Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Administration Unleashed

318CHAPTER 13Network File SharingThis file can have a different filename and be located anywhere on the filesystem.However, to prevent other users from getting the password be sure to change the permissionsof the credential file with the command chmod 600 so only the ownercan read it. For extra security, be sure the password used is not used for access to othersystems in case it is compromised or read by someone else.NOTEAdding an entry for a Samba mount point to /etc/fstab does not automaticallymount the share. It will be mounted the next time the system is booted. To mount theshare immediately, use the following command as root (replace /mountpoint):mount /mountpointYet another option for configuring a Samba mount is to use autofs. The share can bemounted in any directory reserved for autofs. For example, to mount it in/misc//, make sure the following line exists and is not commented out in/etc/auto.master:/misc/etc/auto.miscThen, in /etc/auto.misc, add the following line:mount_dir-fstype=cifs,credentials=/etc/smbcreds :///As shown, a credentials file can also be used with autofs. If the autofs service is alreadystarted, be sure to reload the configuration files with the command service autofsreload. Refer to the “Using autofs to Connect to the NFS Share” section in this chapterfor more details on how autofs works.SummaryIn this chapter, both the NFS and Samba protocols for sharing files across a network werediscussed. NFS should be used for file sharing among UNIX-based operating systems.However, if the clients include Microsoft Windows clients, a Red Hat Enterprise Linuxsystem can be configured as a Samba server, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux can also serveas a Samba client to connect to a Linux or Windows Samba server.