfaces only = yes
> 
> log level = 2
> 
> ;with SMBv1 gone, WINS goes too
> ;wins support = yes
> ;local master = yes
> ;preferred master = yes
> ;domain master = yes
> ;os level = 255
> ;now using wsdd for share discovery
> disable netbios = yes
> client min protocol = SMB2_02
> server min protocol = SMB2_02
> smb ports = 445
> 
> ;this avoids needless errors in the logs if you have no printer
> printcap name = /dev/null
> load printers = no
> printing = bsd
> 
> [nginx]
> path = /usr/share/nginx
> ;Thus no need for Unix/Samba passwords
> guest ok = yes
> writeable=yes
> browseable=yes
> ;mask = mode
> create mode = 0644
> =================

Try reading 'man smb.conf', you can remove most of those settings from
your smb.conf file.

Rowland