SMB is generally a Windows thing. OS X's Finder can use the SMB protocol to connect to Windows shares.
As for creating file shares on a Mac, I have to confess some degree of ignorance. OS X may create a SMB share for compatibility with Windows, but I imagine it would also expose the share using either AppleShare or AFP (Apple File Protocol). The BSD operating system on which OS X is based traditionally uses NFS, the Network File System protocol.
Most protocols for file handling let you read and write. A lot of service protocols do not. For example, HTTP lets you download files (web pages), but does not let you write files. (Actually, HTTP defines a "PUT" method, but it never works.) Likewise, iTunes lets you share your library over DAAP (Digital Audio Access Protocol), which will serve up MP3s, but it doesn't let you write. But yeah, DAAP is exactly the same whether it runs on a Mac or a PC.
Of course, you can also have iTunes grab music off of networked file shares.
You're right to put "language" in quotes, I was speaking colloquially. The proper term is "protocol." Pretty much every network protocol sits on top of TCP or UDP, which in turn sit on top of IP.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2008-05-27 05:51 pm (UTC)As for creating file shares on a Mac, I have to confess some degree of ignorance. OS X may create a SMB share for compatibility with Windows, but I imagine it would also expose the share using either AppleShare or AFP (Apple File Protocol). The BSD operating system on which OS X is based traditionally uses NFS, the Network File System protocol.
Most protocols for file handling let you read and write. A lot of service protocols do not. For example, HTTP lets you download files (web pages), but does not let you write files. (Actually, HTTP defines a "PUT" method, but it never works.) Likewise, iTunes lets you share your library over DAAP (Digital Audio Access Protocol), which will serve up MP3s, but it doesn't let you write. But yeah, DAAP is exactly the same whether it runs on a Mac or a PC.
Of course, you can also have iTunes grab music off of networked file shares.
You're right to put "language" in quotes, I was speaking colloquially. The proper term is "protocol." Pretty much every network protocol sits on top of TCP or UDP, which in turn sit on top of IP.