samba-tool gpo

The samba-tool gpo command is part of the Samba suite and is used for managing Group Policy Objects (GPOs) in a Samba Active Directory Domain Controller environment. With this tool, administrators can create, list, display details, delete, backup, and restore GPOs, enabling centralized management of policies for domain-joined clients.

Below is an overview of the key subcommands and options available with samba-tool gpo:

Key Subcommands

1. create

Creates a new Group Policy Object.

• Usage:

  samba-tool gpo create <GPO_name>

• Example:

  samba-tool gpo create "Default Domain Policy"

2. list

Lists all GPOs in the domain.

• Usage:

  samba-tool gpo list

• Example:

  samba-tool gpo list

  Output may display a list similar to:

  GPO Name                           GUID
  -------------------------------------------------------------
  Default Domain Policy              {xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx}
  Custom Policy                      {yyyyyyyy-yyyy-yyyy-yyyy-yyyyyyyyyyyy}

3. show

Displays detailed information about a specific GPO.

• Usage:

  samba-tool gpo show <GPO_name>

• Example:

  samba-tool gpo show "Default Domain Policy"

4. delete

Deletes an existing GPO from the domain.

• Usage:

  samba-tool gpo delete <GPO_name>

• Example:

  samba-tool gpo delete "Custom Policy"

5. backup

Creates a backup of one or more GPOs, storing them in a specified directory.

• Usage:

  samba-tool gpo backup --target=<backup_directory>

• Example:

  samba-tool gpo backup --target=/var/backups/gpo

6. restore

Restores GPOs from a backup.

• Usage:

  samba-tool gpo restore --target=<backup_directory> [--gpo=<GPO_name>]

• Example:

  samba-tool gpo restore --target=/var/backups/gpo --gpo="Default Domain Policy"

7. edit (if available)

Opens an editor to modify the attributes or settings of a GPO directly. Note: This subcommand might not be available or may have limited functionality depending on your Samba version.

• Usage:

  samba-tool gpo edit <GPO_name>

• Example:

  samba-tool gpo edit "Default Domain Policy"

Additional Options

Depending on your Samba version and configuration, you might have extra options available for fine-tuning backup locations, specifying verbosity, or filtering output. Consult the built-in help:

samba-tool gpo --help

Conclusion

The samba-tool gpo utility provides a command-line method to manage Group Policy Objects in a Samba AD environment. By using its subcommands—create, list, show, delete, backup, restore, and possibly edit—administrators can efficiently control and maintain GPOs, ensuring consistent policy enforcement across domain-joined systems.

This suite of tools is essential for environments that rely on centralized group policy management, helping streamline configuration and disaster recovery through backup and restoration functionalities.