Registry shares

Registry shares in Samba allow you to manage share configurations in the Windows registry style, rather than using the traditional smb.conf configuration file. This feature is especially useful in environments where integration with Windows systems is important, as it mimics the way Windows handles shared resources through its registry.

Key Concepts of Registry Shares

1. Storage in Samba's registry.tdb:

   • Samba stores the configuration of registry shares in a database file called registry.tdb.

   • The shares are managed via the Samba registry, similar to how Windows stores its shared folders in the registry.

   • Using registry shares provides flexibility for managing Samba shares via tools like net registry or samba-regedit.

2. Creation and Management:

   • You can create, edit, and delete registry shares via the command-line tool net registry or using a graphical registry editor (samba-regedit).

   • These shares can be manipulated in a manner similar to how one would edit the Windows registry with regedit.exe.

3. Access via net registry Command:

   • The net registry command provides the ability to list, add, and manage registry shares.

   Example: Creating a Share Using net registry:

   net registry addshare ShareName /path/to/share

4. Location of Registry Shares:

   • Samba registry shares are stored in the database, not in the smb.conf file.

   • If you want to view or manipulate registry-based shares, you need to use registry management tools (net registry, samba-regedit).

5. Advantages of Registry Shares:

   • Centralized Management: Especially useful in Active Directory environments or when trying to match Windows server behavior.

   • Dynamic: Shares can be updated without restarting the Samba service, as registry changes are applied dynamically.

   • Ease of Use: Management of shares can be handled in a Windows-like fashion, which can simplify integration in mixed Windows/Linux environments.

6. Migrating from smb.conf to Registry Shares:

   • It is possible to migrate shares defined in smb.conf to the registry using the net conf import command.

   Example:

   net conf import smb.conf

7. Viewing Registry Shares:

   • To view the existing registry shares, you can use net registry or samba-regedit.

   Example:

   net registry listshares

8. Editing Registry Shares:

   • Use samba-regedit to graphically manage Samba registry shares.

   • This tool allows you to add, delete, or modify registry shares through a graphical interface, similar to the Windows regedit tool.

Basic Workflow for Managing Registry Shares

1. Add a New Share:

   • To add a share directly to the registry:

     net registry addshare "MyShare" /srv/samba/myshare

2. Delete a Share:

   • To delete a share:

     net registry delshare "MyShare"

3. List All Shares:

   • To list all shares:

     net registry listshares

4. Edit Shares:

   • You can modify a share using net registry or via samba-regedit.

5. View Share Properties:

   • To view properties of a specific share:

     net registry getshareinfo "MyShare"

Example Setup for a Registry-Based Share

Let’s say we want to create a new share called public with the path /srv/samba/public.

1. Create the Share:

   net registry addshare "public" /srv/samba/public

2. Set Permissions: You can set the share to be read-only or writable:

   net registry setshareinfo "public" writeable=true

3. List Shares: To verify the share has been created:

   net registry listshares

4. Edit Share: Use samba-regedit to further modify or configure advanced options of the share, such as permissions or access controls.

Conclusion

Registry shares in Samba offer a more Windows-like approach to managing file shares, particularly useful in hybrid or AD environments. Using tools like net registry and samba-regedit, you can easily add, edit, and manage shares without directly modifying smb.conf. This makes Samba more dynamic and compatible with enterprise Windows infrastructures, enabling easier integration and centralized management.