smbpasswd (with examples)
- Linux
- November 5, 2023
1: Change the current user’s SMB password:
smbpasswd
Motivation:
This command is used to change the password of the current user’s Samba account. Samba is an open-source software suite that provides seamless file and print services to SMB/CIFS clients. By changing the SMB password, the user can ensure the security of their Samba account.
Explanation:
Running this command without any arguments prompts the user to enter the current password and the new password for the Samba account. The passwords are not displayed on the screen for security reasons.
Example Output:
Old SMB password:
New SMB password:
Retype new SMB password:
Password changed successfully.
2: Add a specified user to Samba and set password:
sudo smbpasswd -a username
Motivation:
This command is used to add a specified user to Samba and set a password for their Samba account. This is useful when a user already exists in the system and needs to be granted access to Samba shares.
Explanation:
The command requires superuser (root) privileges, hence the need for sudo. The -a option specifies that a new user is being added to Samba. The username argument is used to specify the username for which the Samba account is being created.
Example Output:
New SMB password:
Retype new SMB password:
Added user username.
3: Modify an existing Samba user’s password:
sudo smbpasswd username
Motivation:
This command allows the administrator to modify the password of an existing Samba user. This can be useful if the user forgets their Samba password or needs to update it for security reasons.
Explanation:
The command requires superuser (root) privileges, hence the need for sudo. The username argument is used to specify the username for which the Samba account password is being modified.
Example Output:
New SMB password:
Retype new SMB password:
Password changed for user username.
4: Delete a Samba user:
sudo smbpasswd -x username
Motivation:
This command is used to delete a Samba user from the system. It can be helpful when a user account is no longer needed or if the corresponding Unix account has been deleted.
Explanation:
The command requires superuser (root) privileges, hence the need for sudo. The -x option is used to specify that a user is being deleted from Samba. The username argument is used to specify the username of the Samba user to be deleted.
Example Output:
Deleted user username.
