[Samba] Which guide is better for setting up and configuring Samba 4.23.5 as a Windows Server 2022 Active Directory Domain Controller?

[Turritopsis Dohrnii Teo En Ming]

On Thursday, 26 February 2026 at 8:33 PM, Rowland Penny via samba <samba at lists.samba.org> wrote:

> On Thu, 26 Feb 2026 11:49:14 +0000
> Turritopsis Dohrnii Teo En Ming via samba <samba at lists.samba.org> wrote:
> 
> > Subject: Which guide is better for setting up and configuring Samba
> > 4.23.5 as a Windows Server 2022 Active Directory Domain Controller?
> 
> There isn't one, you cannot setup any Linux computer as a Windows
> Server and the highest functional level of a Samba AD DC is 2016
> 
> >
> > Good day from Singapore,
> >
> > I have found a few guides/tutorials on the internet.
> >
> > [01] Setting up Samba as an Active Directory Domain Controller
> > Link:
> > https://wiki.samba.org/index.php/Setting_up_Samba_as_an_Active_Directory_Domain_Controller
> 
> That is the basic Samba documentation and should get you up and
> running, if you find anythin incorrect (apart from the paths, they are
> aimed at a self-compiled version of Samba), then please tells us.
> 
> >
> > Date of guide: 19 Aug 2024
> >
> > [02] COMPLETE AND DETAILED TUTORIAL: Installing Samba 4 Active
> > Directory Domain Controller on Fedora 42+/Rocky Linux 9+ Link:
> > https://meetcyber.net/full-guide-deploying-samba-active-directory-on-fedora-and-rocky-with-hybrid-dns-and-gpo-support-30f47fab1e90
> >
> > Date of guide: 30 Oct 2025
> 
> What that doesn't appear to tell you (and I could have missed it, I
> just quickly scanned it) is that Fedora uses MIT for the KDC and that
> is still marked as experimental. It also states that it is for Rocky 9
> and you cannot provision a Samba Domain using the standard OS Samba
> packages on Rocky Linux, the code just isn't there.
> 
> >
> > Remarks: I have found some text which is not English, and I probably
> > will not be able to understand.
> 
> Google translate ?
> 
> >
> > [03] Provisioning a Samba Active Directory Domain Controller
> > Link:
> > https://documentation.ubuntu.com/server/how-to/samba/provision-samba-ad-controller/
> >
> > Date of guide: 10 Dec 2025
> 
> That one is a bit brief and, in my opinion, could do with some more
> detail.
> 
> >
> > May I know which guide is better for setting up and configuring Samba
> > 4.23.5 as a Windows Server 2022 Active Directory Domain Controller?
> >
> > If there are better guides/tutorials out there which is not on the
> > above list, please let me know.
> >
> 
> It doesn't really seem to matter which OS you use, you can set up Samba
> as an AD DC in much the same way on all of them.
> 
> These are just my opinions, yours may differ:
> 
> You need to use an OS that regularly updates Samba to as near the
> latest version as possible, Samba is a rapidly updated with new
> features.
> 
> If you are going to use a redhat or redhat based OS, then do not use
> the OS packages, they either use MIT as the KDC or you cannot provision
> a domain with them. If you must use a redhat OS, then use third party
> Samba packages e.g. the Tranquil IT ones.
> 
> Once you have decided on the OS etc, you just need to install the
> correct packages, ensure that the computer has a fixed ipaddress and
> FQDN set, the REALM is set in /etc/krb5.conf, time is set correctly and
> there isn't a smb.conf file. At this point, you should be able to
> provision a new domain.
> 
> The general consensus appear to favour using Debian 13.
> 
> Rowland

Since I am going to use Debian 13, I have found the following guide. 

Guide: Installing and configuring Samba-AD on Debian
Link: https://samba.tranquil.it/doc/en/samba_config_server-server_install_samba_debian.html

Is this a good guide to follow?

Thank you.

Regards,

Mr. Turritopsis Dohrnii Teo En Ming
Extremely Democratic People's Republic of Singapore
26 Feb 2026 Thursday 10.55 pm Singapore Time