Samba 3.6 and Samba4

Question

I have installed Ubuntu 12.10 and samba 3.6 (the version of samba that is installed for Ubuntu 12.10, by default). Everything works fine. I can access shared folders and shared printers of Windows PCs.

I read that Samba4 provide access and login to ActiveDirectory of Windows Server (more fluent access that Samba 3.6), so I want install Samba4.

Can I replace samba3.6 with samba4? OR Can I install samba4 alongside samba3.6?

Samba4 (SAMBA) is the next version of Samba 3.6 (SMB) or are differents packages and services?

Samba4 provide all the same functionality that Samba 3.6 plus all the functionality to access and use ActiveDirectory ? Samba3.6 provide access to ActiveDirectory?

I decided to test samba4 and I tried to remove samba 3.6. Everything was fine until I tried to remove libwclient (or libwclient0). When I mark it to be removed in Synaptic, I get a notice that is necessary to remove kde-runtime, mplayer, k3b, gecko, gnome mplayer, lubuntu-desktop, etc, etc. So I didn't remove and I reinstalled all of samba3.6

What happen if i remove samba3.6 completly (libwclient (or libwclient0) too), what happen with this software (kde-runtime, mplayer, k3b, gecko, gnome mplayer, lubuntu-desktop, etc, etc)

Can I install samba4 and get all the same functionality that samba3.6 (access to shared folders and printers of windows) plus ActiveDirectory and reinstall all that software (kde-runtime, mplayer, k3b, gecko, gnome mplayer, lubuntu-desktop, etc, etc) and this software will with samba4 instead of samba3.6?

(Sorry for my english)

Thanks, Alejandro

Solution

At this time Samba 3 and Samba 4 are mostly complementary. Samba 3 is a mature file server, etc., and Active Directory domain member. Samba 4 is the first version of Samba that can act as an Active Directory domain controller. Just want to share files? Install Samba 3. Want to run a DC? Install Samba 4.

Ref: the recent release announcement of Samba 4.0: https://lists.samba.org/archive/samba-technical/2012-December/089397.html

Ref: https://wiki.samba.org/index.php/Samba_AD_DC_HOWTO

Comments

[jdthood]

Samba 3 and Samba 4 codebases were amalgamated upstream some time ago. Recently the two versions have been amalgamated in Debian packages as well. In unstable there is now a single samba source package with version number greater than 4. Its binaries include the best of Samba 3 and Samba 4.

[Alejandro Bernardico]

In the latest stable version available of ubuntu (13.10) is available this integration of samba 3 and 4? Now I have ubuntu 12.10 but soon I'll make a disk image and will do an update from 12.10 to 13.10 What do you think jdthood? Will I have problems in that upgrade from ubuntu 12.10 to 13.10? because I have some special features: partition with windows 7, disk encryption with truecrypt data (not the ubuntu disk system), some programs installed outside the ubuntu software center, etc

[jdthood]

The amalgamated samba packages have not yet made it into Ubuntu Saucy. As for your proposed upgrade, I don't know what the connection is between that and the question asked here. I suggest you ask a question about your particular case in Ubuntu Forums.