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Set Up Samba File Sharing on Linux

Use at your own risk. All guides and scripts are provided for educational purposes only. Always review and understand any code before running it — especially with administrative privileges. Test in a safe environment before using in production. Your system, your responsibility.

Samba lets your Linux machine share folders with Windows and macOS computers on the same network. This guide covers installation, basic configuration, and connecting from other devices.

Step 1 – Install Samba 

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y samba

Verify it’s running:

sudo systemctl status smbd

Step 2 – Create a Shared Folder

Create the folder you want to share:

sudo mkdir -p /srv/samba/share
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /srv/samba/share
sudo chmod -R 0775 /srv/samba/share

Step 3 – Configure Samba

Back up the original config first:

sudo cp /etc/samba/smb.conf /etc/samba/smb.conf.bak

Open the config file:

sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

Add this block at the bottom of the file:

[share]
   comment = My Samba Share
   path = /srv/samba/share
   browseable = yes
   read only = no
   valid users = yourusername
   create mask = 0664
   directory mask = 0775

What the options mean:

  • [share] — the share name (visible on the network)
  • path — the folder being shared
  • browseable — visible when browsing the network
  • read only — set to no to allow writing
  • valid users — only this user can access the share
  • create mask — permissions for new files
  • directory mask — permissions for new folders

Step 4 – Create a Samba User

Samba uses its own password database, separate from Linux system passwords:

sudo smbpasswd -a yourusername

Enter a password when prompted. This is what you’ll use when connecting from Windows or macOS.

Enable the user:

sudo smbpasswd -e yourusername

Step 5 – Test the Configuration

Check for syntax errors:

testparm

If no errors, restart Samba:

sudo systemctl restart smbd
sudo systemctl restart nmbd

Step 6 – Allow Samba Through the Firewall

If you have UFW enabled:

sudo ufw allow samba

Step 7 – Connect from Other Devices

From macOS:

  1. Open Finder
  2. Press CMD+K
  3. Enter: smb://192.168.1.x/share
  4. Enter your Samba username and password

From Windows:

  1. Open File Explorer
  2. In the address bar type: \\192.168.1.x\share
  3. Enter your Samba username and password

From Linux:

# Mount the share (see the network share guide for fstab setup)
sudo mount -t cifs //192.168.1.x/share /mnt/share \
  -o username=yourusername,password=yourpassword

Multiple Shares Example

You can add as many shares as you need in smb.conf:

[documents]
   path = /srv/samba/documents
   valid users = yourusername
   read only = no

[media]
   path = /srv/samba/media
   valid users = @sambausers
   read only = yes

[public]
   path = /srv/samba/public
   browseable = yes
   read only = no
   guest ok = yes
  • @sambausers — share accessible to a group
  • guest ok = yes — no password required (use carefully on home networks only)

Useful Commands

Command What it does
sudo systemctl restart smbd Restart Samba
sudo systemctl status smbd Check Samba status
testparm Validate smb.conf syntax
sudo smbpasswd -a username Add a Samba user
sudo smbpasswd -e username Enable a Samba user
sudo smbpasswd -d username Disable a Samba user
smbclient -L //localhost -U username List local shares

Related Links