The standard process for debugging samba via the smb.conf file is as follows:

1.          cd to /etc/samba directory: “cd /etc/samba”.

2.         Make a backup of the conf file: “cp smb.conf smb.conf.orig”.

3.         Edit file /etc/samba/smb.conf file with vi: “ vi smb.conf”.

4.         Add line “debug level = 10 “ to the [global] section of smb.conf.

EXAMPLE:

[global]

     server string = Flames File Server

     workgroup =

     security = user

     netbios name = FLAMES

     domain master = no

     local master = no

     dos filemode = yes

     name cache timeout = 0

     passdb backend = smbpasswd:/snfs/common/galaxy-config/nas/smbpasswd

     debug level = 10

5.         Save the file, then run command “service smb restart” to cycle smb.

6.         This will log information in: /var/log/samba/log* files.

Using the same process, set debug to 10 in "/snfs/common/galaxy-config/nas/smb.conf.extra" to diagnose smb restart issues.

Additionally, you can also use smbcontrol.

To alter samba debug level on the fly with no need to cycle smb (default debug level is 0):

               smbcontrol smbd debug #

# = the debug level.

To check samba debug level:

               smbcontrol smbd debuglevel

Examples:

[root@P-DXi6902 ~]# smbcontrol smbd debug 0

Tail of /var/log/samba/log.samba:

[2016/01/25 11:46:13.088790,  3, pid=16656, effective(0, 0), real(0, 0)] ../lib/util/debug_s3.c:72(debug_message)

  INFO: Remote set of debug to `0'  (pid 16656 from pid 32028)

[root@P-DXi6902 ~]# smbcontrol smbd debug 10

Tail of /var/log/samba/log.samba:

2016/01/25 11:48:36.117501,  3, pid=16656] ../lib/util/debug_s3.c:72(debug_message)

  INFO: Remote set of debug to `10'  (pid 16656 from pid 32028)

[2016/01/25 11:54:54.325349, 10, pid=16656, effective(0, 0), real(0, 0)] ../source3/lib/events.c:437(smbd_idle_event_handler)

  smbd_idle_event_handler: idle_evt(deadtime) (nil) rescheduled

[2016/01/25 11:54:54.325390, 10, pid=16656, effective(0, 0), real(0, 0)] ../source3/lib/events.c:426(smbd_idle_event_handler)

  smbd_idle_event_handler: idle_evt(housekeeping) (nil) called

[2016/01/25 11:54:54.325426,  5, pid=16656, effective(0, 0), real(0, 0)] ../source3/smbd/process.c:2742(housekeeping_fn)

  housekeeping

[2016/01/25 11:54:54.325462,  4, pid=16656, effective(0, 0), real(0, 0)] ../source3/smbd/sec_ctx.c:316(set_sec_ctx)

  setting sec ctx (0, 0) - sec_ctx_stack_ndx = 0

[2016/01/25 11:54:54.325496,  5, pid=16656, effective(0, 0), real(0, 0)] ../libcli/security/security_token.c:53(security_token_debug)

  Security token: (NULL)

[2016/01/25 11:54:54.325530,  5, pid=16656, effective(0, 0), real(0, 0)] ../source3/auth/token_util.c:629(debug_unix_user_token)

  UNIX token of user 0

  Primary group is 0 and contains 0 supplementary groups

[2016/01/25 11:54:54.325590,  5, pid=16656, effective(0, 0), real(0, 0)] ../source3/smbd/uid.c:425(smbd_change_to_root_user)

  change_to_root_user: now uid=(0,0) gid=(0,0)

[2016/01/25 11:54:54.325629, 10, pid=16656, effective(0, 0), real(0, 0)] ../source3/lib/events.c:437(smbd_idle_event_handler)

  smbd_idle_event_handler: idle_evt(housekeeping) (nil) rescheduled

[2016/01/25 11:55:30.194201,  2, pid=32028, effective(0, 0), real(0, 0)] ../source3/smbd/server.c:420(remove_child_pid)

  Could not find child 18176 -- ignoring

To check the status of the debug:

smbcontrol smbd debuglevel

Debug set to 0:

[root@P-DXi6902 ~]# smbcontrol smbd debuglevel

PID 32028: all:0 tdb:0 printdrivers:0 lanman:0 smb:0 rpc_parse:0 rpc_srv:0 rpc_cli:0 passdb:0 sam:0 auth:0 winbind:0 vfs:0

idmap:0 quota:0 acls:0 locking:0 msdfs:0 dmapi:0 registry:0 scavenger:0 dns:0 ldb:0

Debug set to 10:

[root@P-DXi6902 samba]# smbcontrol smbd debuglevel

PID 32028: all:10 tdb:10 printdrivers:10 lanman:10 smb:10 rpc_parse:10 rpc_srv:10 rpc_cli:10 passdb:10 sam:10 auth:10 winbind:10 vfs:10

idmap:10 quota:10 acls:10 locking:10 msdfs:10 dmapi:10 registry:10 scavenger:10 dns:10 ldb:10

[root@P-DXi6902 samba]#

Using smbcontrol to debug does not change smb.conf or smb.conf.extra files.

smbcontrol debug will NOT persist through a DXI reboot.

Debug levels for samba range from 0 – 10.