---
name: "smbutil"
section: "1"
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/smbutil"
---

# smbutil(1)

interface to the server message block (SMB1/CIFS) requester

## NAME

**smbutil** – interface to the server message block (SMB1/CIFS) requester

## SYNOPSIS

**smbutil** \[**-hv**\] *command* \[*options*\] \[*args*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The **smbutil** command is used to control SMB requester and issue various commands.

There are two types of options — global and local to the specified *command*.

Global options are as follows:

- **-h**

  Print a short help message.

- **-v**

  Verbose output.

The commands and local options are:

- **crypt** \[*password*\]

  Encrypt clear text password for use in the *~/.nsmbrc* file. The encrypted password starts with the ‘$$1’ symbols. Warning: the encryption function is very weak and intended only to hide clear text password. If *password* is omitted from the command line, **smbutil** will prompt for one.

- **help** *command*

  Print usage information about *command*.

- **lc**

  List active connections and their parameters.

-

  **login** \[*connection\_options*\] **//***user***@***server*\[**/***share*\] Login/attach to the specified *server* and/or *share* as *user*. This command will create and authenticate connection to an SMB server, and will leave it active after exit. Thus, it is possible to login only once and then use other SMB commands without authentication procedure and additional connections. For the description of *connection\_options* refer to the [mount\_smbfs(8)](/mount_smbfs/8.md) manual page (all uppercase options are connection options).

-

  **logout** **//***user***@***server*\[**/***share*\] Logout/detach from the specified *server* and/or *share* as *user*. This command will destroy a connection created by the **login** command. A connection may not be closed immediately if it is used by other programs.

-

  **lookup** \[**-w** *host*\] *name* Resolve the given *name* to an IP address. The NetBIOS name server can be directly specified via the **-w** option.

-

  **print** \[*connection\_options*\] **//***user***@***server*\[**/***share*\] *file* Send the given *file* to the specified queue on the remote server. If *file* is “*-*”, then standard input will be used.

-

  **view** \[*connection\_options*\] **//***user***@***server* List resources available on the specified *server* for the user *user*.

## FILES

- *~/.nsmbrc*

  Keeps description for each connection. See */usr/share/examples/smbfs/dot.nsmbrc* for details.

## SEE ALSO

[nsmb.conf(5)](/nsmb.conf/5.md), [mount\_smbfs(8)](/mount_smbfs/8.md)

## AUTHORS

Boris Popov ⟨bp@butya.kz⟩, ⟨bp@FreeBSD.org⟩

## BUGS

Please report any bugs to the author.