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Samba uses NO Windows APIs. Please learn the difference between an API and a network protocol, else you end up looking foolish. https://www.samba.org/ftp/trid

Samba uses NO Windows APIs. Please learn the difference between an API and a network protocol, else you end up looking foolish. https://www.samba.org/ftp/tridge/misc/french_cafe.txt https://www.samba.org/ftp/tridge/misc/french_cafe.txt

nl 10y ago
Please learn the difference between an API and a network protocol, else you end up looking foolish. I don't believe that the distinction is that clear at all. Hence my comment: Unless you are arguing that network protocol compatibility is a different thing? It seems to me that there is a lot of overlap, since Samba relies on re implementing the same behavior as a Windows file server. I think it is pretty easy to argue that the pattern of network calls needed to make calls (eg authentication) is an API. Is a WSDL SOAP definition an API? I think most would say yes. A REST endpoint and the definition of how to use it? Why exactly is the definition of the HTTP protocol different to the definition of the REST endpoint? IANAL, etc. Which seems important these days.
- jra_samba 10y ago
  A linearized network protocol is not an API. That distinction is very clear. Read the Microsoft protocol specs. They say nothing about API's used to send/receive the protocol - only how the protocol elements are encoded on the wire. The API's that Samba uses to access that protocol are nothing like the Windows API calls (and are a completely independent implementation).
  - nl 10y ago
    I don't disagree at all! I'm just pointing out that it isn't at all clear to me that the strong distinction that software people see between APIs and protocols is as clear under law.
monocasa 10y ago
It's not nearly as cut and dry as you're making it. Wiki of all places defines 'API' to be broad enough to include network wire protocols and endpoints. This trial was over "sequence, structure, and organization" rather than literal copying. And of course Samba isn't built of WIN32 APIs, that's not what we're talking about.

nl 10y ago

Please learn the difference between an API and a network protocol, else you end up looking foolish. I don't believe that the distinction is that clear at all. Hence my comment: Unless you are arguing that network protocol compatibility is a different thing? It seems to me that there is a lot of overlap, since Samba relies on re implementing the same behavior as a Windows file server. I think it is pretty easy to argue that the pattern of network calls needed to make calls (eg authentication) is an API. Is a WSDL SOAP definition an API? I think most would say yes. A REST endpoint and the definition of how to use it? Why exactly is the definition of the HTTP protocol different to the definition of the REST endpoint? IANAL, etc. Which seems important these days.

jra_samba 10y ago
A linearized network protocol is not an API. That distinction is very clear. Read the Microsoft protocol specs. They say nothing about API's used to send/receive the protocol - only how the protocol elements are encoded on the wire. The API's that Samba uses to access that protocol are nothing like the Windows API calls (and are a completely independent implementation).
- nl 10y ago
  I don't disagree at all! I'm just pointing out that it isn't at all clear to me that the strong distinction that software people see between APIs and protocols is as clear under law.

monocasa 10y ago

It's not nearly as cut and dry as you're making it. Wiki of all places defines 'API' to be broad enough to include network wire protocols and endpoints. This trial was over "sequence, structure, and organization" rather than literal copying. And of course Samba isn't built of WIN32 APIs, that's not what we're talking about.