Download Samba 4.0.0 alpha 1

On the Samba site, ThaEagle has seen that the first alpha version of Samba 4.0.0 released is. Samba runs on Unix, BSD and Linux based servers and is able to provide file and printer services to Windows clients through the so-called ‘Common Internet File System‘ protocol. The 4.0 series is being developed in parallel with the 3.0 series, with an emphasis on supporting the Active Directory logon protocols used in Windows 2000 and above. The developers of Samba write the following about the alpha 1:

Samba 4 is the ambitious next version of the Samba suite that is being developed in parallel to the stable 3.0 series. The main emphasis in this branch is support for the Active Directory logon protocols used by Windows 2000 and above.

Samba 4 is currently not yet in a state where it is usable in production environments. Note the WARNINGS in WHATSNEW.txt in the source and the STATUS file which aims to document what should and should not work.

Samba4 alpha1 is the culmination of 4.5 years of development under our belt since Tridge first proposed a new Virtual File System (VFS) layer for Samba3 (a project which eventually lead to our Active Directory efforts), and 1.5 years since we first released a Technology preview. We wish to allow users, managers and developers to see how we have progressed, and to invite feedback and support.[break]