====== SMB Shares With Samba Client on FreeBSD ======

===== Accessing SMB2 Share on a FreeBSD Machine =====

==== Install Samba ====

We need to install Samba to get [[https://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=smbclient&apropos=0&sektion=0&arch=default&format=html|smbclient(1)]] .

<code bash>
pkg install samba47
</code>

Notes:

  * I've not tested [[https://www.freshports.org/net/samba48/|net/samba48]].

==== Environment & definitions ====

Let's define some environmental variables first.

<code bash>
authfile="$HOME/smbclient-authentication-file.txt"
smb_username='0mp'
smb_password='secret'
max_protocol='SMB2'
workgroup='CORP'
service='\\shareserver\importantfolder'
</code>

Also, let's use a variable to refer to the smbclient(1) command invocation with the default set of arguments:

<code bash>
smb_client="smbclient --max-protocol=${max_protocol} --workgroup=${workgroup} ${service}"
</code>

==== Make sure that smb4.conf exists ====

First the smb4.conf file has to exist. Otherwise smbclient(1) fails with:

//smbclient: Can't load /usr/local/etc/smb4.conf - run testparm to debug it//

It is enough to run the following command:

<code bash>
touch /usr/local/etc/smb4.conf
</code>

==== Keep login credentials in a separate file ====

Now let's create a file to store authentication details. The username and the password may also be provided as command line arguments.

<code bash>
touch "${authfile}"
chmod 0600 "${authfile}"
printf 'username = %s\n' "${smb_username}" > "${authfile}"
printf 'password = %s\n' "${smb_password}" > "${authfile}"
</code>

==== Run smbclient(1) (interactive session) ====

Run smbclient(1):

<code bash>
${smb_client}
</code>

You should now see a prompt similar to this:

<code>
Try "help" to get a list of possible commands.
smb: \>
</code>

smbclient(1) behaves similarly to ftp(1) in the sense that it starts an interactive shell session.

==== Run smbclient(1) (scripting) ====

It is possible to use smbclient(1) in non-interactive scripts.

Here's an example of downloading a file from the share:

<code bash>
echo get '\Files\file.txt' 'file.txt' | ${smb_client}
</code>

Here's an example of saving (uploading) a file to the share:

<code bash>
echo put './file.txt' | ${smb_client}
</code>

===== Research =====

//As of 2020-11-02...//

  * Support for SMBv2 has been discussed during [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ji4ux4FWpRU&feature=youtu.be&t=971|FreeBSD Office Hours - May 13 2020: The FreeBSD Foundation (starting 16:11)]]

==== Current support ====

  * Shares compatible with SMB1 can be easily mounted with [[https://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=mount_smbfs&apropos=0&sektion=8|mount_smbfs(8)]] on %%FreeBSD%%. It is not the case for SMB2 and SMB3 shares.
  * This [[https://www.reddit.com/r/BSD/comments/7pwwez/smb_v2_client_on_freebsd_11/|Reddit thread (SMB V2+ client on FreeBSD 11 from 2018-01-12)]] suggests that it is not possible at all to mount SMB shares, even with software available in ports.
  * It is possible to mount SMB2 and SMB3 shares with GNOME Virtual file system (GVfs). See [[https://www.reddit.com/r/freebsd/comments/9z5p2b/mounting_smb_v2v3_shares_gvfs/eaf618p/|this Reddit comment for more details]].

==== Future goals of the FreeBSD community ====

  * Actually, there is an interest in bringing in support for SMB3 in the near future. See the [[DevSummit/201810|notes from the devsummit 2018-10]].

==== CIFS ====

  * It is suggested to [[https://wiki.samba.org/index.php/Mounting_samba_shares_from_a_unix_client|use CIFS, the Common Internet File System]]. It is not available on %%FreeBSD%%, however.

===== See also =====

  * [[https://www.freshports.org/sysutils/fusefs-smbnetfs|sysutils/fusefs-smbnetfs]]
  * [[https://www.freshports.org/sysutils/mountsmb2/|sysutils/mountsmb2]]
  * [[https://chromium.googlesource.com/chromiumos/platform2/+/HEAD/smbfs/|FUSE based variant by Google using libsmbclient]]

----

{{tag>HowTo}}