testparm

Check a Samba smb.conf configuration file for correctness

TLDR

Check the default smb.conf for errors

$ testparm

Check a specific configuration file

$ testparm [path/to/smb.conf]

Check and suppress the prompt for pressing Enter between sections

$ testparm -s

Show all parameters including defaults that are not explicitly set

$ testparm -v

Query a specific parameter value

$ testparm --parameter-name "[server role]"

Query a parameter from a specific share section

$ testparm --parameter-name "[path]" --section-name "[myshare]"

Check if a specific host has access to services

$ testparm [path/to/smb.conf] [hostname] [host_ip]

SYNOPSIS

testparm [-s] [-v] [-l] [-d LEVEL] [--parameter-name NAME] [--section-name NAME] [config filename] [hostname hostIP]

testparm is a Samba utility that validates smb.conf configuration files for internal correctness. It parses the configuration, checks for syntax errors and invalid parameter values, and reports any problems found. If the file loads successfully, it displays all known service definitions.When a hostname and IP address are provided as arguments, testparm also checks whether the specified host would be granted or denied access to each configured service, based on the hosts allow and hosts deny directives.The tool returns exit code 0 on success and 1 on error, making it suitable for use in scripts and automated deployment pipelines.

PARAMETERS

-s, --suppress-prompt

Do not prompt for a carriage return after displaying service names.

-v, --verbose

Show all options, including defaults not explicitly set in the configuration.

-l, --skip-logic-checks

Skip global validation logic checks.

--parameter-name NAME

Print the value of a specific parameter. Use a colon to specify section context.

--section-name NAME

Restrict --parameter-name output to a specific configuration section.

--show-all-parameters

Show all parameters with their types and possible values.

-d, --debuglevel LEVEL

Set debug verbosity level (0-10, default 1).

--debug-stdout

Send debug output to stdout instead of stderr.

--configfile FILE

Specify the configuration file location.

--option NAME=VALUE

Set a specific smb.conf option on the command line.

-V, --version

Print version information.

-?, --help

Display help.

CONFIGURATION

The default configuration file is /etc/samba/smb.conf. Pass an alternative path as the first positional argument to check a different file. Use --option to override individual settings during validation.

CAVEATS

testparm checks for syntactic correctness but cannot guarantee that services will work as intended. A file that passes validation may still have logical errors (e.g. pointing to non-existent paths or conflicting share permissions). Weak cryptographic algorithm warnings (DES, ARCFOUR, SHA1, MD5) are informational and relate to Samba's cryptographic fallback behavior.

HISTORY

testparm has been part of the Samba suite since its early releases. Samba was originally written by Andrew Tridgell in 1992 to provide SMB/CIFS file and print services on Unix. The testparm utility was created to help administrators validate configuration changes before restarting the Samba daemons, reducing downtime from misconfiguration.