Installation command explanations install -d /var/cache/samba: This directory is needed for proper operation of the smbd and nmbd daemons. --prefix=/usr: Sets the prefix for almost all the file paths to /usr. --sysconfdir=/etc: Sets the configuration file directory to avoid the default of /usr/etc. --localstatedir=/var: Sets the variable data directory to avoid the default of /usr/var. : Assigns all other file paths in a manner compliant with the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS). : Orders the creation of an extra binary for use by the mount command so that mounting remote SMB (windows) shares becomes no more complex than mounting remote NFS shares. install -m755 nsswitch/libnss_win{s,bind}.so /lib: The nss libs are not installed by default. If you intend to use winbindd for domain auth, and/or WINS name resolution, you need these libraries ln -sf libnss_winbind.so /lib/libnss_winbind.so.2 and ln -sf libnss_wins.so /lib/libnss_wins.so.2: These symlinks are required by glibc to use the nss libs.