This VFS module is part of the samba(7) suite.
The vfs_widelinks VFS module hides the existence of symbolic links in the filesystem inside a share. It is used in Samba verson 4.13 and above to implement the smb.conf"wide links = yes" functionality that used to be inside the core smbd code. The module should not be loaded explicitly by smb.conf as part of the "vfs objects =" parameter, but is loaded implicitly when "wide links = yes" is enabled. This is to prevent existing smb.conf files from having to be modified to keep the existing insecure "wide links" functionality on a share.
Please note that "wide links = yes" functionality is a deliberately insecure option, and should never be used in Samba installations. On Linux, bind mounts can be used instead to implement anything "wide links = yes" can enable. This module has been created to provide backwards compatibility with existing users of "wide links = yes" installations, but this use cannot be recommended and is not endorsed by the Samba developers.
Note that this implicit loading may become explicit in a later Samba release, and administrators wishing to keep the insecure "wide links" functionality may have to add this module into their "vfs objects =" module list. The Samba project release notes and this manpage will be updated to reflect this when this change is made.
No examples listed. This module is implicitly loaded by smbd as needed.
This man page is part of version 4.14.2 of the Samba suite.
The original Samba software and related utilities were created by Andrew Tridgell. Samba is now developed by the Samba Team as an Open Source project similar to the way the Linux kernel is developed.