A new open-source project called timecapsulesmb Apple enables Time Capsule devices to continue working with modern versions of macOS by installing a newer version of Samba on the device. The project was created by Microsoft engineer James Chang in response to Apple’s plan to remove the Apple Filing Protocol in macOS 27. Without this change, Time Capsule will be unable to perform network backups.
Apple has officially removed AFP in macOS 15.5 and confirmed that macOS 27 will require TLS 1.2 or higher for network connections. Time Capsules only support AFP and SMB version 1, both of which are expected to be incompatible with upcoming operating system releases.
Why are Apple Time Capsules at risk in macOS 27?
Apple introduced the first Time Capsule in 2008 and discontinued the entire AirPort product line in 2018. The fifth and final generation was released in 2013. All Time Capsule models rely on AFP, the default Mac file-sharing protocol since System 6, and SMB1, the original Server Message Block version since 1987. Samba removed support for SMB1 in 2022.
macOS 26.4 already displays warnings to Time Capsule users and aware Time Machine and network issues with these devices. Apple has advised system administrators to prepare for more restrictive security requirements in macOS 27, although it has not specified which protocols or products will be affected.
How TimeCapsuleSMB adds modern Samba support to legacy Time Capsule
Time Capsules run NetBSD internally. The first four generations of flat square models use NetBSD 4, while the fifth generation tower models use NetBSD 6. Since it is open source, the operating system allows the installation of additional software not provided by Apple.
TimeCapsuleSMB compiles Samba 4.8 from 2018 to run on ARM processors of devices. This version includes the vfs_fruit module required for Time Machine support. Samba 4.8 was chosen due to hardware limitations, as the devices have approximately 900 KB of free disk space and 16 MB of RAM.
There are some limitations to the setup process. On the first four generations of Time Capsule, the modified Samba binary must be manually reloaded after each reboot. Fifth generation tower models can reload software automatically.
Time Capsule Hardware Limitations and Maintenance Options
The Time Capsule hardware is still working well after more than ten years. iFixit offers guides for replacing the internal hard drive in both flat square and tower models. This makes it possible for users to upgrade to a new drive or increase storage capacity if the original drive fails.
The TimeCapsuleSMB documentation, which includes detailed notes on the workarounds required to run modern Samba within the device’s storage and memory limits, is available via the project’s README.
