Linux Journal is running part two in a series of articles on Linux servers that have to support Windows clients. The article has a decent section on how to configure Samba for file and print sharing. The piece works well as a quick and easy introduction to Samba's role within a Linux server. This is the kind of piece you can share with friends, co-workers, and fellow sys admins considering Samba.

The piece begins:

This article series covers the development of a Linux-based server that supports a number of workstations running the Microsoft Windows operating system in the computer laboratory of a 55+ RV Resort in Mesa, Arizona. Part I covered the background of our organization, the establishment of our Linux system and the rules for our iptables firewall. This article covers network functions such as IP address serving, a cache-only name server, an intranet Web server and print and file services using the service message block (SMB) protocol.

For the complete article, see Linux in a Windows Workstation Environment, Part II: Local Network Support.