Updating Samba
Introduction
The following documentation describes the process of updating Samba to a newer version.
If you want to migrate a Samba NT4 domain to Samba Active Directory (AD), see Migrating a Samba NT4 Domain to Samba AD (Classic Upgrade).
Common Misconceptions About Samba 4
One of the common misconceptions is: "Samba 4" means "Active Directory only": This is wrong. |
The Active Directory (AD) Domain Controller (DC) support is one of the enhancements in Samba 4.0. However all newer versions include the features of previous versions - including the NT4-style (classic) domain support. This means you can update a Samba 3.x NT4-style PDC to a recent version, just as you updated in the past - for example from 3.4.x to 3.5.x. There is no requirement to migrate an NT4-style domain to an AD.
Additionally, all recent versions continue to support setting up a new NT4-style PDC. The AD support in Samba 4.0 and later is optional and does not replace any of the PDC features. The Samba team understand the difficulty presented by existing LDAP structures. For that reason, there is no plan to remove the classic PDC support. Additionally we continue testing the PDC support in our continuous integration system.
Updating Multiple Samba Domain Controllers
If you are updating multiple Samba Active Directory (AD) Domain Controllers (DC), the recommended order is:
- Update one Samba AD DC that does not hold any flexible single master operations (FSMO) role.
- Start Samba on the updated DC.
- Verify that the directory replication between all DCs is working correctly:
# samba-tool drs showrepl
- Test the installation to ensure that the new version works correctly.
- Upgrade all other Samba DCs one at a time and always verify that the replication is working correctly.
The Update Process
Run the following steps, whether you are updating a Samba Active Directory (AD) domain controller (DC), a Samba NT4-style PDC, a Samba domain member, or a standalone installation:
- Stop all Samba services.
- Create a backup.
- Read all release notes of versions since the one you are updating from. They contain important information on new features, changed parameter options, and so on.
- Install the latest version over your existing one:
- If you compile Samba from the sources, use the same
configure
options as used for your previous version. For more information, see Build Samba From the Sources.
- If you compile Samba from the sources, use the same
- If you update using packages, read the distribution documentation for information how to update.
- Start Samba.
- Start the same daemons as your previous version:
- On Samba AD DCs:
samba
- On Samba NT4-style PDC/BDCs:
smbd
,nmbd
- On Samba domain members:
smbd
,nmbd
(winbind
, if used) - On Samba standalone hosts:
smbd
- On Samba AD DCs:
- On Samba AD DCs only: Run the Samba AD DC database check.
- Check your Samba log files for errors.
- Test your updated installation.
Samba AD DC Database Check
The samba-tool
utility enables you to detect and fix problems in the Samba Active Directory (AD) database. For example, if a previous Samba version stored an attribute incorrectly and the updated version fixes the problem. You must run the check and fix command on every Samba AD DC locally, because some fixes apply to non-replicated attributes and modifications are not replicated to other DCs.
To check the AD database, run:
# samba-tool dbcheck --cross-ncs
To fix reported errors, run:
# samba-tool dbcheck --cross-ncs --fix
If you pass the --yes
parameter to the command, all questions are automatically answered with yes
. Note that if you omit the --yes
parameter, the database check executes three fsync()
calls for each object. This can result result in a longer run duration. For example, passing the --yes
parameter to the command fixed 3500 objects in 10 seconds in our test environment. Without this parameter, the command required 4:50 minutes for the same operation.
After a repair, re-check the database to verify a successful operation.
Notable Enhancements and Changes
If you are updating Samba, always read the release notes of all versions between the previous and the one you are updating to. They contain important and additional information on new features, changed parameter options, and so on.
This section provides an overview about important changes that require your attention to fix problems of previous versions, avoid a negative performance impact, and so on.
All Samba Installations
File Execution Permissions
Updating to 4.0.0 and later.
Previously, Samba did not check the execution bit of files. As a consequence, users could execute files, such as *.exe
and *.bat
, on a share, if the x-bit was not set. Samba has been enhanced and now denies to execute a file if the x-bit is not set. In situations, such as when upgrading from a previous version, your executable files can be missing the x-bit. As a workaround, you can enable the old behaviour, if you set the following parameter for individual shares or in the [global]
section:
acl allow execute always = true
Samba Active Directory Domain Controllers
The ntvfs
File Server Back End Has Been Disabled
Updating to 4.5.0 and later.
Previously, Samba enabled users to provision a domain controller (DC) using the ntvfs
file server back end. This back end was never supported, and thus the ntvfs
feature is no longer build by default in Samba 4.5.0. Consequently, starting the samba
service on a DC using the ntvfs
back end failed after the update and the following error is logged:
[2016/09/01 08:00:00.000000, 0, pid=995] ../source4/smbd/service.c:98(server_service_startup) Failed to start service 'smb' - NT_STATUS_INVALID_SYSTEM_SERVICE [2016/09/01 08:00:00.000000, 0, pid=995] ../lib/util/become_daemon.c:111(exit_daemon) STATUS=daemon failed to start: Samba failed to start services, error code -1073741796
To fix the problem, migrate the file server back end on your DC to the supported s3fs
back end. For details, see Migrating the ntvfs File Server Back End to s3fs.
Fixing replPropertyMetaData Attributes
Updating to 4.5.0 and later.
Samba versions prior to 4.5.0 stored the replPropertyMetaData
attribute incorrectly. As a consequence, administrators could experience, for example, renaming conflicts. The problem has been fixed in 4.5.0 and later versions and Samba now stores the attribute correctly. The samba-tool
utility has been enhanced to detect incorrectly stored replPropertyMetaData
attributes:
# samba-tool dbcheck --cross-ncs
To fix the attributes, run:
# samba-tool dbcheck --cross-ncs --fix --yes ... CN=NTDS Settings,CN=DC1,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-Site-Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com: 0x00000003 CN=NTDS Settings,CN=DC1,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-Site-Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com: 0x00000000 ERROR: unsorted attributeID values in replPropertyMetaData on CN=NTDS Settings,CN=DC1,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-Site-Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com Fix replPropertyMetaData on CN=NTDS Settings,CN=DC1,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-Site-Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com by sorting the attribute list? [YES] Fixed attribute 'replPropertyMetaData' of 'CN=NTDS Settings,CN=DC1,CN=Servers,CN=Default-First-Site-Name,CN=Sites,CN=Configuration,DC=samdom,DC=example,DC=com'
Note that the --yes
parameter automatically fixes all problems found and not only the replPropertyMetaData
attributes!
Run the check and fix operation on all Samba Domain Controllers (DC), because replPropertyMetaData
is a non-replicated attribute and modifications are not replicated to other DCs.
For more information, see the Samba AD DC database check section.
Updating to 4.4.6 or later.
The winbindd
service on a Samba Active Directory (AD) domain controller (DC) automatically uses the IDs set in the Active Directory uidNumber
and gidNumber
attributes of user accounts and groups. If the attributes are not set, Samba generates IDs locally on the DC and stores them in the idmap.ldb
database. Thus, on a Samba AD DC, idmap config
parameters set in the smb.conf
file were ignored. Due to a bug in Samba 4.4.6 and later, the parameters were no longer ignored and clients fail to connect to shares on the DC. To fix the problem:
- Remove all
idmap config
parameters in thesmb.conf
file on DCs. - Restart the
samba
service. - Restart the clients.
As a result, clients now correctly connect to shares on the DC.
New Default for LDAP Connections Requires Strong Authentication
Updating to 4.4.1 or later / 4.3.7 or later / 4.2.10 or later.
The security updates 4.4.1, 4.3.7 and 4.2.10 introduced a new smb.conf
option for the Active Directory (AD) LDAP server to enforce strong authentication. The default for this new option ldap server require strong auth
is yes
and allows only simple binds over TLS encrypted connections. In consequence, external applications that connect to AD using LDAP, cannot establish a connection if they do not use or support TLS encrypted connections.
Applications connecting to Samba AD using the LDAP protocol without encryption, will display the error message:
ldap_bind: Strong(er) authentication required (8) additional info: BindSimple: Transport encryption required.
For further information, see the 4.4.1, 4.3.7, or the 4.2.10 release notes.
AD Database Cleanup of Deleted LDAP DNS Entries
Updating to 4.1.12 or later.
Previously, Samba incorrectly created deleted Active Directory (AD) objects for removed DNS entries. The problem has been fixed. If you start the first Domain Controller (DC) with a fixed Samba version, all deleted objects are removed. As a result, this can result in a slow performance until the deleted objects are removed.
Incorrect TLS File Permissions
Updating to 4.1.2 or later / 4.0.12 or later.
Previously, Samba created the *.pem
files used for LDAP TLS encryptions with insecure permissions. To avoid insecure connections, delete the files on all domain controllers (DC):
# rm /usr/local/samba/private/tls/*.pem
Restart Samba after you deleted the files to automatically re-create the new certificates.
Fixing dynamic DNS update problems
Updating to 4.0.7 or later.
See Fix DNS dynamic updates in Samba versions prior 4.0.7 for details.
Fixing incorrect Sysvol and Directory ACLs
Updating from early 4.0.x versions, 4.0 beta and 4.0 release candidates.
- To reset wrong Sysvol ACLs, run:
# samba-tool ntacl sysvolreset
- To reset all well known ACLs in the directory, run:
# samba-tool dbcheck --cross-ncs --reset-well-known-acls --fix
- To fix errors in the Active Directory (AD) database, run:
# samba-tool dbcheck --cross-ncs --fix
Samba Domain Members
No remarkable important changes.