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The Samba team at SerNet has completed two key milestones in the ongoing development of SMB over QUIC for Samba. The technology  promises secure, high-performance access to file servers across untrusted networks. These developments are part of the project funded by the Sovereign Tech Agency (STA). The STA supports critical open-source infrastructure to strengthen digital sovereignty and resilience.

Milestone 5.1: Enable QUIC transport in Samba smbd

Samba now supports listening on UDP port 443, enabling a QUIC-based alternative to traditional TCP connections (ports 445 and 139). The groundwork integrates the Linux kernel QUIC driver lxin/quic into Samba's networking logic. This allows Samba to act as a secure “SMB VPN”, ideal for remote work, mobile access, and high-security scenarios.

Milestone 5.2: Enable QUIC testing via socket_wrapper

Testing QUIC implementations without relying on real network interfaces is crucial for fast, automated validation. The team extended socket_wrapper, a tool that emulates network sockets over Unix domain sockets, to simulate QUIC communication using the ngtcp2 userspace library. This approach allows developers to test SMB over QUIC under controlled conditions without kernel dependencies.

With these two milestones, Samba takes a significant step toward full SMB over QUIC support, offering a modern, secure transport layer for the next generation of file services. 

Learn more about the full project and its milestones: https://samba.plus/stf-project

All presentations from sambaXP 2025 are now accessible at YouTube, featuring hours of valuable content and expertise in Samba, open-source technologies and much more. Dive into the latest insights shared at the recent on-site conference, held at Hotel Freizeit In in Göttingen from April 7–8.

One highlight of this year's event was the keynote by Mirko Swillus from the Sovereign Tech Agency (STA). He addressed the necessity and complexities of maintaining digital infrastructure, drawing parallels to physical infrastructure: "Digital infrastructure maintenance resembles the upkeep of roads and bridges. It’s crucial yet often invisible. The Sovereign Tech Agency exists precisely to ensure the sustainability of these fundamental building blocks of our digital society."

Swillus further emphasized international collaboration, stating: "Open source doesn't have borders; it’s a global phenomenon. We must work collectively to sustain these critical resources." And that's exactly what STA does whith its Sovereign Tech Fund. For example, STA currently funds a major Samba project managed by SerNet GmbH. The initiative focuses on enhancing Samba’s security, scalability, and functionality.

Thanks to all speakers and to this year’s sponsors for their support, enabling another successful sambaXP.

Missed the event or want to revisit your favorite sessions? Start exploring the sambaXP 2025 playlist today!

And stay tuned for updates on sambaXP 2026 at sambaxp.org.

SAMBA+ packages version 4.21.5 and 4.20.8 have just been released by the Samba team at SerNet. Packages for variousS USE and Red Hat platforms as well as for Debian GNU/Linux, Ubuntu and AIX are available now. 

These packages address several issues, which are listed in the release notes: 

• https://www.samba.org/samba/history/samba-4.21.5.html
• https://www.samba.org/samba/history/samba-4.20.8.html

SAMBA+ packages are available as software subscriptions and can be purchased in the SAMBA+ shop. Detailed information and prices can be found at:

• USD Pricing: US SAMBA+ Shop
• EUR Pricing: World SAMBA+ Shop

At SerNet, we remain focused on delivering high-quality solutions tailored to your business needs. Upgrade to SAMBA+ 4.20.7 today and take advantage of the latest improvements. The new SAMBA+ packages are included in the existing subscriptions.

For questions or support requests, please feel free to contact our SAMBA+ team. 

The Samba team at SerNet has reached the fourth milestone in the Sovereign Tech Agency-funded project: Regression tests and server adjustments for SMB3 UNIX Extensions have been successfully completed and integrated.

This milestone supports Samba’s goal to deliver local filesystem semantics over SMB – especially for Linux clients, but with future potential for broader adoption (e.g., macOS). The extended SMB3 UNIX feature set improves handling of symbolic links, file permissions, and Unix-specific metadata when accessing files over a network. This closes the gap between traditional Unix behavior and the SMB protocol, enhancing cross-platform compatibility. Extensive regression testing ensures that recent enhancements don't introduce unintended side effects.

With this milestone, Samba moves closer to providing seamless UNIX-like behavior over SMB3. All developments are available via the public Samba repositories. Learn more about the full project and all milestones: https://samba.plus/stf-project

The project and the ongoing development is made possible through funding by the Sovereign Tech Agency, which supports critical open-source infrastructure. The STA’s broader mission is to strengthen digital sovereignty, security, and resilience by enabling long-term development and maintenance of critical technologies. SerNet has secured the funding for Samba and manages the milestones.