Samba has officially launched version 4.23.0, marking a significant update to its open-source implementation of the SMB and Active Directory protocols. This release introduces a variety of enhancements, new functionalities, and crucial bug fixes aimed at improving the security, scalability, and performance of file services.
New Features:
- SMB3 Unix Extensions: These are now enabled by default, offering robust support for POSIX semantics over SMB3. This enhancement allows UNIX and Linux clients to utilize file services with accurate POSIX permissions, symlink handling, hardlinks, and recognition of special file types.
- SMB3 over QUIC Support: This feature facilitates faster and more reliable connections using Quick UDP Internet Connections, contingent on the presence of the `quic.ko` kernel module in Linux version 6.14 or newer.
- Modern Write Time Update Logic: File timestamp management has been revamped to correspond with modern Windows servers, ensuring immediate timestamp updates that align with Windows 10/Server 2016 or later.
New Utilities:
- smb_prometheus_endpoint: This utility allows for the export of server metrics in a format compatible with Prometheus, making it easier for users to integrate Samba with existing Prometheus and Grafana setups.
- Per-share Profiling Stats: Users can now collect profiling data at the share level, enabling detailed monitoring of share activity and the identification of performance bottlenecks.
Bug Fixes and Improvements:
- CTDB Enhancements: The Clustered Trivial Database (CTDB) now allows for loading tunable settings from specific directories, supporting both vendor-specific and local administrator configurations.
- samba-tool Enhancements: A new option to create domain backups without secret attributes is now available, making it ideal for lab domain environments.
Removed Features:
Several parameters from the `smb.conf` file have been removed, including smbd profiling share and various smb transports.
Key Highlights of Samba 4.23.0
New Features:
- SMB3 Unix Extensions: These are now enabled by default, offering robust support for POSIX semantics over SMB3. This enhancement allows UNIX and Linux clients to utilize file services with accurate POSIX permissions, symlink handling, hardlinks, and recognition of special file types.
- SMB3 over QUIC Support: This feature facilitates faster and more reliable connections using Quick UDP Internet Connections, contingent on the presence of the `quic.ko` kernel module in Linux version 6.14 or newer.
- Modern Write Time Update Logic: File timestamp management has been revamped to correspond with modern Windows servers, ensuring immediate timestamp updates that align with Windows 10/Server 2016 or later.
New Utilities:
- smb_prometheus_endpoint: This utility allows for the export of server metrics in a format compatible with Prometheus, making it easier for users to integrate Samba with existing Prometheus and Grafana setups.
- Per-share Profiling Stats: Users can now collect profiling data at the share level, enabling detailed monitoring of share activity and the identification of performance bottlenecks.
Bug Fixes and Improvements:
- CTDB Enhancements: The Clustered Trivial Database (CTDB) now allows for loading tunable settings from specific directories, supporting both vendor-specific and local administrator configurations.
- samba-tool Enhancements: A new option to create domain backups without secret attributes is now available, making it ideal for lab domain environments.
Removed Features:
Several parameters from the `smb.conf` file have been removed, including smbd profiling share and various smb transports.
Upgrading to Samba 4.23.0
To upgrade your current Samba installation, users are encouraged to follow the guidelines outlined in the Samba 4.23.0 Release Notes and ensure that all package managers and dependencies are updated.Conclusion
Upgrading to Samba 4.23.0 provides numerous benefits, including enhanced security, improved scalability, and performance upgrades, along with new utilities and critical bug fixes that elevate the overall user experience when managing file services.Download Information
The uncompressed tarballs and patch files for Samba 4.23.0 can be downloaded from [Samba's official site](https://download.samba.org/pub/samba/stable/), and the comprehensive release notes are available for review at [Samba Release History](https://www.samba.org/samba/history/samba-4.23.0.html).Future Developments
Looking ahead, Samba continues to evolve, promising more features, enhanced compatibility, and ongoing support for the latest technologies in file sharing and directory services. Users can anticipate future releases that will further refine the performance and capabilities of Samba in diverse computing environmentsSamba 4.23.0 released
Samba has released version 4.23.0, a significant update that brings numerous improvements, new features, and bug fixes to its open-source implementation of the SMB and Active Directory protocols. The release includes new features such as SMB3 Unix Extensions enabled by default, SMB3 over QUIC support, and modern write time update logic that matches Windows 10/Server 2016 or newer. Additionally, Samba 4.23.0 introduces a new utility called smb_prometheus_endpoint for exporting server metrics in a Prometheus-compatible format. The release also includes various bug fixes and improvements to CTDB, samba-tool, and other areas of the software.
