---
name: "nsmb.conf"
section: "5"
platform: "freebsd"
package: "base"
version: "16.0-CURRENT-20261027-61c70dc16a79"
release: "FreeBSD 16.0-CURRENT (2026-10-27)"
platforms: ["freebsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/nsmb.conf"
---

# nsmb.conf(5)

configuration file for server message block (SMB1/CIFS) requests

## NAME

**nsmb.conf** – configuration file for server message block (SMB1/CIFS) requests

## DESCRIPTION

The **nsmb.conf** file contains information about the computers, users, and shares or mount points for the SMB network protocol.

The configuration files are loaded in the following order:

1. *~/.nsmbrc*

2. */etc/nsmb.conf*

As a result, */etc/nsmb.conf* settings override those in *~/.nsmbrc*.

The configuration hierarchy is made up of several sections, each section containing a few or several lines of parameters and their assigned values. Each of these sections must begin with a section name enclosed within square brackets, similar to:

\[*section\_name*\]

The end of each section is marked by either the start of a new section, or by the abrupt ending of the file, commonly referred to as the EOF. Each section may contain zero or more parameters such as:

\[*section\_name*\]

*key*=*value*

where *key* represents a parameter name, and *value* would be the parameter's assigned value.

The SMB library uses the following information for section names:

- **A)**

  \[default\]

- **B)**

  \[*SERVER*\]

- **C)**

  \[*SERVER*:*USER*\]

- **D)**

  \[*SERVER*:*USER*:*SHARE*\]

Possible keywords may include:

| | | |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Keyword** | Section | Comment |
|  | A B C D |
| *addr* | - + - - | IP address of SMB server |
| *charsets* | - + + + | local:remote charset pair |
| *nbns* | + + - - | address of NetBIOS name server (WINS) |
| *nbscope* | + + - - | NetBIOS scope |
| *nbtimeout* | + + - - | timeout for NetBIOS name servers |
| *password* | - - + + | plain text or simple encrypted password used to access the given share |
| *retry\_count* | + + - - | number of retries before connection is marked as broken |
| *timeout* | + + - - | SMB request timeout |
| *workgroup* | + + + + | workgroup name |

## FILES

- */etc/nsmb.conf*

  The default remote mount-point configuration file.

- *~/.nsmbrc*

  The user specific remote mount-point configuration file.

## EXAMPLES

What follows is a sample configuration file which may, or may not match your environment:

```
# Configuration file for example.com
[default]
workgroup=SALES
# The 'FSERVER' is an NT server.
[FSERVER]
charsets=koi8-r:cp866
addr=fserv.example.com
# User specific data for FSERVER
[FSERVER:MYUSER]
password=$$16144562c293a0314e6e1
```

All lines which begin with the ‘#’ character are comments and will not be parsed. The “default” section describes the default workgroup or domain, in this case “SALES”. The next section depicted here as “FSERVER”, defines a server section and then assigns it a charset which is only required when Cyrillic characters are not used. The hostname value, “fserv.example.com”, is also assigned in this section. “FSERVER:USER”, defines the user settings and is useful for saving the password used during a specific connection. The password may be plaintext or obfuscated using simple encryption. The simple encrypted password starts with the \`$$1' symbols. Warning: the encryption function is very weak and intended only to hide clear text passwords. If the use of simple encryption is desired, the following command may be used on a password:

```
smbutil crypt
```

## SEE ALSO

[smbutil(1)](/smbutil/1.md), [mount\_smbfs(8)](/mount_smbfs/8.md)

## AUTHORS

This manual page was written by Sergey Osokin ⟨*osa@FreeBSD.org*⟩ and Tom Rhodes ⟨*trhodes@FreeBSD.org*⟩.