---
name: "gentest"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "samba"
version: "2:4.25.1-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/gentest"
---

# gentest(1)

Run random generic SMB operations against two SMB servers and show the differences in behavior

## NAME

gentest - Run random generic SMB operations against two SMB servers and show the differences in behavior

## SYNOPSIS

**gentest** {//server1/share1} {//server2/share2} {-U user%pass} {-U user%pass} \[-s seed\] \[-o numops\] \[-a\] \[-A\] \[-i FILE\] \[-O\] \[-S FILE\] \[-L\] \[-F\] \[-C\] \[-X\]

## DESCRIPTION

gentest is a utility for detecting differences in behaviour between SMB servers. It will run a random set of generic operations against *//server1/share1* and then the same random set against *//server2/share2* and display the differences in the responses it gets.

This utility is used by the Samba team to find differences in behaviour between Samba and Windows servers.

## OPTIONS

- \-U user%pass

  Specify the user and password to use when logging on on the shares. This parameter is mandatory and has to be specified twice.

- \-s seed

  Seed the random number generator with the specified value.

- \-o numops

  Set the number of operations to perform.

- \-a

  Print the operations that are performed.

- \-A

  Backtrack to find minimal number of operations required to make the response to a certain call differ.

- \-i FILE

  Specify a file containing the names of fields that have to be ignored (such as time fields). See below for a description of the file format.

- \-O

  Enable oplocks.

- \-S FILE

  Set preset seeds file. The default is gentest\_seeds.dat.

- \-L

  Use preset seeds

- \-F

  Fast reconnect (just close files)

- \-C

  Continuous analysis mode

- \-X

  Analyse even when the test succeeded.

## VERSION

This man page is correct for version 4.0 of the Samba suite.

## SEE ALSO

Samba

## AUTHOR

This utility is part of the **Samba**\[1\] suite, which is developed by the global **Samba Team**\[2\].

gentest was written by Andrew Tridgell.

This manpage was written by Jelmer Vernooij.

## NOTES

- 1\.

  Samba

  http://www.samba.org/

- 2\.

  Samba Team

  http://www.samba.org/samba/team/