In a mixed network environment one may have Apple, Linux and Microsoft systems. In our office we have one central Linux server carbon that stores files for everyone. It's exposed via Samba Shares for the Microsoft Windows systems and the Apple systems can use it that way as well. To get native Mac support well have to add AppleTalk and Bonjour services and configure those. This way the Linux server will be able to support additional services needed by OSX for things like TimeMachine.

Install AppleTalk and Bonjour

On our systems our USE flags show like this for these two packages. If this is your first install there may be other dependencies Also make sure your kernel has AppleTalk Protocol Support (Networking Options -> Appletalk Protocol Support).

emerge -pv netatalk avahi
net-dns/avahi-0.6.24 \
  USE="-autoipd -bookmarks -dbus -doc gdbm -gtk -howl-compat ipv6 \
       -mdnsresponder-compat -mono -python -qt3 -qt4 -test"
net-fs/netatalk-2.0.3-r2 \
  USE="cracklib cups -debug -kerberos -krb4 pam -slp ssl -tcpd"

Configure AppleTalk

Configure the file /etc/netatalk/netatalk.conf to enable services provided by the server.

ATALK_ZONE="@edoceo"
ATALK_NAME="carbon"

# Enable ApplieTalk - OS9 style
ATALKD_RUN=yes
# Enable Apple Filesharing
AFPD_RUN=yes
# Metadata Server
CNID_METAD_RUN=yes
# Enable Printing Services
PAPD_RUN=yes
# Enable Apple Time Services
TIMELORD_RUN=no

Then we configure /etc/netatalk/afpd.conf. Add this line at the bottom of the file.

# Enable Applie File Location
- -transall -uamlist uams_randnum.so,uams_dhx.so -nosavepassword -advertise_ssh

Share out a location from the server to the OSX clients.

# User data
/var/lib/samba/userhome/edoceo edoceo \
  allow:edoceo cnidscheme:cdb optons:usedots,upriv
# Time Machine
/opt/timemachine TimeMachine \
  allow:edoceo cnidscheme:cdb optons:usedots,upriv

See Also