A Samba file server is a network-based file sharing solution that allows users to share files across multiple operating systems.
You can share files with other Windows and Mac users and access desktop files from a laptop using this software.

This article will walk you through the process of installing and configuring Samba on Ubuntu.

Installing Samba

To install Samba, we execute the following prompts:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install samba

We can ascertain if the installation was successful by executing the following command:

whereis samba

The following should be the output of the programme:

samba: /usr/sbin/samba /usr/lib/samba /etc/samba /usr/share/samba /usr/share/man/man7/samba.7.gz /usr/share/man/man8/samba.8.gz

Setting up Samba

Now that Samba has been installed, we need to create a directory for it to use as a sharing point:

mkdir /home/<username>/sambashare/

The command above creates a new folder named sambashare in our home directory, which we will use to transfer content later on in the process.

The Samba configuration file can be discovered at the following location: /etc/samba/smb.conf.
To add the new directory as a share, we ought to edit the file by running the following commands:

sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

Towards the end of the document, insert the following lines:

[sambashare]
    comment = Samba on Ubuntu
    path = /home/username/sambashare
    read only = no
    browsable = yes

Then press the Ctrl-O key to save your work and the Ctrl-X key to exit the nano text editor.

What we’ve just tacked on is

1. comment: A succinct description of the share.
2. path: The location of our shared directory.
3. only to be read:This directive has the effect of only granting permission to modify the contents of a shared folder when the value of the directive is no.
4. The value “browsable” suggests that file managers such as Ubuntu’s default file manager will list this share under the “Network” category when the value is “yes” (it could also appear as browseable).

Now that we’ve established our new share, we’ll require to save it and restart Samba in order for it to be impactful:

sudo service smbd restart

Reconfigure the firewall rules to allow Samba traffic to pass through:

sudo ufw allow samba

Setting up User Accounts and Connecting to Share

As the system account password is not used by Samba, we must create a separate Samba password for our user account:

sudo smbpasswd -a username

It is important to note that the username entered must be associated with a system account in order for it to be saved.

Connecting to Share

Regarding Ubuntu:
Open the default file manager and select Connect to Server from the drop-down menu. Then type in the following:

smb://ip-address/sambashare

On Mac OS X, the following is true:
Select Go > Connect to Server from the Finder menu, and then enter the following information:

smb://ip-address/sambashare

Open File Manager on your virtual machine and modify the path to the file to:

\\ip-address\sambashare

Note that ip-address is the IP address of the Samba server, and sambashare is the name of the shared folder.

You’ll be prompted to enter your user credentials.
Connect with them by entering their information!

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