1. Samba

2. What is Samba
Samba is an Open Source/Free Software suite that provides seamless file and print services to SMB/CIFS clients.
Samba is freely available and allows for interoperability between Linux/Unix servers and Windows-based clients.

3. Cont..
Samba is software that can be run on a platform other than Microsoft Windows, for example, UNIX, Linux, IBM System 390, OpenVMS, and other operating systems.
Samba uses the TCP/IP protocol that is installed on the host server.
When correctly configured, it allows that host to interact with a Microsoft Windows client or server as if it is a Windows file and print server.

4. What Samba does? Samba consists of two key programs.
The two key programs are smbd and nmbd. Their job is to implement the four basic modern-day CIFS(common internet file services), which are:
File & print services
Authentication and Authorization
Name resolution
Service announcement (browsing)

5. File and print services
File and print services of the CIFS suite.
These are provided by smbd, the SMB Daemon. 
Smbd also handles "share mode" and "user mode" authentication and authorization.
In share mode, a password can be assigned to a shared directory or printer (simply called a "share"). This single password is then given to everyone who is allowed to use the share.
With user mode authentication, each user has their own username and password and the System Administrator can grant or deny access on an individual basis.

6. Obtaining and Installing Samba
Binary packages of Samba are included in almost any Linux or UNIX distribution.
Configuring Samba (smb.conf)
Samba's configuration is stored in the smb.conf file, which usually resides in /etc/samba/smb.conf or /usr/local/samba/lib/smb.conf.
You can either edit this file yourself or do it using one of the many graphical tools that are available, such as the Web-based interface SWAT, that is included with Samba.

7. Cont..
Each section in the smb.conf file represents either a share or a meta-service on the Samba server.
Samba supports a number of meta-services, each of which serves its own purpose.
For example, the [homes] share is a meta-service that causes Samba to provide a personal home share for each user.
The [printers] share is a meta-service that establishes print queue support