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Samba vs MIT Kerberos: catalog facts
Samba	MIT Kerberos
Free Free and open source under the GNU GPL.	Free Free implementation published by MIT.
Linux, Self-hosted	Windows, Self-hosted, Command line
Serves files and printers to Windows, macOS and Linux clients Can run as an Active Directory domain controller	Reference implementation of a long-established protocol Still receiving releases, most recently krb5-1.22.2
Configuration can be complex, especially for AD roles Runs on Linux and Unix-like systems only	Complex to set up and administer Mostly configured through text files and command-line tools
Downloadable app, Self-hosted	Downloadable app, Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-3.0	License not stated
No account needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 1, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.