Steps to Set Up a Samba Server on Linux:
Install Samba
Install the Samba package using your system’s package manager:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install samba
sudo yum install samba samba-client
Configure Samba
The configuration file for Samba is located at /etc/samba/smb.conf. Edit this file to define shares and set permissions.
sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf
A basic example configuration to share a directory would be:
[sharedfolder]
path = /home/user/sharedfolder
available = yes
valid users = user
read only = no
browsable = yes
public = yes
writable = yes
Set Samba Password for Users
Samba uses its own password database. You need to add users to this database.
sudo smbpasswd -a username
Create the Shared Directory
Make sure the directory exists and has appropriate permissions:
mkdir /home/user/sharedfolder
sudo chown user:user /home/user/sharedfolder
sudo chmod 2775 /home/user/sharedfolder
Start and Enable Samba Service
Start and enable the Samba services to run at boot:
sudo systemctl start smbd
sudo systemctl enable smbd
Open Firewall Ports
If you have a firewall running, allow Samba traffic:
sudo ufw allow samba
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=samba
sudo firewall-cmd --reload
Access the Share from Windows
On a Windows machine, open File Explorer and enter the IP address of the Samba server in the address bar:
\\192.168.x.x\sharedfolder
Enter the Samba user credentials when prompted.
Samba is a versatile tool for enabling file and print sharing in mixed-OS environments. Its ability to bridge the gap between Linux/Unix and Windows systems makes it an essential utility for many network administrators and users. If you need more specific information or examples related to Samba, feel free to contact us!