1<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"><title>nmbd</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="samba.css" type="text/css"><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.71.0"></head><body bgcolor="white" text="black" link="#0000FF" vlink="#840084" alink="#0000FF"><div class="refentry" lang="en"><a name="nmbd.8"></a><div class="titlepage"></div><div class="refnamediv"><h2>Name</h2><p>nmbd — NetBIOS name server to provide NetBIOS 2 over IP naming services to clients</p></div><div class="refsynopsisdiv"><h2>Synopsis</h2><div class="cmdsynopsis"><p><code class="literal">nmbd</code> [-D] [-F] [-S] [-a] [-i] [-o] [-h] [-V] [-d <debug level>] [-H <lmhosts file>] [-l <log directory>] [-p <port number>] [-s <configuration file>]</p></div></div><div class="refsect1" lang="en"><a name="id259605"></a><h2>DESCRIPTION</h2><p>This program is part of the <a href="samba.7.html"><span class="citerefentry"><span class="refentrytitle">samba</span>(7)</span></a> suite.</p><p><code class="literal">nmbd</code> is a server that understands 3 and can reply to NetBIOS over IP name service requests, like 4 those produced by SMB/CIFS clients such as Windows 95/98/ME, 5 Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP and LanManager clients. It also 6 participates in the browsing protocols which make up the 7 Windows "Network Neighborhood" view.</p><p>SMB/CIFS clients, when they start up, may wish to 8 locate an SMB/CIFS server. That is, they wish to know what 9 IP number a specified host is using.</p><p>Amongst other services, <code class="literal">nmbd</code> will 10 listen for such requests, and if its own NetBIOS name is 11 specified it will respond with the IP number of the host it 12 is running on. Its "own NetBIOS name" is by 13 default the primary DNS name of the host it is running on, 14 but this can be overridden by the <a class="indexterm" name="id259397"></a>netbios name 15 in <code class="filename">smb.conf</code>. Thus <code class="literal">nmbd</code> will 16 reply to broadcast queries for its own name(s). Additional 17 names for <code class="literal">nmbd</code> to respond on can be set 18 via parameters in the <a href="smb.conf.5.html"><span class="citerefentry"><span class="refentrytitle">smb.conf</span>(5)</span></a> configuration file.</p><p><code class="literal">nmbd</code> can also be used as a WINS 19 (Windows Internet Name Server) server. What this basically means 20 is that it will act as a WINS database server, creating a 21 database from name registration requests that it receives and 22 replying to queries from clients for these names.</p><p>In addition, <code class="literal">nmbd</code> can act as a WINS 23 proxy, relaying broadcast queries from clients that do 24 not understand how to talk the WINS protocol to a WINS 25 server.</p></div><div class="refsect1" lang="en"><a name="id260369"></a><h2>OPTIONS</h2><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term">-D</span></dt><dd><p>If specified, this parameter causes 26 <code class="literal">nmbd</code> to operate as a daemon. That is, 27 it detaches itself and runs in the background, fielding 28 requests on the appropriate port. By default, <code class="literal">nmbd</code> 29 will operate as a daemon if launched from a command shell. 30 nmbd can also be operated from the <code class="literal">inetd</code> 31 meta-daemon, although this is not recommended. 32 </p></dd><dt><span class="term">-F</span></dt><dd><p>If specified, this parameter causes 33 the main <code class="literal">nmbd</code> process to not daemonize, 34 i.e. double-fork and disassociate with the terminal. 35 Child processes are still created as normal to service 36 each connection request, but the main process does not 37 exit. This operation mode is suitable for running 38 <code class="literal">nmbd</code> under process supervisors such 39 as <code class="literal">supervise</code> and <code class="literal">svscan</code> 40 from Daniel J. Bernstein's <code class="literal">daemontools</code> 41 package, or the AIX process monitor. 42 </p></dd><dt><span class="term">-S</span></dt><dd><p>If specified, this parameter causes 43 <code class="literal">nmbd</code> to log to standard output rather 44 than a file.</p></dd><dt><span class="term">-i</span></dt><dd><p>If this parameter is specified it causes the 45 server to run "interactively", not as a daemon, even if the 46 server is executed on the command line of a shell. Setting this 47 parameter negates the implicit daemon mode when run from the 48 command line. <code class="literal">nmbd</code> also logs to standard 49 output, as if the <code class="constant">-S</code> parameter had been 50 given. </p></dd><dt><span class="term">-h|--help</span></dt><dd><p>Print a summary of command line options. 51</p></dd><dt><span class="term">-H <filename></span></dt><dd><p>NetBIOS lmhosts file. The lmhosts 52 file is a list of NetBIOS names to IP addresses that 53 is loaded by the nmbd server and used via the name 54 resolution mechanism <a class="indexterm" name="id260151"></a>name resolve order described in <a href="smb.conf.5.html"><span class="citerefentry"><span class="refentrytitle">smb.conf</span>(5)</span></a> to resolve any 55 NetBIOS name queries needed by the server. Note 56 that the contents of this file are <span class="emphasis"><em>NOT</em></span> 57 used by <code class="literal">nmbd</code> to answer any name queries. 58 Adding a line to this file affects name NetBIOS resolution 59 from this host <span class="emphasis"><em>ONLY</em></span>.</p><p>The default path to this file is compiled into 60 Samba as part of the build process. Common defaults 61 are <code class="filename">/usr/local/samba/lib/lmhosts</code>, 62 <code class="filename">/usr/samba/lib/lmhosts</code> or 63 <code class="filename">/etc/samba/lmhosts</code>. See the <a href="lmhosts.5.html"><span class="citerefentry"><span class="refentrytitle">lmhosts</span>(5)</span></a> man page for details on the contents of this file.</p></dd><dt><span class="term">-V</span></dt><dd><p>Prints the program version number. 64</p></dd><dt><span class="term">-s <configuration file></span></dt><dd><p>The file specified contains the 65configuration details required by the server. The 66information in this file includes server-specific 67information such as what printcap file to use, as well 68as descriptions of all the services that the server is 69to provide. See <code class="filename">smb.conf</code> for more information. 70The default configuration file name is determined at 71compile time.</p></dd><dt><span class="term">-d|--debuglevel=level</span></dt><dd><p><em class="replaceable"><code>level</code></em> is an integer 72from 0 to 10. The default value if this parameter is 73not specified is zero.</p><p>The higher this value, the more detail will be 74logged to the log files about the activities of the 75server. At level 0, only critical errors and serious 76warnings will be logged. Level 1 is a reasonable level for 77day-to-day running - it generates a small amount of 78information about operations carried out.</p><p>Levels above 1 will generate considerable 79amounts of log data, and should only be used when 80investigating a problem. Levels above 3 are designed for 81use only by developers and generate HUGE amounts of log 82data, most of which is extremely cryptic.</p><p>Note that specifying this parameter here will 83override the <a class="indexterm" name="id300494"></a> parameter 84in the <code class="filename">smb.conf</code> file.</p></dd><dt><span class="term">-l|--logfile=logdirectory</span></dt><dd><p>Base directory name for log/debug files. The extension 85<code class="constant">".progname"</code> will be appended (e.g. log.smbclient, 86log.smbd, etc...). The log file is never removed by the client. 87</p></dd><dt><span class="term">-p <UDP port number></span></dt><dd><p>UDP port number is a positive integer value. 88 This option changes the default UDP port number (normally 137) 89 that <code class="literal">nmbd</code> responds to name queries on. Don't 90 use this option unless you are an expert, in which case you 91 won't need help!</p></dd></dl></div></div><div class="refsect1" lang="en"><a name="id300546"></a><h2>FILES</h2><div class="variablelist"><dl><dt><span class="term"><code class="filename">/etc/inetd.conf</code></span></dt><dd><p>If the server is to be run by the 92 <code class="literal">inetd</code> meta-daemon, this file 93 must contain suitable startup information for the 94 meta-daemon. 95 </p></dd><dt><span class="term"><code class="filename">/etc/rc</code></span></dt><dd><p>or whatever initialization script your 96 system uses).</p><p>If running the server as a daemon at startup, 97 this file will need to contain an appropriate startup 98 sequence for the server.</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><code class="filename">/etc/services</code></span></dt><dd><p>If running the server via the 99 meta-daemon <code class="literal">inetd</code>, this file 100 must contain a mapping of service name (e.g., netbios-ssn) 101 to service port (e.g., 139) and protocol type (e.g., tcp). 102 </p></dd><dt><span class="term"><code class="filename">/usr/local/samba/lib/smb.conf</code></span></dt><dd><p>This is the default location of 103 the <a href="smb.conf.5.html"><span class="citerefentry"><span class="refentrytitle">smb.conf</span>(5)</span></a> server 104 configuration file. Other common places that systems 105 install this file are <code class="filename">/usr/samba/lib/smb.conf</code> 106 and <code class="filename">/etc/samba/smb.conf</code>.</p><p>When run as a WINS server (see the 107 <a class="indexterm" name="id300653"></a>wins support 108 parameter in the <a href="smb.conf.5.html"><span class="citerefentry"><span class="refentrytitle">smb.conf</span>(5)</span></a> man page), 109 <code class="literal">nmbd</code> 110 will store the WINS database in the file <code class="filename">wins.dat</code> 111 in the <code class="filename">var/locks</code> directory configured under 112 wherever Samba was configured to install itself.</p><p>If <code class="literal">nmbd</code> is acting as a <span class="emphasis"><em> 113 browse master</em></span> (see the <a class="indexterm" name="id300700"></a>local master 114 parameter in the <a href="smb.conf.5.html"><span class="citerefentry"><span class="refentrytitle">smb.conf</span>(5)</span></a> man page, <code class="literal">nmbd</code> 115 will store the browsing database in the file <code class="filename">browse.dat 116 </code> in the <code class="filename">var/locks</code> directory 117 configured under wherever Samba was configured to install itself. 118 </p></dd></dl></div></div><div class="refsect1" lang="en"><a name="id300739"></a><h2>SIGNALS</h2><p>To shut down an <code class="literal">nmbd</code> process it is recommended 119 that SIGKILL (-9) <span class="emphasis"><em>NOT</em></span> be used, except as a last 120 resort, as this may leave the name database in an inconsistent state. 121 The correct way to terminate <code class="literal">nmbd</code> is to send it 122 a SIGTERM (-15) signal and wait for it to die on its own.</p><p><code class="literal">nmbd</code> will accept SIGHUP, which will cause 123 it to dump out its namelists into the file <code class="filename">namelist.debug 124 </code> in the <code class="filename">/usr/local/samba/var/locks</code> 125 directory (or the <code class="filename">var/locks</code> directory configured 126 under wherever Samba was configured to install itself). This will also 127 cause <code class="literal">nmbd</code> to dump out its server database in 128 the <code class="filename">log.nmb</code> file.</p><p>The debug log level of nmbd may be raised or lowered 129 using <a href="smbcontrol.1.html"><span class="citerefentry"><span class="refentrytitle">smbcontrol</span>(1)</span></a> (SIGUSR[1|2] signals 130 are no longer used since Samba 2.2). This is to allow 131 transient problems to be diagnosed, whilst still running 132 at a normally low log level.</p></div><div class="refsect1" lang="en"><a name="id300819"></a><h2>VERSION</h2><p>This man page is correct for version 3.0 of 133 the Samba suite.</p></div><div class="refsect1" lang="en"><a name="id300829"></a><h2>SEE ALSO</h2><p> 134 <a href="inetd.8.html"><span class="citerefentry"><span class="refentrytitle">inetd</span>(8)</span></a>, <a href="smbd.8.html"><span class="citerefentry"><span class="refentrytitle">smbd</span>(8)</span></a>, <a href="smb.conf.5.html"><span class="citerefentry"><span class="refentrytitle">smb.conf</span>(5)</span></a>, <a href="smbclient.1.html"><span class="citerefentry"><span class="refentrytitle">smbclient</span>(1)</span></a>, <a href="testparm.1.html"><span class="citerefentry"><span class="refentrytitle">testparm</span>(1)</span></a>, <a href="testprns.1.html"><span class="citerefentry"><span class="refentrytitle">testprns</span>(1)</span></a>, and the Internet 135 RFC's <code class="filename">rfc1001.txt</code>, <code class="filename">rfc1002.txt</code>. 136 In addition the CIFS (formerly SMB) specification is available 137 as a link from the Web page <a href="http://samba.org/cifs/" target="_top"> 138 http://samba.org/cifs/</a>.</p></div><div class="refsect1" lang="en"><a name="id300907"></a><h2>AUTHOR</h2><p>The original Samba software and related utilities 139 were created by Andrew Tridgell. Samba is now developed 140 by the Samba Team as an Open Source project similar 141 to the way the Linux kernel is developed.</p><p>The original Samba man pages were written by Karl Auer. 142 The man page sources were converted to YODL format (another 143 excellent piece of Open Source software, available at <a href="ftp://ftp.icce.rug.nl/pub/unix/" target="_top"> 144 ftp://ftp.icce.rug.nl/pub/unix/</a>) and updated for the Samba 2.0 145 release by Jeremy Allison. The conversion to DocBook for 146 Samba 2.2 was done by Gerald Carter. The conversion to DocBook 147 XML 4.2 for Samba 3.0 was done by Alexander Bokovoy.</p></div></div></body></html> 148