Some programs require a full username in order to operate. For example, a Windows email program often needs to associate a username with a given real name. If your system password file contains the real names of users in the GCOS field, the
unix
realname option instructs Samba to provide this information to clients. Without it, the name of the user will simply be his or her login ID. For example, if your Unix password file contains the following line:
rcollins:/KaBfco47Rer5:500:500:Robert Collins:
/home/rcollins:/bin/ksh
And the option in the configuration file is:
[global]
unix realname = yes
then the name Robert Collins will be provided to any client that requests the real name of user
rcollins. You typically don't need to bother with this option.
