Setting up SAMBA on Linux

Introduction

Setting up a Samba server on a Linux machine allows you to share files and directories with other devices on the same network, including Windows, Linux, and macOS systems. Here’s how you can set up a Samba server:

1. Install Samba

First, you need to install Samba. The installation process may vary slightly depending on your Linux distribution.

For Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install samba

For CentOS/RHEL:

sudo yum install samba samba-client samba-common

For Fedora:

sudo dnf install samba samba-client samba-common

2. Create a Shared Directory

Create a directory that you want to share with other users.

sudo mkdir -p /srv/samba/shared

Set the appropriate permissions on this directory:

sudo chmod 2775 /srv/samba/shared
sudo chown nobody:nogroup /srv/samba/shared

Alternatively, you can specify a different owner and group depending on your requirements.

3. Configure Samba

Edit the Samba configuration file, typically located at /etc/samba/smb.conf.

sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

Add a section at the bottom of the file to define the shared directory:

[shared]
   path = /srv/samba/shared
   browseable = yes
   read only = no
   guest ok = yes

• path: The path to the directory you want to share.
• browseable: Whether the share should be visible in file managers.
• read only: Set to no to allow writing to the shared folder.
• guest ok: Set to yes to allow guest access (no password required).

4. Set Up Samba User Accounts

If you want to restrict access to the shared directory, you’ll need to add Samba user accounts.

Create a new system user (if needed):

sudo adduser <username>

Add the user to Samba:

sudo smbpasswd -a <username>

You’ll be prompted to enter and confirm a password.

5. Restart the Samba Service

After making changes to the configuration, restart the Samba service to apply them.

For systemd-based distributions (e.g., Ubuntu, Fedora):

sudo systemctl restart smbd

For SysVinit-based distributions:

sudo service smbd restart

7. Access the Samba Share

Now that the Samba server is set up, you can access the shared directory from other machines on the network.

From Windows:

• Open File Explorer and type \\<server_ip>\shared in the address bar.
• Replace <server_ip> with the IP address of your Linux machine.

From Linux:

• You can use a file manager or smbclient:

  smbclient //server_ip/shared
  

  From macOS:

• Open Finder and click on Go -> Connect to Server, then enter smb://<server_ip>/shared.

8. (Optional) Configure Automatic Mounting on Clients

For Linux clients, you can add an entry in the /etc/fstab file to mount the Samba share automatically at boot.

Example fstab entry:

//<server_ip>/shared /mnt/shared cifs username=<username>,password=<password>,iocharset=utf8 0 0

Replace <server_ip>, <username>, and <password> with your server’s IP address, Samba username, and password.

Your Samba server should now be fully operational, allowing file sharing across different platforms on your network.