NAME

       vfs_widelinks - make a Samba share ignore filesystem symbolic links inside a share

SYNOPSIS

       vfs objects = widelinks

DESCRIPTION

       This VFS module is part of the samba(7) suite.

       The vfs_widelinks VFS module hides the existence of symbolic links in the filesystem inside a share. It
       is used in Samba version 4.13 and above to implement the smb.conf"wide links = yes" functionality that
       used to be inside the core smbd code. The module should not be loaded explicitly by smb.conf as part of
       the "vfs objects =" parameter, but is loaded implicitly when "wide links = yes" is enabled. This is to
       prevent existing smb.conf files from having to be modified to keep the existing insecure "wide links"
       functionality on a share.

       Please note that "wide links = yes" functionality is a deliberately insecure option, and should never be
       used in Samba installations. On Linux, bind mounts can be used instead to implement anything "wide links
       = yes" can enable. This module has been created to provide backwards compatibility with existing users of
       "wide links = yes" installations, but this use cannot be recommended and is not endorsed by the Samba
       developers.

       Note that this implicit loading may become explicit in a later Samba release, and administrators wishing
       to keep the insecure "wide links" functionality may have to add this module into their "vfs objects ="
       module list. The Samba project release notes and this manpage will be updated to reflect this when this
       change is made.

       This module is stackable.

EXAMPLES

       No examples listed. This module is implicitly loaded by smbd as needed.

VERSION

       This man page is part of version 4.21.4-Ubuntu-4.21.4+dfsg-1ubuntu3.3 of the Samba suite.

AUTHOR

       The original Samba software and related utilities were created by Andrew Tridgell. Samba is now developed
       by the Samba Team as an Open Source project similar to the way the Linux kernel is developed.

Samba 4.21.4-Ubuntu-4.21.4+dfs                     06/19/2025                                   VFS_WIDELINKS(8)