Here we will learn how to create a network share via Samba using the command line interface in a easy, simple detailed way for network administrators targeting Windows users.

Procedures

Note: All commands must be done via root by using “sudo” in front of the command

• Install Samba

  • sudo apt-get update
    sudo apt-get install samba

• Set a password for your user in Samba

  • sudo smbpasswd -a <user_name>

    • Note: Samba uses a separate set of passwords than the standard Linux system accounts (stored in /etc/samba/smbpasswd), so you'll need to create a Samba password for yourself. This tutorial implies that you will use your own user and it does not cover situations involving other users passwords, groups, etc...

      Tip1: Use the password for your own user to facilitate.

      Tip2: Remember that your user must have permission to write and edit the folder you want to share.
      Eg.:
      sudo chown <user_name> /var/opt/blah/blahblah
      sudo chown :<user_name> /var/opt/blah/blahblah

      Tip3: If you're using another user than your own, it needs to exist in your system beforehand, you can create it without a shell access using the following command :
      sudo useradd USERNAME --shell /bin/false
      
      You can also hide the user on the login screen by adjusting lightdm's configuration, in /etc/lightdm/users.conf add the newly created user to the line :
      hidden-users=

• Create a directory to be shared

  mkdir /home/<user_name>/<folder_name>

• Make a safe backup copy of the original smb.conf file to your home folder, in case you make an error

  sudo cp /etc/samba/smb.conf ~

• Edit the file “/etc/samba/smb.conf”

  sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

  • Once "smb.conf" has loaded, add this to the very end of the file:
    
    [<folder_name>]
    path = /home/<user_name>/<folder_name>
    valid users = <user_name>
    read only = no

    Tip: There Should be in the spaces between the lines, and note que also there should be a single space both before and after each of the equal signs.

• Restart the samba:

  sudo service smbd restart

• Once Samba has restarted, use this command to check your smb.conf for any syntax errors

  testparm

• To access your network share

        sudo apt-get install smbclient
        # List all shares:
        smbclient -L //<HOST_IP_OR_NAME>/<folder_name> -U <user>
        # connect:
        smbclient //<HOST_IP_OR_NAME>/<folder_name> -U <user>

  To access your network share use your username (<user_name>) and password through the path “smb://<HOST_IP_OR_NAME>/<folder_name>/” (Linux users) or “\\<HOST_IP_OR_NAME>\<folder_name>\” (Windows users). Note that “<folder_name>” value is passed in “[<folder_name>]”, in other words, the share name you entered in “/etc/samba/smb.conf”.

  • Note: The default user group of samba is "WORKGROUP".