---
name: "masktest"
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/masktest"
---

# masktest(1)

Find differences in wildcard matching between Samba's implementation and that of a remote server.

## NAME

masktest - Find differences in wildcard matching between Samba's implementation and that of a remote server.

## SYNOPSIS

**masktest** {//server/share} \[-U user%pass\] \[-d debuglevel\] \[-W workgroup\] \[-n numloops\] \[-s seed\] \[-a\] \[-E\] \[-M max protocol\] \[-f filechars\] \[-m maskchars\] \[-v\]

## DESCRIPTION

masktest is a utility for detecting differences in behaviour between Samba's own implementation and that of a remote server. It will run generate random filenames/masks and check if these match the same files they do on the remote file as they do on the local server. It will display any differences it finds.

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 can be specified twice (once for the first server, once for the second).

- \-s seed

  Seed the random number generator with the specified value.

- \-n numops

  Set the number of operations to perform.

- \-a

  Print the operations that are performed.

- \-M max\_protocol

  Maximum protocol to use.

- \-f

  Specify characters that can be used when generating file names. Default: abcdefghijklm.

- \-E

  Abort when difference in behaviour is found.

- \-m maskchars

  Specify characters used for wildcards.

- \-v

  Be verbose

## 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**\[2\].

masktest 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/