How To Install and Configure SAMBA Server on RHEL 6

Installation

$ yum -y install samba samba-client

$ service smb restart

Configuration

The default configuration works just fine.

$ cat /etc/samba/smb.conf
...
[global]
    workgroup = MYGROUP
    server string = Samba Server Version %v
    log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
    max log size = 50

    security = user
    passdb backend = tdbsam

    load printers = yes
    cups options = raw

[homes]
    comment = Home Directories
    browseable = no
    writable = yes

[printers]
    comment = All Printers
    path = /var/spool/samba
    browseable = no
    guest ok = no
    writable = no
    printable = yes
...

Security

Having 'security = user' means we need a UNIX account. Lets create one.

$ useradd -s /sbin/nologin winuser1

And set samba password for account.

$ smbpasswd -a winuser1

Firewall

$ iptables -I INPUT 5 -m state --state new -p tcp --dport 445 -j ACCEPT

$ iptables -I INPUT 6 -m state --state new -p udp --dport 137 -j ACCEPT

$ iptables -I INPUT 7 -m state --state new -p udp --dport 138 -j ACCEPT

$ iptables -I INPUT 8 -m state --state new -p tcp --dport 139 -j ACCEPT

Test

Now lets test it from a remote client. First lets list all shares on host.

$ smbclient -L 127.0.0.1 -U winuser1
Enter winuser1's password: 
Domain=[MYGROUP] OS=[Unix] Server=[Samba 3.6.9-168.el6_5]

 Sharename       Type      Comment
 ---------       ----      -------
 IPC$            IPC       IPC Service (Samba Server Version 3.6.9-168.el6_5)
 winuser1        Disk      Home Directories
Domain=[MYGROUP] OS=[Unix] Server=[Samba 3.6.9-168.el6_5]

 Server               Comment
 ---------            -------

 Workgroup            Master
 ---------            -------

And to mount it.

$ mount -t cifs -o user=winuser1 //192.168.1.16/winuser1 /remote

Finally lets test to write to winuser1 home directory.

$ echo "Hello" >> /remote/foo
-bash: /remote/foo: Permission denied

This did not go well. The missing configuration is SELinux.

SELinux

On the SAMBA server, run the following command, if you want to share home directories via samba.

$ setsebool -P samba_enable_home_dirs on

Now lets get back to client and un mount and the remount and write and read and that should be successful.