VFS_SNAPPER(8)

💖 VFS_SNAPPER(8) 💖

okay bestie, so this is vfs_snapper, and it lives in the System Administration tools section (that's section 8, iykyk) of the manual. let's get into it 🦋

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✨ NAME ✨

vfs_snapper — the module that exposes snapshots managed by snapper as shadow-copies. that's the whole vibe. 👑

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

vfs objects = snapper

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💅 DESCRIPTION 💅

so, this VFS module? it's part of the samba(8) suite. 🎀

what vfs_snapper does is expose snapshots managed by snapper for use by Samba. which means — remote SMB clients can get at shadow-copies straight through Windows Explorer using the "previous versions" dialog. literally the glow-up your file history needed. ✨

and it's not just read-only energy either — snapshots can also be created and removed remotely, using the File Server Remote VSS Protocol (FSRVP). all those snapshot creation and deletion requests get forwarded to snapper via DBus. no cap. 🔥

this module is stackable. so go ahead and stack it, bestie. 🫶

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🧚 CONFIGURATION 🧚

the underlying share path has to have a corresponding snapper configuration file. non-negotiable. and the snapshot directory tree must allow access for the relevant users. 🚪

[share]
vfs objects = snapper

for remote snapshot creation and deletion, Samba's FSRVP server has to be configured over in the [global] section:

[global]
registry shares = yes
include = registry

like… set that up or it's giving nothing. 💀

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🌈 PERMISSIONS 🌈

here's the part where you have to actually pay attention, bestie, because this is where everyone gets humbled 😭

snapper stores snapshots under a .snapshots subdirectory. that directory must permit traversal for any users wishing to access snapshots via the Windows Explorer previous versions dialog.

by default, traversal is forbidden for all non-root users. yes fr fr. everybody else is locked out. 🔒

on top of that, users must be granted permission to list snapshots managed by snapper, via snapper's ALLOW_USERS or ALLOW_GROUPS options. and good news — snapper can grant these users and groups .snapshots traversal access automatically via the SYNC_ACL option. slay. ✨

now for the remote side of things: remote snapshot creation and deletion is only permitted by Samba for Active Directory administrators, backup operators, or users explicitly granted SeBackupPrivilege. and snapper must also permit creation and deletion for the appropriate user, via snapper's ALLOW_USERS or ALLOW_GROUPS options. both layers. no shortcuts. 💅

and one more thing that will absolutely catch you off guard 👑 — the DiskShadow.exe FSRVP client initially authenticates as the Active Directory computer account. so that account has to be granted the same permissions as the user account that's issuing the snapshot creation and deletion requests. don't forget the computer account, bestie, she's a whole main character and she needs her access. 🫶

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⭐ VERSION ⭐

this man page is part of version 4.24.7-Ubuntu-4.24.7+dfsg-1ubuntu1 of the Samba suite. remember that number, there will not be a quiz but still. 📝

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💜 AUTHOR 💜

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. iconic behavior, honestly. 🌟

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and that's the whole page, bestie!! mwah 💖 go forth and snapshot responsibly!!

this has been Samba 4.24.7-Ubuntu-4.24.7+dfsg-1ubuntu1, dated 09/13/2026, signing off from the VFS_SNAPPER(8) page 🎀✨