However ardently the Unix community may wish for it, Windows NT (and its successors) aren’t going away. Furthermore, the idea of a “Windows shop” that is
distinct from a “Unix shop” is unrealistic in many cases. Samba allows Windows NT machines to interact with Unix machines by handling Windows Server Message Block (SMB) calls. Samba: UNIX and NT Internetworking takes a platform-neutral approach to Samba that is suitable for any reader, regardless of greater familiarity with either Windows or Unix. This book will help you get Samba running, but lots of books will do that. This is the one to read if you have a strange Samba problem or you just want to know more about how the server and its clients work.

The conversational writing style in this book is liberally punctuated with lines from configuration files, Windows Registry entries, and tables that list options. The conceptual diagrams are particularly good (if a bit pixilated)–they complement the text rather well. Windows 2000 is taken into particular consideration in this book, and you’ll find quite a bit of information about how Samba interacts with it. The notes on Samba’s implications for Active Directory are worth reading too. And you’ll be pleased to find a copy of Samba 2.0.5.a on the companion CD-ROM, complete with source code and some additional documentation. –David Wall

Topics covered: Samba 2.0.x and its relationship to Unix, Windows NT, and Windows 2000. Installation, configuration, authentication, names, domains, file shares, print shares, administration tools, and troubleshooting all receive attention.

[Review]