As most Linux users know, Samba [1] is an open source file and print system that provides interoperability with Windows environments. For more that 15 years, Samba has managed configuration settings through the plain-text file smb.conf. With the release of Samba 3.2.0 in July 2008, this paradigm of plain-text-only configuration is no longer the only option. A new configuration back end can store the configuration data in Samba's internal registry database. The default behavior is the same as before, but if you explicitly enable registry-based configuration through smb.conf, you can manage your Samba settings through a Windows-style registry.

Registry-based configuration opens many new options, such as remote administration and administration of Samba from Windows computers.

Why a Registry?

Samba has always maintained a registry database so that Windows clients could access the registry over the WINREG RPC interface to retrieve information for the connection. (Figure 1 shows WINREG access of a Windows client connecting to a Windows server.) Until recently, however, Samba did not use the registry for any other purposes.

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