Gsmb simplifies management of Samba user file (/etc/smbpasswd) with its graphical interface.
With the initial Windows 95 releases, passwords for accessing shared volumes were sent as cleartext over the network. However, Windows 95 updates introduced encryption for these passwords. Therefore, there are two methods for making Samba support this new authentication scheme: either modify the register base of Win95 clients to reactivate cleartext passwords or configure Samba so it accepts the encrypted password. The second option is what Gsmb focuses on.
To get started with Gsmb, you would need to download version 0.5, which was released on the 30th of September, 1999. To activate the recognition of encrypted passwords, one would need to configure the option ENCRYPT PASSWORDS = yes in the /etc/smb.conf configuration file. Additionally, it would be necessary to create the Samba users file which, in Redhat 5.2, is called /etc/smbpasswd. This file can be modified using Gsmb, which uses the Gtk 1.2.0. library.
In using Gsmb, there are several functions available. The Quit function is presented in the menu "File" and allows the user to quit the program. The menu "smbpasswd/create smbpasswd version 1.9.x from passwd" function deletes the "/etc/smbpasswd" file and another one. This function reads the "/etc/passwd" file and creates a Samba count for each Linux user. The '/etc/smbpasswd' file is then filled with the samba 1.9.x format. The menu "smbpasswd/create smbpasswd version 2.0.x from passwd" function does the same thing as the previous function, but with the samba 2.0.x format.
Gsmb also allows for the creation of new Linux and Samba users using the function presented in the menu "smbpasswd/create another users". The buttons between the two lists make it easier to create Samba users. All the user needs to do is to select one or several users in the Linux list, select the format preferred, and click on the button with the arrows. This action creates the corresponding Samba users.
Additionally, users can delete Samba users by selecting the Samba user(s) and clicking on the delete button. There is also the possibility to have a null password for Samba users. If the row for a user is red, then the Null password option for that user should be validated. Finally, users can disable Samba user accounts by adding a "D" in a field for format 2.0.x, and a string of X's in the password field for format 1.9.x. These states of the account are shown in the first column of the Samba users list.
Version 0.5: N/A