How to: Xubuntu - Thunar Native Windows Network Browsing

[Tazix]

Since Thunar doesn't have native network Browsing, here is a good way to accomplish it:

1) In XFCE's Applications -> System -> Shared Folders. (This should trigger a Samba install if you don't already have a share, and it should allow you to define the proper workgroup)

2) Install fusesmb in Synaptic (from Universe repository)

3) Edit /etc/modules and add the word 'fuse' to the modules list to be loaded (without quotes), and save the file.

4) Reboot, so the fuse module loads, and the proper workgroup is read for samba.

5) In XFCE Applications -> System -> Users and Groups... Properties of your username... User Priveleges Tab... check "Allow use of fuse file systems..."

6) Create a directory that you are going to mount your network browse to... I used /media/network. Change permissions to read / write for group and others (777).

*** 6.5) In a terminal, type: sudo chown <username>:fuse /media/network
(Where <username> is your user account logon name)

*** 6.6) Double check that the permission to use fuse took. Applications -> System -> Users and Groups... Manage Groups... find fuse and choose properties. Make sure your user name account is in that group and check-marked.

*** 6.7) Reboot the system and triple check with step 6.6

7) In XFCE Applications -> Settings -> Autostarted Applications... Add an application... name and describe as you wish... for command line, put: fusesmb /media/network (Or whatever mountoint you created).

Open Thunar, and navigate to the parent folder of your mountpoint... then drag the 'mounpoint folder' to the places (shortcut) pane of thunar.

9) Logout and log back in (So the user privilege and fusesmb autostart will take affect)

*** Added steps to help prevent some access denied issues some people have been experiencing with fusesmb.

My original thread on this topic is here: http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=300310

I hope this helps my fellow Xubuntu users... and I also hope that the Xubuntu team somehow enables something similar by default, or at least as an install option.

-Taz

[foxy123]

It is definitely a Edgy how-to. However I managed to accomplish it on Dapper.

For those who is still on Dapper like myself and have no intention to move to Edgy in the nearest future:

1. You can backport fusesmb using an excellent prevu tool, see the topic here
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=268687

Alternatively I am attaching a Daper version, I backported myself to this thread.

2. You need to add yourself in the fuse group using Users and Groups tool as there is no entry like "Allow use of fuse file systems..." in my case.

For some reason I had to reboot a number of times to make it work. But I have not done anything else.

[sawjew]

This is great. I gave up on Xubuntu and went back to Ubuntu just because of the lack of a network browser. This is so simple, I hope it gets included in the next release of Xubuntu if not in Thunar itself. The only problem I have though is how to access a password protected user share.

Any ideas?

[ruscook]

I haven't got this working yet, but will I hope.

My workaround was just to put the nautilus home folder on the desktop/appbar and use that for my SMB browsing, other times I use thunar. Not ideal I know but it saved me going back to Gnome.

Russ

[EatMorePie]

Thanks for this. I was able to get it going without installing samba, thus avoiding the overhead of being a server, since all I want to do is access shares on other servers.

Basically skip step 1, do all the other steps.

Skipping step 1 avoids all the server stuff but you'll have to do one or two other things before you're done:

Manually edit ~/.smb/fusesmb.conf to add your windows browsing credentials:

[global]
username=YourSMBUsername
password=YourSMBPassword

Do a "man fusesmb.conf" to learn what other options you can put here, but this is all you absolutely need.

Additionally I had to "chgrp fuse /dev/fusesmb", which should have happened automatically when fuse was installed but didn't.

To make life easier I added a launcher to the panel to run "thunar /media/network/" and gave it the file management icon.

That's it; all the browsing convenience and none of the being-a-server overhead. Thanks again for the great howto.

[kalikiana]

I was just playing with a custom python app for that but maybe now I won't need that anymore since I can access everything directly from within Thunar.
Only drawback: Accessing my own shares works only partly and it says I don't have permissions for some folders. Weird...

[faby]

Hi All,
quickly...
- tried the "Tazix How to"...: every step ok....
- tried the "EatMorePie trick to avoid installing Samba"..: found problems...
1) trying to use the command "chgrp fuse /dev/fusesmb" I don't find any "fusesmb" file under /dev directory; there is only a "fuse" file....;
- found the "fusesmb" file under /usr/bin/ directory together at "fusesmb.cache" and "fusermount" files...
...lost in Linux space....any idea??

best regards...
faby

[Tazix]

Originally Posted by foxy123 It is definitely a Edgy how-to. However I managed to accomplish it on Dapper.

Yes, it's an edgy How-to. Glad you found a way to do it on Dapper!

Originally Posted by sawjew The only problem I have though is how to access a password protected user share. Any ideas?

Not the most secure solution... but set your shares on the Windows box to "full control" for "everyone", and in the advanced options, set it to make the changes to the child folders and files. If you are using "simple sharing"... check the box to "allow network users to change files".

Originally Posted by EatMorePie Thanks for this. I was able to get it going without installing samba, thus avoiding the overhead of being a server, since all I want to do is access shares on other servers. Basically skip step 1, do all the other steps.

Well, the first step is so you can send files back to your Xubuntu box from a Windows box. If one doesn't have a need for that... then, yes... skip step 1.

Originally Posted by kalikiana Only drawback: Accessing my own shares works only partly and it says I don't have permissions for some folders. Weird...

See above... check your Windows security permissions on those shared folders that are giving problems. Windows file sharing is a little wonky.

[grumpymole]

Tazix,

Thanks, this works well for me running Feisty, which shouldn't be that different from Edgy at the moment.

Regards

Warren
http://grumpymole.blogspot.com

[detyabozhye]

My idea won't work for this. What I want to do is make a graphical way to mount ISOs and FTP sites using Fuse. I wanted to do the SMB as well, but it mounts the whole network, not just one server or share, so my idea is unnecessary here.