<!DOCTYPE refentry PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook V4.1//EN"> <refentry id="nmbd"> <refmeta> <refentrytitle>nmbd</refentrytitle> <manvolnum>8</manvolnum> </refmeta> <refnamediv> <refname>nmbd</refname> <refpurpose>NetBIOS name server to provide NetBIOS over IP naming services to clients</refpurpose> </refnamediv> <refsynopsisdiv> <cmdsynopsis> <command>nmbd</command> <arg choice="opt">-D</arg> <arg choice="opt">-a</arg> <arg choice="opt">-i</arg> <arg choice="opt">-o</arg> <arg choice="opt">-P</arg> <arg choice="opt">-h</arg> <arg choice="opt">-V</arg> <arg choice="opt">-d <debug level></arg> <arg choice="opt">-H <lmhosts file></arg> <arg choice="opt">-l <log directory></arg> <arg choice="opt">-n <primary netbios name></arg> <arg choice="opt">-p <port number></arg> <arg choice="opt">-s <configuration file></arg> </cmdsynopsis> </refsynopsisdiv> <refsect1> <title>DESCRIPTION</title> <para>This program is part of the Samba suite.</para> <para><command>nmbd</command> is a server that understands and can reply to NetBIOS over IP name service requests, like those produced by SMB/CIFS clients such as Windows 95/98/ME, Windows NT, Windows 2000, and LanManager clients. It also participates in the browsing protocols which make up the Windows "Network Neighborhood" view.</para> <para>SMB/CIFS clients, when they start up, may wish to locate an SMB/CIFS server. That is, they wish to know what IP number a specified host is using.</para> <para>Amongst other services, <command>nmbd</command> will listen for such requests, and if its own NetBIOS name is specified it will respond with the IP number of the host it is running on. Its "own NetBIOS name" is by default the primary DNS name of the host it is running on, but this can be overridden with the <emphasis>-n</emphasis> option (see OPTIONS below). Thus <command>nmbd</command> will reply to broadcast queries for its own name(s). Additional names for <command>nmbd</command> to respond on can be set via parameters in the <ulink url="smb.conf.5.html"><filename> smb.conf(5)</filename></ulink> configuration file.</para> <para><command>nmbd</command> can also be used as a WINS (Windows Internet Name Server) server. What this basically means is that it will act as a WINS database server, creating a database from name registration requests that it receives and replying to queries from clients for these names.</para> <para>In addition, <command>nmbd</command> can act as a WINS proxy, relaying broadcast queries from clients that do not understand how to talk the WINS protocol to a WIN server.</para> </refsect1> <refsect1> <title>OPTIONS</title> <variablelist> <varlistentry> <term>-D</term> <listitem><para>If specified, this parameter causes <command>nmbd</command> to operate as a daemon. That is, it detaches itself and runs in the background, fielding requests on the appropriate port. By default, <command>nmbd</command> will operate as a daemon if launched from a command shell. nmbd can also be operated from the <command>inetd</command> meta-daemon, although this is not recommended. </para></listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term>-a</term> <listitem><para>If this parameter is specified, each new connection will append log messages to the log file. This is the default.</para></listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term>-i</term> <listitem><para>If this parameter is specified it causes the server to run "interactively", not as a daemon, even if the server is executed on the command line of a shell. Setting this parameter negates the implicit deamon mode when run from the command line. </para></listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term>-o</term> <listitem><para>If this parameter is specified, the log files will be overwritten when opened. By default, <command>smbd</command> will append entries to the log files.</para></listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term>-h</term> <listitem><para>Prints the help information (usage) for <command>nmbd</command>.</para></listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term>-H <filename></term> <listitem><para>NetBIOS lmhosts file. The lmhosts file is a list of NetBIOS names to IP addresses that is loaded by the nmbd server and used via the name resolution mechanism <ulink url="smb.conf.5.html#nameresolveorder"> name resolve order</ulink> described in <ulink url="smb.conf.5.html"> <filename>smb.conf(5)</filename></ulink> to resolve any NetBIOS name queries needed by the server. Note that the contents of this file are <emphasis>NOT</emphasis> used by <command>nmbd</command> to answer any name queries. Adding a line to this file affects name NetBIOS resolution from this host <emphasis>ONLY</emphasis>.</para> <para>The default path to this file is compiled into Samba as part of the build process. Common defaults are <filename>/usr/local/samba/lib/lmhosts</filename>, <filename>/usr/samba/lib/lmhosts</filename> or <filename>/etc/lmhosts</filename>. See the <ulink url="lmhosts.5.html"> <filename>lmhosts(5)</filename></ulink> man page for details on the contents of this file.</para></listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term>-V</term> <listitem><para>Prints the version number for <command>nmbd</command>.</para></listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term>-d <debug level></term> <listitem><para>debuglevel is an integer from 0 to 10. The default value if this parameter is not specified is zero.</para> <para>The higher this value, the more detail will be logged to the log files about the activities of the server. At level 0, only critical errors and serious warnings will be logged. Level 1 is a reasonable level for day to day running - it generates a small amount of information about operations carried out.</para> <para>Levels above 1 will generate considerable amounts of log data, and should only be used when investigating a problem. Levels above 3 are designed for use only by developers and generate HUGE amounts of log data, most of which is extremely cryptic.</para> <para>Note that specifying this parameter here will override the <ulink url="smb.conf.5.html#loglevel">log level</ulink> parameter in the <ulink url="smb.conf.5.html"><filename> smb.conf</filename></ulink> file.</para></listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term>-l <log directory></term> <listitem><para>The -l parameter specifies a directory into which the "log.nmbd" log file will be created for operational data from the running <command>nmbd</command> server.</para> <para>The default log directory is compiled into Samba as part of the build process. Common defaults are <filename> /usr/local/samba/var/log.nmb</filename>, <filename> /usr/samba/var/log.nmb</filename> or <filename>/var/log/log.nmb</filename>.</para></listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term>-n <primary NetBIOS name></term> <listitem><para>This option allows you to override the NetBIOS name that Samba uses for itself. This is identical to setting the <ulink url="smb.conf.5.html#netbiosname"> NetBIOS name</ulink> parameter in the <ulink url="smb.conf.5.html"> <filename>smb.conf</filename></ulink> file. However, a command line setting will take precedence over settings in <filename>smb.conf</filename>.</para></listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term>-p <UDP port number></term> <listitem><para>UDP port number is a positive integer value. This option changes the default UDP port number (normally 137) that <command>nmbd</command> responds to name queries on. Don't use this option unless you are an expert, in which case you won't need help!</para></listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term>-s <configuration file></term> <listitem><para>The default configuration file name is set at build time, typically as <filename> /usr/local/samba/lib/smb.conf</filename>, but this may be changed when Samba is autoconfigured.</para> <para>The file specified contains the configuration details required by the server. See <ulink url="smb.conf.5.html"> <filename>smb.conf(5)</filename></ulink> for more information. </para></listitem> </varlistentry> </variablelist> </refsect1> <refsect1> <title>FILES</title> <variablelist> <varlistentry> <term><filename>/etc/inetd.conf</filename></term> <listitem><para>If the server is to be run by the <command>inetd</command> meta-daemon, this file must contain suitable startup information for the meta-daemon. See the <ulink url="UNIX_INSTALL.html">UNIX_INSTALL.html</ulink> document for details. </para></listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term><filename>/etc/rc</filename></term> <listitem><para>or whatever initialization script your system uses).</para> <para>If running the server as a daemon at startup, this file will need to contain an appropriate startup sequence for the server. See the <ulink url="UNIX_INSTALL.html">UNIX_INSTALL.html</ulink> document for details.</para></listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term><filename>/etc/services</filename></term> <listitem><para>If running the server via the meta-daemon <command>inetd</command>, this file must contain a mapping of service name (e.g., netbios-ssn) to service port (e.g., 139) and protocol type (e.g., tcp). See the <ulink url="UNIX_INSTALL.html">UNIX_INSTALL.html</ulink> document for details.</para></listitem> </varlistentry> <varlistentry> <term><filename>/usr/local/samba/lib/smb.conf</filename></term> <listitem><para>This is the default location of the <ulink url="smb.conf.5.html"><filename>smb.conf</filename></ulink> server configuration file. Other common places that systems install this file are <filename>/usr/samba/lib/smb.conf</filename> and <filename>/etc/smb.conf</filename>.</para> <para>When run as a WINS server (see the <ulink url="smb.conf.5.html#WINSSUPPORT">wins support</ulink> parameter in the <filename>smb.conf(5)</filename> man page), <command>nmbd</command> will store the WINS database in the file <filename>wins.dat</filename> in the <filename>var/locks</filename> directory configured under wherever Samba was configured to install itself.</para> <para>If <command>nmbd</command> is acting as a <emphasis> browse master</emphasis> (see the <ulink url="smb.conf.5.html#LOCALMASTER">local master</ulink> parameter in the <filename>smb.conf(5)</filename> man page, <command>nmbd</command> will store the browsing database in the file <filename>browse.dat </filename> in the <filename>var/locks</filename> directory configured under wherever Samba was configured to install itself. </para></listitem> </varlistentry> </variablelist> </refsect1> <refsect1> <title>SIGNALS</title> <para>To shut down an <command>nmbd</command> process it is recommended that SIGKILL (-9) <emphasis>NOT</emphasis> be used, except as a last resort, as this may leave the name database in an inconsistent state. The correct way to terminate <command>nmbd</command> is to send it a SIGTERM (-15) signal and wait for it to die on its own.</para> <para><command>nmbd</command> will accept SIGHUP, which will cause it to dump out its namelists into the file <filename>namelist.debug </filename> in the <filename>/usr/local/samba/var/locks</filename> directory (or the <filename>var/locks</filename> directory configured under wherever Samba was configured to install itself). This will also cause <command>nmbd</command> to dump out its server database in the <filename>log.nmb</filename> file.</para> <para>The debug log level of nmbd may be raised or lowered using <ulink url="smbcontrol.1.html"><command>smbcontrol(1)</command> </ulink> (SIGUSR[1|2] signals are no longer used in Samba 2.2). This is to allow transient problems to be diagnosed, whilst still running at a normally low log level.</para> </refsect1> <refsect1> <title>VERSION</title> <para>This man page is correct for version 2.2 of the Samba suite.</para> </refsect1> <refsect1> <title>SEE ALSO</title> <para><command>inetd(8)</command>, <ulink url="smbd.8.html"><command>smbd(8)</command></ulink>, <ulink url="smb.conf.5.html"><filename>smb.conf(5)</filename> </ulink>, <ulink url="smbclient.1.html"><command>smbclient(1) </command></ulink>, <ulink url="testparm.1.html"><command> testparm(1)</command></ulink>, <ulink url="testprns.1.html"> <command>testprns(1)</command></ulink>, and the Internet RFC's <filename>rfc1001.txt</filename>, <filename>rfc1002.txt</filename>. In addition the CIFS (formerly SMB) specification is available as a link from the Web page <ulink url="http://samba.org/cifs/"> http://samba.org/cifs/</ulink>.</para> </refsect1> <refsect1> <title>AUTHOR</title> <para>The original Samba software and related utilities were created by Andrew Tridgell. Samba is now developed by the Samba Team as an Open Source project similar to the way the Linux kernel is developed.</para> <para>The original Samba man pages were written by Karl Auer. The man page sources were converted to YODL format (another excellent piece of Open Source software, available at <ulink url="ftp://ftp.icce.rug.nl/pub/unix/"> ftp://ftp.icce.rug.nl/pub/unix/</ulink>) and updated for the Samba 2.0 release by Jeremy Allison. The conversion to DocBook for Samba 2.2 was done by Gerald Carter</para> </refsect1> </refentry>