The DOS archive bit is used to flag a file that has been changed since it was last archived (e.g., backed up with the DOS archive program.) Setting the Samba option
map
archive
=
yes causes the DOS archive flag to be mapped to the Unix execute-by-owner (0100) bit. It's best to leave this option on if your Windows users are doing their own backups, or are using programs that require the archive bit. Unix lacks the notion of an archive bit entirely. Backup programs typically keep a file that lists what files were backed up on what date, so comparing file modification dates serves the same purpose.
Setting this option to
yes causes an occasional surprise on Unix when a user notices that a data file is marked as executable, but rarely causes harm. If a user tries to run it, he or she will normally get a string of error messages as the shell tries to execute the first few lines as commands. The reverse is also possible; an executable Unix program looks like it hasn't been backed up recently on Windows. But again, this is rare, and is usually harmless.
