.TH NMBD 8 nmbd nmbd
.SH NAME
nmbd \- provide netbios nameserver support to clients
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B nmbd
[
.B \-D
] [
.B \-H
.I netbios hosts file
] [
.B \-d
.I debuglevel
] [
.B \-l
.I log basename
] [
.B \-n
.I netbios name
] [
.B \-p
.I port number
] [
.B \-s
.I configuration file
]
.SH DESCRIPTION
This program is part of the Samba suite.

.B nmbd
is a server that understands and can reply to netbios
name service requests, like those produced by LanManager
clients. It also controls browsing.

LanManager clients, when they start up, may wish to locate a LanManager server.
That is, they wish to know what IP number a specified host is using.

This program simply listens for such requests, and if its own name is specified
it will respond with the IP number of the host it is running on. "Its own name"
is by default the name of the host it is running on, but this can be overriden
with the
.B \-n
option (see "OPTIONS" below). Using the

Nmbd can also be used as a WINS (Windows Internet Name Server)
server. It will do this automatically by default. What this basically
means is that it will respond to all name requests that it receives
that are not broadcasts, as long as it can resolve the name.
.SH OPTIONS
.B \-B

.RS 3
This option is obsolete. Please use the interfaces option in smb.conf
.RE
.B \-I

.RS 3
This option is obsolete. Please use the interfaces option in smb.conf
.RE

.B \-D

.RS 3
If specified, this parameter causes the server to operate as a daemon. That is,
it detaches itself and runs in the background, fielding requests on the 
appropriate port.

By default, the server will NOT operate as a daemon.
.RE

.B \-C comment string

.RS 3
This option is obsolete. Please use the "server string" option in smb.conf
.RE

.B \-G

.RS 3
This option is obsolete. Please use the "workgroup" option in smb.conf
.RE

.B \-H
.I netbios hosts file

.RS 3
It may be useful in some situations to be able to specify a list of
netbios names for which the server should send a reply if
queried. This option allows that. The syntax is similar to the
standard /etc/hosts file format, but has some extensions.

The file contains three columns. Lines beginning with a # are ignored
as comments. The first column is an IP address, or a hostname. If it
is a hostname then it is interpreted as the IP address returned by
gethostbyname() when read. Any IP address of 0.0.0.0 will be
interpreted as the server's own IP address.

The second column is a netbios name. This is the name that the server
will respond to. It must be less than 20 characters long.

The third column is optional, and is intended for flags. Currently the
only flag supported is M. 

An M means that this name is the default netbios name for this
machine. This has the same affect as specifying the
.B \-n
option to
.BR nmbd .

NOTE: The G and S flags are now obsolete and are replaced by the
"interfaces" and "remote announce" options in smb.conf.

After startup the server waits for queries, and will answer queries to
any name known to it. This includes all names in the netbios hosts
file (if any) and its own name.

The primary intention of the
.B \-H
option is to allow a mapping from
netbios names to internet domain names.

.B Example:

        # This is a sample netbios hosts file

        # DO NOT USE THIS FILE AS-IS
        # YOU MAY INCONVENIENCE THE OWNERS OF THESE IPs
        # if you want to include a name with a space in it then 
        # use double quotes.

        # next add a netbios alias for a faraway host
        arvidsjaur.anu.edu.au ARVIDSJAUR

        # finally put in an IP for a hard to find host
        130.45.3.213 FREDDY

.RE
.B \-N

.RS 3
This option is obsolete. Please use the "interfaces" option in
smb.conf instead.
.RE

.B \-d
.I debuglevel
.RS 3
This option sets the debug level. See
.BR smb.conf (5).
.RE

.B \-l
.I log file

.RS 3
If specified,
.I log file
specifies a base filename into which operational data from the running server
will be logged.

The default base name is specified at compile time.

The base name is used to generate actual log file names. For example, if the
name specified was "log" then the file log.nmb would contain debug
info.
.RE

.B \-n
.I netbios name

.RS 3
This option allows you to override the Netbios name that Samba uses
for itself. 
.RE

.B \-p
.I port number
.RS 3

port number is a positive integer value.

Don't use this option unless you are an expert, in which case you
won't need help!

.B \-s
.I configuration file

.RS 3
The default configuration file name is determined at compile time.

The file specified contains the configuration details required by the server.
See
.BR smb.conf (5)
for more information.
.RE
.SH VERSION

This man page is (mostly) correct for version 1.9.16 of the Samba
suite, plus some of the recent patches to it. These notes will
necessarily lag behind development of the software, so it is possible
that your version of the server has extensions or parameter semantics
that differ from or are not covered by this man page. Please notify
these to the address below for rectification.
.SH SEE ALSO
.BR inetd (8),
.BR smbd (8), 
.BR smb.conf (5),
.BR smbclient (1),
.BR testparm (1), 
.BR testprns (1)
.SH CREDITS
The original Samba software and related utilities were created by 
Andrew Tridgell (samba-bugs@samba.anu.edu.au). Andrew is also the Keeper
of the Source for this project.

This man page was originally written by Karl Auer (Karl.Auer@anu.edu.au).