SAMBA - how to create multiple users without them being RPi users

[SteveA]

I can set the Raspberry Pi to samba share a specific folder for any user without any password and this works well. However I want to do the following I have not found a method to do this:

1. I need to have a common folder which I want to share.

2. I need 5 users to be able to login, each with a unique userid and password to be able to access this shared folder.

3. To create a samba users and passwords I find that I have to first create them as a Raspberry Pi user, which then creates their own home folder (containing the initial bash file, etc) which is also shared, which I do not want.

I know that the password for the samba user does not have to be the same as the password for the Raspberry Pi, however, I do not want these users to also be a Raspberry Pi user because they will know a userid of a user able to get into the Raspberry Pi and could repeatedly try to break password.

4. I simply want to create 5 samba users with their own userid and password, without them having to be a Raspberry Pi user.

5. In additional and if possible, I would like to set 2 users to be able to to r/w/delete the folder's files, and 3 users who can only read the folder's files.

Having looked at the docs and looked through the forum it appears that a samba user must also be a Raspberry Pi user.

Does anyone know of a method to overcome that limitation to allow me to create samba users with specific privelidges, without them also being a Raspberry Pi user.

Thanks for looking
Steve

[DirkS]

See https://askubuntu.com/a/536992 on how to create users that do not have a home directory, password or login
I have not used that myself so I cannot guarantee it will work.

[SteveA]

Thanks DirkS, it works a treat. I can now create multiple RPI users without them being able to login to the RPI and without them having a home folder.

Much appreciated
Steve

[DirkS]

Thanks DirkS, it works a treat.

Good to hear it actually works