A Linux Journal Review: This article appeared first in the July
1998 issue of Linux Journal. The whole point of networking is to
allow computers to easily share information. Sharing information
with other Linux boxes, or any UNIX host, is easy--tools such as
FTP and NFS are readily available and frequently set up easily
``out of the box''. Unfortunately, even the most die-hard Linux
fanatic has to admit the operating system most of the PCs in the
world are running is one of the various types of Windows. Unless
you use your Linux box in a particularly isolated environment,
you will almost certainly need to exchange information with
machines running Windows. Assuming you're not planning on moving
all of your files using floppy disks, the tool you need is
Samba. Samba is a suite of programs that gives your Linux box
the ability to speak SMB (Server Message Block). SMB is the
protocol used to implement file sharing and printer services
between computers running OS/2, Windows NT, Windows 95 and
Windows for Workgro