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

[Rowland Penny]

On Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:56:13 +0000
Turritopsis Dohrnii Teo En Ming <teo.en.ming at protonmail.com> wrote:

> 
> 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.
> 

I personally would use the Samba packages from trixie-backports, which
will get you Samba 4.23.5

Then follow the tranquil IT page until you get to where it says:
 
The Samba domain creation script creates an unnecessary /var/lib/samba/private/krb5.conf file. It must be removed and replaced by a symbolic link to the /etc/krb5.conf file:

rm -f /var/lib/samba/private/krb5.conf
ln -s /etc/krb5.conf /var/lib/samba/private/krb5.conf

If you read the output from the samba-tool domain provision command, near the end you will find this:

A Kerberos configuration suitable for Samba AD has been generated at /var/lib/samba/private/krb5.conf
Merge the contents of this file with your system krb5.conf or replace it with this one. Do not create a symlink!

That is the file that Tranquil IT is referring in their, in my opinion, incorrect statement. 
You need to copy /var/lib/samba/private/krb5.conf over /etc/krb5.conf
I have no idea why Tranquil IT thinks the file that Samba creates is 'unnecessary'.

Rowland