SMBCIFS

SMBCIFS is a term used to describe software components and file-system implementations that provide access to SMB (Server Message Block) and CIFS (Common Internet File System) network shares from non-Windows operating systems. It encompasses client libraries and file-system layers that enable mounting and interacting with remote Windows or SMB/CIFS servers as if they were part of the local file system.

In practice, SMBCIFS can be implemented as a kernel-space driver or as a user-space file system, often using a framework such as FUSE on Unix-like systems. Typical capabilities include standard file operations (open, read, write, close), directory listing, and attribute retrieval, along with translation of Windows file attributes and permissions to the local system's semantics. Authentication support commonly covers NTLM and Kerberos, and implementations may include caching, latency hiding, and data integrity features. Some SMBCIFS projects also address file locking semantics, symbolic link translation, and path resolution complexities that arise in cross-platform file sharing.

SMBCIFS is closely related to, and often complementary to, existing SMB/CIFS ecosystems such as Samba and the native Windows CIFS services. On many platforms, core SMB/CIFS functionality is delivered via a kernel client (or a well-integrated user-space solution) that SMBCIFS describes or extends. It is typically used to enable interoperability in mixed operating system networks, allowing users and applications to access remote shares as part of the local file hierarchy.

See also: SMB, CIFS, SMB/CIFS, Samba, Linux CIFS, Windows File and Print Services.