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Thread: HOWTO: Easy, simple GUI setup of smb file server

  1. #1
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    HOWTO: Easy, simple GUI setup of smb file server

    You want to share files between computers on your LAN?
    This is the easiest setup of a file server in ubuntu 10.10 that you will find (smb for windows compatibility).

    There are tons of other posts and web pages on this, but IMHO most newbies will hate them: they're long, complex, and full of terminal commands and file edits.

    This guide has NO editing of files, and only 1 (one) single OPTIONAL line to type into a terminal. Every single step is spelt out, for the sake of absolute newcomers. Other users may want to read only the sub-headings.

    Step 1: the core HOWTO - setting up the file server
    Step 2: giving your server a static IP address
    Step 3: connecting an Ubuntu client
    Step 4: connecting a Windows client




    Step 1. Creating an Ubuntu File Server

    1.1: Make a shared folder on the server
    - locate or create the folder you will be placing your shared files in
    - right-click it, select ''Sharing Options''
    - tick ''Share this folder''
    - I suggest you make the ''Share name'' the same as the folder name
    - tick ''Allow others to create...'' if you want clients to be able to put files onto the server
    - tick ''Guest Access'' to create an insecure server that doesn't need a password (not recommended)
    - ''Create Share''

    Note during step 1.1 you may be asked to allow Samba to be installed, and to allow Nautilus to ''Add the permissions automatically''. You should allow these if asked.

    1.2: Create a share user account on server (optional)
    This step is to create a user account on the server. Clients will use this account when they access the file server.
    Note this step can be skipped if you ticked ''Guest Access'' in step 1.1, or if you want to let clients use an already existing user account.
    - go to System > Administration > Users and Groups, click Add
    - give the user account a name (I will use ''sharer'' in this guide), click ok
    - give the user a password, click ok

    1.3: Create a samba password
    Skip this step if you ticked ''Guest Access'' in step 1.1
    - type this into a terminal: sudo smbpasswd -a sharer (note ''sharer'' can be any existing Ubuntu user on the server)
    - you will be prompted for YOUR password (because of sudo) then twice for a new samba password for sharer.

    Note this password does not have any relationship with the Ubuntu password for the ''sharer'' user! You can use the same password if you want, although it would be more secure to use a different one

    That's it. The server is finished.


    Step 2. Giving the Server a Static IP Address (optional but recommended)

    The server will work fine as is, but if it disconnects and reconnects to your router it may end up with a new IP address, which could be annoying...
    Follow the steps below to give your server a static IP address that won't ever change.

    - to get your gateway's IP address rightclick the network/connection icon in your Notification Area (i.e. ''Task Bar'' for Windows users) and select ''Connection Information''

    You now know your gateway address, which is probably 192.168.1.1

    You will also need to choose a new permanent IP address for your server.
    It will look like 192.168.1.X, where the first three numbers separated by dots are the same as the first 3 of your gateway and the X is a number between 2 and 254.
    Your LAN is probably only using a handful of the smaller numbers, so just choose a large number up to 254 that's easy to remember, to insert where the X is.
    I'm going to use 192.168.1.222 in this example - you can use this too if you like.

    - go to System > Preferences > Network Connections
    - find the server's active connection to the router, in the appropriate tab, select it and click ''Edit''
    - go to the IPV4 tab
    - change the Method to ''manual''
    - click ''Add'' next to the ''Addresses'' box
    - type your chosen server IP address (''192.168.1.222'') in the Address column
    - type ''24'' (no speech marks) in the Netmask column
    - type the gateway address from above in the Gateway column, and again in the ''DNS Servers'' text box
    - Apply the changes

    Your server now has a static IP address.


    Step 3. Connecting an Ubuntu Client

    - go to Places > Network
    - you should see the server here and, if you double-click it, the share folder inside it
    - to open the folder you must enter the username of a user account on the server that has had a samba password created for it (sharer, in this example) and the *samba* password for sharer (NOT sharer's Ubuntu password)
    - to add the server's share folder to your Places menu for easier access next time, click Bookmarks > Add Bookmark at the top of the window when you are inside the share folder

    If you could not see the server in the Network window, do the following:
    - Places > Connect to Server
    - set Service Type to ''Windows share''
    - in the Server field type the server IP address (if you don't know it, then on the *server* rightclick the network/connection icon in your Notification Area and select Connection Information)
    - click Connect
    - a window with all the share folders on the server will open; doubleclick the one you want, then bookmark it as above


    You now have working file sharing between your server and an Ubuntu client on your LAN.


    Step 4. Connecting a Windows Client


    XP: Start > MyComputer > MyNetworkPlaces > the shared folder

    Win7: Start > Computer > rightclick > Add Network Location > follow the wizard prompts
    Last edited by Cracklepop; February 16th, 2011 at 03:22 AM.

  2. #2
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    Re: HOWTO: Easy, simple GUI setup of smb file server

    Uh, thank You! I was wandering when someone would surprise us with a simple to follow guide for 10.10, now that Ubuntu has come a long way and is more Windowsuser friendly..

    Additional question - let's say i do this with guest access allowed, but i move my server to another network - what should i change? I remember vaguely that there was a subnet to be specified in smb.conf. Am i right?

  3. #3
    pricetech is offline Iced Blended Vanilla Crème Ubuntu
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    Re: HOWTO: Easy, simple GUI setup of smb file server

    In your step 2 you recommend assigning the IP that you found in the previous step. This will cause an IP address conflict when the router assigns that IP to another device. Therefore you need to assign an IP that is outside the pool.

    My preferred method is to reserve IPs in my router, which most routers support.

  4. #4
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    Re: HOWTO: Easy, simple GUI setup of smb file server

    Thanks for posting this howto! I feel as though file sharing has been easy ever since they had the Shared Folders application that used to exist in Hardy under System -> Administration. Now sharing is even easier now since it's just a matter of right clicking on the desired folder. My question is after all these years why is it still required to do a command line smbpasswd -a? Is there really no other way around this? I've wondered if there is a GUI way to do that and I just haven't found it. Right now it's just easier to use guest access and not worry about it.

  5. #5
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    Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx

    Re: HOWTO: Easy, simple GUI setup of smb file server

    This is great! This information has answered many of my questions and issues. However, I have a Ubuntu Server (no GUI) running which I would like to share a folder from to all other Desktops on my home network. How do I accomplish what is performed in step 1.1?

    Thanks for a great post!
    Registered Ubuntu User # 25175

  6. #6
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    Re: HOWTO: Easy, simple GUI setup of smb file server

    Quote Originally Posted by edwardLS View Post
    However, I have a Ubuntu Server (no GUI) running which I would like to share a folder from to all other Desktops on my home network. How do I accomplish what is performed in step 1.1?
    If you have Ubuntu Server you probably don't want to use Nautilus-share but you can create a usershare ( usershare is what Samba calls it ) from the command line.
    http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php...01&postcount=2

    The only thing it won't do is the modification of the Linux file permissions that nautilus shares does so you will have to do a chmod on the target directory.

    I've used this on a number of different distros that don't run Gnome but they were all geared for the desktop. I've never run it against a Server oriented distro so I'm not sure if there are dependencies that a Server may not have by default. Usershare itself is part of Samba not part of Gnome so it should work but ....

  7. #7
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    Re: HOWTO: Easy, simple GUI setup of smb file server

    Will this work with a USB drive? I've tried experimenting with a thumb drive. It let's me create the share folder; and I can see it on the client side; but I can never mount the network location. (aka the shared folder on the ubuntu box.)

  8. #8
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    Re: HOWTO: Easy, simple GUI setup of smb file server

    Ok guys, I'm not a linux newb (although I never stop learning new stuff) but this is actually the first time I've ever had a server on my LAN or used samba, so I won't be much help for anything outside the scope of the howto...
    Quote Originally Posted by pricetech View Post
    In your step 2 you recommend assigning the IP that you found in the previous step. This will cause an IP address conflict when the router assigns that IP to another device. Therefore you need to assign an IP that is outside the pool.
    Doh! Yes, thanks for that - I didn't follow my own advice when I did it, I just used an easy to remember IP instead. Fixed now.
    Quote Originally Posted by treadlove View Post
    Will this work with a USB drive? I've tried experimenting with a thumb drive. It let's me create the share folder; and I can see it on the client side; but I can never mount the network location. (aka the shared folder on the ubuntu box.)
    You need to enter the drive into /etc/fstab, instead of letting Ubuntu mount it for you.
    There's tons of posts on fstab around, but you'll end up putting a line similar to this one (but not the same) into fstab:
    /dev/sdb1 /mnt/VerbtmExternNTFS ntfs-3g user,noatime,umask=022,auto,noexec,rw,async,dev,su id 0 0
    Quote Originally Posted by qingpool View Post
    Additional question - let's say i do this with guest access allowed, but i move my server to another network - what should i change? I remember vaguely that there was a subnet to be specified in smb.conf. Am i right?
    Don't know. First time samba user
    Quote Originally Posted by Centaur5 View Post
    My question is after all these years why is it still required to do a command line smbpasswd -a? Is there really no other way around this? I've wondered if there is a GUI way to do that and I just haven't found it. Right now it's just easier to use guest access and not worry about it.
    Sorry, I don't know (If I did I'd have put it in the howto).
    Quote Originally Posted by edwardLS View Post
    This is great! This information has answered many of my questions and issues. However, I have a Ubuntu Server (no GUI) running which I would like to share a folder from to all other Desktops on my home network. How do I accomplish what is performed in step 1.1?

    Thanks for a great post!
    Thanks
    Sorry, I can't help you. Follow Morbius' advice, or read some of the material on samba floating around the web.
    Last edited by Cracklepop; February 15th, 2011 at 10:52 AM.

  9. #9
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    Re: HOWTO: Easy, simple GUI setup of smb file server

    Quote Originally Posted by treadlove View Post
    Will this work with a USB drive? I've tried experimenting with a thumb drive. It let's me create the share folder; and I can see it on the client side; but I can never mount the network location. (aka the shared folder on the ubuntu box.)
    With Cracklepop's permission I would like to offer an alternative. The problem with external USB drives ( if formatted with NTFS or FAT32 ) is that they automount with your-user-name as owner and permissions of 700 meaning only your-user-name has access. One way as explained above is to add an entry into fstab but you can also use Samba itself to work around this problem. It does however violate the premise of this HowTo in that it requires a non-GUI remedy:

    Edit smb.conf as root:
    Code:
    gksu gedit /etc/samba/smb.conf
    Add a line to the [global] section:
    Code:
    force user = your-user-name
    Change "your-user-name" to your actual login user name on that box.

    Save the file, exit gedit, and back in the terminal restart samba:
    Code:
    sudo service smbd restart
    After the remote user passes Samba authentication ( be that guest or with a username and password ) his identity will be converted to "your-user-name" as far as those shares are concerned.

  10. #10
    Join Date
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    Re: HOWTO: Easy, simple GUI setup of smb file server

    Just a quick thank you for this thread. Very helpful.

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