Mac OS X Unleashed

By John Ray and William C. Ray

• Table of Contents
  • Copyright
  • About the Author
  • Acknowledgments
  • Tell Us What You Think!
  • Introduction
  • Part I: Introduction to Mac OS X
  • Chapter 1. Mac OS X Component Architecture
  • Chapter 2. Installing Mac OS X
  • Chapter 3. Mac OS X Basics
  • Chapter 4. The Finder: Working with Files and Applications
  • Chapter 5. Running Classic Mac OS Applications
  • Part II: Inside Mac OS X
  • Chapter 6. Native Utilities and Applications
  • Chapter 7. Internet Communications
  • Chapter 8. Installing Third-Party Applications
  • Part III: User-Level OS X Configuration
  • Chapter 9. Network Setup
  • Chapter 10. Printer and Font Management
  • Chapter 11. Additional System Components
  • Part IV: Introduction to BSD Applications
  • Chapter 12. Introducing the BSD Subsystem
  • Chapter 13. Common Unix Shell Commands: File Operations
  • Part V: Advanced Command-Line Concepts
  • Chapter 14. Advanced Shell Concepts and Commands
  • Chapter 15. Command-Line Applications and Application Suites
  • Chapter 16. Command-Line Software Installation
  • Chapter 17. Troubleshooting Software Installs, and Compiling and Debugging Manually
  • Chapter 18. Advanced Unix Shell Use: Configuration and Programming (Shell Scripting)
  • Part VI: Server/Network Administration
  • Chapter 19. X Window System Applications
  • Chapter 20. Command-Line Configuration and Administration
  • Chapter 21. AppleScript
  • Chapter 22. Perl Scripting and SQL Connectivity
  • Chapter 23. File and Resource Sharing with NetInfo
  • Chapter 24. User Management and Machine Clustering
  • Chapter 25. FTP Serving
  • Chapter 26. Remote Access and Administration
  • Chapter 27. Web Serving
  • Part VII: Server Health
  • Chapter 28. Web Programming
  • Chapter 29. Creating a Mail Server
  • Chapter 30. Accessing and Serving a Windows Network
    • SMB and CIFS
    • Samba
    • Mac OS X 10.1 SMB/CIFS Client
    • Sharity
    • Sharity Application Configuration
    • Summary
  • Chapter 31. Server Security and Advanced Network Configuration
  • Chapter 32. System Maintenance
  • Appendix A. Command-Line Reference
  • Appendix B. Administration Reference

SMB and CIFS

The SMB, Simple Message Block, protocol provides the basis for Windows file and print sharing. SMB provides support for file browsing, and two levels of security:

• User— A user must authenticate with the SMB server during the initial connection. The supplied username and password determine what resources the user can access.
• Share— Share-level security operates on an individual shared resource. The resource has a single password. Anyone with access to the password can access the resource.

SMB is implemented on top of a transport protocol. Think of this as similar to the way that AppleTalk exists on top of LocalTalk (serial networking) and EtherTalk (ethernet-based networks).

The SMB protocol has gone through several phases in its existence. Early in life, it used NetBEUI as its transport protocol. NetBEUI is independent of TCP/IP and, as such, was only suited for local-area networks. Today, most SMB services run on top of NetBIOS (NetBT/NBT). NetBIOS is the equivalent of NetBEUI, but running on top of TCP/IP. This creates a routable file/print serving system that can be used across the Internet as well as LAN situations.

Unfortunately, things aren't that clean and simple. The NetBEUI protocol used a simple broadcast protocol to enable browsing of local resources. When SMB moved to NetBIOS (and thus TCP/IP), finding remote resources became a bigger problem. Machines needed a new way to locate each other, besides sending broadcast packets—this was the only way to successfully handle spanning across multiple subnets.

The WINS protocol was created to provide a central registration point for Windows computers. When coming online, a computer can register itself with a WINS server, as well as look up other machines for creating a connection.

The latest version of SMB is known as CIFS (Common Internet File System) and is backed by Microsoft as well as several third-party companies. CIFS is an open version of SMB with Internet-specific modifications. For the sake of remaining reasonably sane, you can assume that CIFS and SMB are synonymous.

SMB Server

The Macintosh operating system has never been a strong team player when it comes to interacting with Windows systems. Windows-centric networks usually rely on an NT or 2000-based server with Macintosh services installed to interoperate. Things have changed for the better. The Unix basis of Mac OS X has opened up the possibilities tremendously.

Over the past few years, Windows-only shops have been slowly adding Linux systems to their server arsenal. The reason for this seemingly unnatural acceptance of an alternative operating system is a piece of software called Samba (see "Samba" later in this chapter for more detailed information). Samba is named for the SMB protocol and provides a drop-in replacement for Windows NT services. Although many companies are converting to 2000-based and ADS-based servers, Samba offers comparable performance, features, and a price that can't be beat (free, of course). To quote eWEEK:

• Samba is capable, flexible, mature, and fairly well-documented; runs on several Unix operating systems; offers Web-based configuration and administration; and is free.
• Samba is now a viable option as a file and print server for many more Windows shops than before and earns an eWEEK Labs Analyst's Choice award for this remarkable technical accomplishment.
• To add this functionality, Samba Team developers (including those who are part of the Samba: The Next Generation project) had to reverse-engineer the proprietary protocols Microsoft Corp. uses to authenticate users and systems over the network, using, in many cases, nothing but a packet sniffer.

The entire article is available at: www.zdnet.com/eweek/stories/general/0,11011,2712294,00.html.

Samba offers Web-based configuration and administration. Even if you've never used a Windows computer and don't know the first thing about Windows file sharing, you'll be able to get a basic server up and running in only a few minutes.

Samba supports several advanced features, including file/printer sharing, user/share security, WINS, and emulation of a Windows NT domain. Best of all, it now runs natively on Mac OS X. Now Windows users can come to the Mac, rather than vice versa.

SMB Client

Samba provides SMB server support, but we still need a Mac client for Windows networks. There have been several attempts to produce a stable Mac client that works well with Windows. Although your experience might be different, I have yet to find a Mac OS 8/9 solution that doesn't cause incredible system instability.

Again, Mac OS X's Unix basis gives it an advantage. Within a few days of the original Mac OS X release, Objective Development had released the first version of Sharity for Mac OS X. Sharity is a CIFS client that works on a large number of Unix platforms and is backed by years of stress testing. Sharity integrates the Windows network neighborhood into Mac OS X and is remarkably simple to use.

Objective Development offers licensing options that are very reasonable, including free hobbyist, student, and educational licenses. You can download Sharity and get started immediately, and then upgrade later if needed.

Share This