smbclient

smbclient is a command-line tool in Samba that allows users to interact with Windows network shares and printers. It provides an FTP-like interface to access and manage files on SMB/CIFS servers, including Windows machines and other Samba servers. This tool is useful for transferring files, accessing shared directories, and testing SMB connections.

General Usage

smbclient [OPTION] [SERVICE] [COMMAND]

Common Options

• -L host: List shares available on a host.

• -U user: Specify the username for authentication.

• -W workgroup: Specify the workgroup or domain.

• -I ip_address: Specify the IP address of the host.

• -c command: Execute a command immediately after connecting.

Basic Usage Examples

1. List Shares on a Server

   smbclient -L //hostname -U username

   This command lists all available shares on the specified server.

   Example:

   smbclient -L //server -U myuser

   Output:

   Enter MYUSER's password:
   Sharename       Type      Comment
   ---------       ----      -------
   print$          Disk      Printer Drivers
   public          Disk      Public Share
   IPC$            IPC       IPC Service (server)

2. Connecting to a Share

   smbclient //hostname/sharename -U username

   This command connects to a specific share on the server.

   Example:

   smbclient //server/public -U myuser

   Output:

   Enter MYUSER's password:
   smb: \>

3. Uploading a File

   Once connected to a share, you can upload files using the put command.

   smb: \> put localfile remotefile

   Example:

   smb: \> put /path/to/localfile.txt remotefile.txt

   Output:

   putting file /path/to/localfile.txt as \remotefile.txt (0.0 kb/s) (average 0.0 kb/s)

4. Downloading a File

   Similarly, you can download files using the get command.

   smb: \> get remotefile localfile

   Example:

   smb: \> get remotefile.txt /path/to/localfile.txt

   Output:

   getting file \remotefile.txt of size 12345 as /path/to/localfile.txt (0.0 kb/s) (average 0.0 kb/s)

5. Listing Files in a Directory

   smb: \> ls

   Example:

   smb: \> ls

   Output:

     .                                   D        0  Mon Jul 19 12:34:56 2021
     ..                                  D        0  Mon Jul 19 12:34:56 2021
     file.txt                            A    12345  Mon Jul 19 12:34:56 2021
   
                   12345678 blocks of size 1024. 567890 blocks available

6. Creating a Directory

   smb: \> mkdir dirname

   Example:

   smb: \> mkdir newfolder

   Output:

   smb: \>

7. Deleting a File

   smb: \> del filename

   Example:

   smb: \> del oldfile.txt

   Output:

   smb: \>

8. Executing Multiple Commands

   You can execute multiple commands by using the -c option.

   smbclient //hostname/sharename -U username -c 'command1; command2'

   Example:

   smbclient //server/public -U myuser -c 'ls; get remotefile.txt /path/to/localfile.txt'

   Output:

   Enter MYUSER's password:
     .                                   D        0  Mon Jul 19 12:34:56 2021
     ..                                  D        0  Mon Jul 19 12:34:56 2021
     remotefile.txt                      A    12345  Mon Jul 19 12:34:56 2021
   
                   12345678 blocks of size 1024. 567890 blocks available
   getting file \remotefile.txt of size 12345 as /path/to/localfile.txt (0.0 kb/s) (average 0.0 kb/s)

Advanced Usage

Authenticating with a Password File

Instead of entering a password interactively, you can use a credentials file.

1. Create a Credentials File

   username=myuser
   password=mypassword
   domain=mydomain

2. Use the Credentials File

   smbclient //hostname/sharename -A /path/to/credentialsfile

   Example:

   smbclient //server/public -A /path/to/credentials.txt

Using Kerberos Authentication

If your network uses Kerberos for authentication, you can connect using your Kerberos ticket.

1. Obtain a Kerberos Ticket

   kinit myuser@MYDOMAIN

2. Connect with Kerberos Authentication

   smbclient //hostname/sharename -k

   Example:

   smbclient //server/public -k

Summary

Command	Purpose	Example Command
smbclient -L //hostname -U username	List available shares on a server	smbclient -L //server -U myuser
smbclient //hostname/sharename -U username	Connect to a specific share	smbclient //server/public -U myuser
smb: \> put localfile remotefile	Upload a file to the connected share	put /path/to/localfile.txt remotefile.txt
smb: \> get remotefile localfile	Download a file from the connected share	get remotefile.txt /path/to/localfile.txt
smb: \> ls	List files in the current directory	ls
smb: \> mkdir dirname	Create a new directory	mkdir newfolder
smb: \> del filename	Delete a file	del oldfile.txt
smbclient //hostname/sharename -A /path/to/credentialsfile	Use a credentials file for authentication	smbclient //server/public -A /path/to/credentials.txt
smbclient //hostname/sharename -k	Use Kerberos authentication	smbclient //server/public -k

Conclusion

smbclient is a powerful tool for interacting with SMB/CIFS shares from the command line. It provides a wide range of options and commands for accessing, managing, and transferring files on network shares. Whether you need to list available shares, connect to a specific share, or perform file operations, smbclient offers the functionality needed for effective network file management in a Samba environment. Understanding its options and commands is essential for system administrators and users working with network shares.