Chapter 8. Stand-Alone Servers

Chapter 8. Stand-Alone Servers
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John H. Terpstra

Samba Team

<jht@samba.org>

Table of Contents

Features and Benefits

Background

Example Configuration

Reference Documentation Server
Central Print Serving

Common Errors

+Stand-Alone servers are independent of Domain Controllers on the network. +They are NOT domain members and function more like workgroup servers. In many +cases a stand-alone server is configured with a minimum of security control +with the intent that all data served will be readily accessible to all users. +

Features and Benefits

+Stand-Alone servers can be as secure or as insecure as needs dictate. They can +have simple or complex configurations. Above all, despite the hoopla about +Domain security they remain a very common installation. +

+If all that is needed is a server for read-only files, or for +printers alone, it may not make sense to affect a complex installation. +For example: A drafting office needs to store old drawings and reference +standards. No-one can write files to the server as it is legislatively +important that all documents remain unaltered. A share mode read-only stand-alone +server is an ideal solution. +

+Another situation that warrants simplicity is an office that has many printers +that are queued off a single central server. Everyone needs to be able to print +to the printers, there is no need to affect any access controls and no files will +be served from the print server. Again a share mode stand-alone server makes +a great solution. +

Background

+The term stand-alone server means that the server +will provide local authentication and access control for all resources +that are available from it. In general this means that there will be a +local user database. In more technical terms, it means that resources +on the machine will be made available in either SHARE mode or in +USER mode. +

+No special action is needed other than to create user accounts. Stand-alone +servers do NOT provide network logon services. This means that machines that +use this server do NOT perform a domain logon to it. Whatever logon facility +the workstations are subject to is independent of this machine. It is however +necessary to accommodate any network user so that the logon name they use will +be translated (mapped) locally on the stand-alone server to a locally known +user name. There are several ways this can be done. +

+Samba tends to blur the distinction a little in respect of what is +a stand-alone server. This is because the authentication database may be +local or on a remote server, even if from the Samba protocol perspective +the Samba server is NOT a member of a domain security context. +

+Through the use of PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules) and nsswitch +(the name service switcher, which maintains the unix user database) the source of authentication may reside on +another server. We would be inclined to call this the authentication server. +This means that the Samba server may use the local UNIX/Linux system password database +(/etc/passwd or /etc/shadow), may use a +local smbpasswd file, or may use +an LDAP back end, or even via PAM and Winbind another CIFS/SMB server +for authentication. +

Example Configuration

+The following examples are designed to inspire simplicity. It is too easy to +attempt a high level of creativity and to introduce too much complexity in +server and network design. +

Reference Documentation Server

+Configuration of a read-only data server that EVERYONE can access is very simple. +Here is the smb.conf file that will do this. Assume that all the reference documents +are stored in the directory /export, that the documents are owned by a user other than +nobody. No home directories are shared, that are no users in the /etc/passwd +UNIX system database. This is a very simple system to administer. +

Example 8.1. smb.conf for Reference Documentation Server

# Global parameters

[global]

workgroup = MIDEARTH

netbios name = GANDALF

security = SHARE

passdb backend = guest

wins server = 192.168.1.1

[data]

comment = Data

path = /export

guest only = Yes

+In the above example the machine name is set to REFDOCS, the workgroup is set to the name +of the local workgroup so that the machine will appear in with systems users are familiar +with. The only password backend required is the "guest" backend so as to allow default +unprivileged account names to be used. Given that there is a WINS server on this network +we do use it. +

Central Print Serving

+Configuration of a simple print server is very simple if you have all the right tools +on your system. +

Assumptions:

+ The print server must require no administration +
+ The print spooling and processing system on our print server will be CUPS. + (Please refer to the chapter about CUPS for more information). +
+ All printers that the print server will service will be network + printers. They will be correctly configured, by the administrator, + in the CUPS environment. +
+ All workstations will be installed using postscript drivers. The printer + of choice is the Apple Color LaserWriter. +

+In this example our print server will spool all incoming print jobs to +/var/spool/samba until the job is ready to be submitted by +Samba to the CUPS print processor. Since all incoming connections will be as +the anonymous (guest) user, two things will be required: +

Enabling Anonymous Printing

+ The UNIX/Linux system must have a guest account. + The default for this is usually the account nobody. + To find the correct name to use for your version of Samba do the + following: +
```
+$ testparm -s -v | grep "guest account"
+
```
+ Then make sure that this account exists in your system password + database (/etc/passwd). +
+ The directory into which Samba will spool the file must have write + access for the guest account. The following commands will ensure that + this directory is available for use: +
```
+root# mkdir /var/spool/samba
+root# chown nobody.nobody /var/spool/samba
+root# chmod a+rwt /var/spool/samba
+
```
+

Example 8.2. smb.conf for anonymous printing

# Global parameters

[global]

workgroup = MIDEARTH

netbios name = GANDALF

security = SHARE

passdb backend = guest

wins server = noldor

printing = cups

printcap name = cups

[printers]

comment = All Printers

path = /var/spool/samba

printer admin = root

guest ok = Yes

printable = Yes

use client driver = Yes

browseable = No

Common Errors

+The greatest mistake so often made is to make a network configuration too complex. +It pays to use the simplest solution that will meet the needs of the moment. +

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