TimeCapsuleSMB: Hacking the Apple Time Capsule to Run Modern Samba
The TimeCapsuleSMB project enables Apple AirPort Time Capsules to run a modern Samba 4 server, allowing newer macOS versions to use the device for network sharing and Time Machine backups. It supports both NetBSD 6 and NetBSD 4-based models, though older models require manual activation after reboots. The project is community-driven and not officially supported, with risks of configuration or data issues if something goes wrong.
- ▪The TimeCapsuleSMB project allows Apple Time Capsules to support modern SMB3 connections via a custom Samba 4 setup.
- ▪It works on both NetBSD 6 (Gen 5) and NetBSD 4 (Gen 1-4) Time Capsule models, with automatic startup only on newer models.
- ▪Time Machine backups are supported, but macOS 26.4.x currently has broken network backup functionality.
- ▪The setup requires Python 3.9+, smbclient, and access to the Time Capsule's password.
- ▪AirPort Extreme devices are not officially supported but may work with minor modifications.
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TimeCapsuleSMB Apple AirPort Time Capsules are still perfectly usable pieces of hardware, but they only support AFP and SMB1. Apple has removed SMB1 support from macOS a long time ago, and AFP support is being removed for macOS 27. This repo configures a modern Samba setup that runs directly on the Time Capsule itself; modern macOS can connect to the Time Capsule as a network share, and use it for Time Machine backups. NOTE THAT TIME MACHINE ON MACOS 26.4.x (AND 15.7.5) IS CURRENTLY BROKEN, see https://www.cultofmac.com/news/macos-tahoe-26-4-breaks-time-machine-network-backups Macs running macOS 26.4.x can still use the device as a standard Samba network share in Finder.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at GitHub.