How to Setup Shareable Drive with Samba in Linux - Complete Guide

While NFS is excellent for Linux-to-Linux file sharing, many home server environments include a mix of operating systems. When you need to share files between Linux servers and Windows machines, or want broader compatibility across different platforms, Samba provides the perfect solution.

In my home setup with the N100 Intel mini PC running Jellyfin and handling backups, I use Samba alongside NFS to ensure all family devices - including Windows laptops, Android phones, and Linux machines - can seamlessly access shared media and documents. This dual approach gives me the best of both worlds: high-performance NFS for Linux systems and universal SMB compatibility for everything else.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through setting up Samba on Linux, from basic configuration to advanced security and performance optimization.

Understanding SMB, CIFS, and Samba

What is Samba?

Samba is an open-source implementation of the SMB/CIFS protocol suite that enables Linux and Unix systems to communicate with Windows systems using native Windows networking protocols. It effectively turns your Linux machine into a Windows-compatible file server.

Key Advantages of Samba

Samba vs NFS Comparison

Feature	Samba (SMB/CIFS)	NFS
Cross-Platform	Excellent (Windows native)	Limited (Linux/Unix focus)
Performance on Linux	Good	Excellent
Security Options	Advanced (AD integration)	Basic to moderate
Configuration Complexity	Moderate	Simple
Mobile Device Support	Excellent	Limited
Windows Integration	Native	Requires third-party tools

Prerequisites and Planning

Before setting up Samba, ensure you have:

Network Architecture for Mixed Environment

Step 1: Installing and Configuring Samba Server

Install Samba Package

Start by installing Samba on your Linux server:

# For Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update && sudo apt install samba samba-common-bin -y

# For CentOS/RHEL/Fedora
sudo dnf install samba samba-client samba-common -y
# or for older versions
sudo yum install samba samba-client samba-common -y

Create Samba Users

Samba maintains its own user database separate from system users. Create users for file sharing:

# Add system user (if doesn't exist)
sudo useradd -m -s /bin/bash mediauser

# Add user to Samba database
sudo smbpasswd -a mediauser

Create Shared Directories

Organize your shared directories with a clear structure:

# Create main Samba directory
sudo mkdir -p /srv/samba

# Create specific share directories
sudo mkdir -p /srv/samba/media
sudo mkdir -p /srv/samba/documents
sudo mkdir -p /srv/samba/backups
sudo mkdir -p /srv/samba/public

# Set ownership
sudo chown -R mediauser:mediauser /srv/samba/media
sudo chown -R mediauser:mediauser /srv/samba/documents
sudo chown -R nobody:nogroup /srv/samba/public

# Set permissions
sudo chmod -R 755 /srv/samba
sudo chmod -R 777 /srv/samba/public  # Public share with full access

Configure Samba Settings

The main configuration file is /etc/samba/smb.conf. First, backup the original:

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

Edit the configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

Here’s a comprehensive configuration:

[global]
# Server identification
workgroup = WORKGROUP
server string = BitDoze Home Server
netbios name = HOMESERVER

# Network settings
interfaces = lo eth0
bind interfaces only = yes
server role = standalone server

# Security settings
security = user
encrypt passwords = yes
map to guest = bad user
guest account = nobody

# Performance optimization
socket options = TCP_NODELAY IPTOS_LOWDELAY SO_RCVBUF=131072 SO_SNDBUF=131072
read raw = yes
write raw = yes
max xmit = 65535
dead time = 15

# Logging
log file = /var/log/samba/%m.log
max log size = 50
log level = 1

# Character set
unix charset = UTF-8
dos charset = CP932

#======================= Share Definitions =======================

[media]
comment = Media Files (Movies, Music, Photos)
path = /srv/samba/media
valid users = mediauser
read only = no
browsable = yes
create mask = 0755
directory mask = 0755
force user = mediauser
force group = mediauser

[documents]
comment = Personal Documents
path = /srv/samba/documents
valid users = mediauser
read only = no
browsable = yes
create mask = 0644
directory mask = 0755

[backups]
comment = Backup Storage
path = /srv/samba/backups
valid users = mediauser
read only = no
browsable = no
create mask = 0600
directory mask = 0700
hide unreadable = yes

[public]
comment = Public Share (Guest Access)
path = /srv/samba/public
public = yes
guest ok = yes
read only = no
browsable = yes
create mask = 0666
directory mask = 0777
force user = nobody
force group = nogroup

Key Configuration Options Explained

Section	Option	Purpose
Global	workgroup	Windows workgroup name
Global	security = user	Require authentication
Global	encrypt passwords	Use encrypted authentication
Share	valid users	Restrict access to specific users
Share	create mask	Default permissions for new files
Share	directory mask	Default permissions for new directories
Share	force user/group	Override file ownership

Test Configuration

Verify your Samba configuration:

# Test configuration syntax
sudo testparm

# Test with detailed output
sudo testparm -v

Start and Enable Samba Services

# Start Samba services
sudo systemctl start smbd nmbd

# Enable auto-start on boot
sudo systemctl enable smbd nmbd

# Check service status
sudo systemctl status smbd nmbd

Configure Firewall

Allow Samba traffic through the firewall:

# For UFW (Ubuntu)
sudo ufw allow samba

# For firewalld (CentOS/RHEL)
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=samba
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

# Manual port configuration if needed
sudo ufw allow 137/udp  # NetBIOS Name Service
sudo ufw allow 138/udp  # NetBIOS Datagram Service
sudo ufw allow 139/tcp  # NetBIOS Session Service
sudo ufw allow 445/tcp  # SMB over TCP

Step 2: Connecting from Different Operating Systems

Windows Clients

Method 1: Using File Explorer

1. Open File Explorer
2. In the address bar, type: \\192.168.1.100 (replace with your server IP)
3. Enter your Samba username and password
4. Browse available shares

Method 2: Map Network Drive

# Using Command Prompt
net use Z: \\192.168.1.100\media /user:mediauser

# Using PowerShell
New-PSDrive -Name "Z" -PSProvider FileSystem -Root "\\192.168.1.100\media" -Credential (Get-Credential)

Linux Clients

Install CIFS Utilities

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install cifs-utils -y

# CentOS/RHEL
sudo dnf install cifs-utils -y

Create Credentials File

For security, store credentials in a protected file:

# Create credentials file
sudo nano /etc/samba/credentials

# Add content:
username=mediauser
password=your_password
domain=WORKGROUP

# Secure the file
sudo chmod 600 /etc/samba/credentials

Mount Samba Shares

# Create mount points
sudo mkdir -p /mnt/samba-media
sudo mkdir -p /mnt/samba-docs

# Mount shares
sudo mount -t cifs //192.168.1.100/media /mnt/samba-media -o credentials=/etc/samba/credentials,uid=1000,gid=1000,iocharset=utf8

# Verify mount
df -h | grep cifs

Permanent Mounting via fstab

Add entries to /etc/fstab for automatic mounting:

sudo nano /etc/fstab

Add these lines:

# Samba shares
//192.168.1.100/media /mnt/samba-media cifs credentials=/etc/samba/credentials,uid=1000,gid=1000,iocharset=utf8,_netdev 0 0
//192.168.1.100/documents /mnt/samba-docs cifs credentials=/etc/samba/credentials,uid=1000,gid=1000,iocharset=utf8,_netdev 0 0

macOS Clients

1. Open Finder
2. Press Cmd + K to open “Connect to Server”
3. Enter: smb://192.168.1.100
4. Authenticate with your Samba credentials
5. Select shares to mount

Mobile Devices

For Android and iOS devices, use apps like:

• ES File Explorer (Android)
• FE File Explorer (iOS/Android)
• VLC Media Player (for media streaming)

Configuration typically requires:

• Server IP: 192.168.1.100
• Share name: media
• Username/Password: Your Samba credentials

Step 3: Advanced Configuration and Security

User and Group Management

Create Multiple Users

# Add additional users
sudo useradd -m john
sudo smbpasswd -a john

sudo useradd -m mary
sudo smbpasswd -a mary

# Create groups
sudo groupadd sambausers
sudo usermod -a -G sambausers john
sudo usermod -a -G sambausers mary

Group-Based Shares

Add group-based access to smb.conf:

[family-photos]
comment = Family Photo Collection
path = /srv/samba/photos
valid users = @sambausers
read only = no
browsable = yes
create mask = 0664
directory mask = 0775
force group = sambausers

Enhanced Security Configuration

Restrict SMB Protocol Versions

For better security, disable older SMB versions:

[global]
# Disable SMB1 (security risk)
server min protocol = SMB2
client min protocol = SMB2

# Prefer SMB3 for encryption
server max protocol = SMB3

Enable SMB Encryption

[global]
# Global encryption
smb encrypt = required

# Or per-share encryption
[secure-docs]
path = /srv/samba/secure
smb encrypt = required
valid users = mediauser

Access Control Lists

# Install ACL support
sudo apt install acl -y

# Set detailed permissions
sudo setfacl -R -m u:john:rwx /srv/samba/media
sudo setfacl -R -m u:mary:r-- /srv/samba/media
sudo setfacl -R -m g:sambausers:rw- /srv/samba/documents

Performance Optimization

Tuning for Media Serving

For large file transfers and media streaming:

[global]
# Buffer sizes
socket options = TCP_NODELAY IPTOS_LOWDELAY SO_RCVBUF=262144 SO_SNDBUF=262144

# Async I/O
aio read size = 16384
aio write size = 16384

# Connection optimization
max connections = 0
deadtime = 15
keepalive = 300

[media]
# Media-specific optimizations
read raw = yes
write raw = yes
strict locking = no
oplocks = yes
level2 oplocks = yes

Disk I/O Optimization

# For the media directory, consider mounting with optimized options
sudo mount -o remount,noatime,nobarrier /srv/samba/media

Step 4: Integration with Home Server Setup

Jellyfin Integration

For media server integration, as I use in my N100 setup:

# Create dedicated media structure
sudo mkdir -p /srv/samba/media/{movies,tvshows,music,photos}

# Set ownership for Jellyfin user
sudo chown -R jellyfin:jellyfin /srv/samba/media

# Update Samba configuration

[jellyfin-media]
comment = Jellyfin Media Library
path = /srv/samba/media
valid users = mediauser, jellyfin
read only = no
browsable = yes
force user = jellyfin
force group = jellyfin
create mask = 0664
directory mask = 0775

Backup Integration

Combine with the LVM setup for comprehensive backup:

# Backup script using Samba shares
#!/bin/bash
BACKUP_DATE=$(date +%Y%m%d)
rsync -av --delete /home/ /srv/samba/backups/home-backup-$BACKUP_DATE/

Docker Container Access

For Docker containers:

# docker-compose.yml
version: '3.8'
services:
  filemanager:
    image: filebrowser/filebrowser
    volumes:
      - /srv/samba:/srv
    ports:
      - "8080:80"

Step 5: Monitoring and Maintenance

Monitoring Active Connections

# View active Samba connections
sudo smbstatus

# Detailed connection info
sudo smbstatus -v

# Monitor in real-time
watch -n 2 'sudo smbstatus'

Log Analysis

# View Samba logs
sudo tail -f /var/log/samba/log.smbd

# Client-specific logs
sudo tail -f /var/log/samba/192.168.1.101.log

# Search for errors
sudo grep -i error /var/log/samba/*.log

Performance Monitoring Script

#!/bin/bash
# samba-monitor.sh

echo "=== Samba Performance Monitor ==="
echo "Date: $(date)"
echo

echo "Active Connections:"
sudo smbstatus -b
echo

echo "Share Access:"
sudo smbstatus -S
echo

echo "Locked Files:"
sudo smbstatus -L
echo

echo "Disk Usage:"
df -h /srv/samba/*

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Connection Problems

Diagnostic steps:

# Reset user password
sudo smbpasswd -x mediauser  # Remove user
sudo smbpasswd -a mediauser  # Re-add user

# Test local connection
smbclient //localhost/media -U mediauser

Performance Issues

Slow Transfer Speeds

1. Check network connectivity:

   iperf3 -s  # On server
   iperf3 -c 192.168.1.100  # On client

2. Optimize buffer sizes:

   [global]
   socket options = TCP_NODELAY SO_RCVBUF=524288 SO_SNDBUF=524288

3. Disable unnecessary features:

   [media]
   strict locking = no
   oplocks = no

Windows 10/11 Compatibility

For modern Windows versions that block SMB1:

# Ensure SMB2/3 is properly configured
sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

[global]
server min protocol = SMB2
server max protocol = SMB3

Permission Debugging

# Check effective permissions
sudo smbcacls //localhost/media /path/to/file -U mediauser

# Reset permissions
sudo chmod -R 755 /srv/samba/
sudo chown -R mediauser:mediauser /srv/samba/media

Security Best Practices

Network Security

[secure-share]
path = /srv/samba/secure
hosts allow = 192.168.1.0/24
hosts deny = ALL
encrypt passwords = yes
smb encrypt = required

Backup and Recovery

# Backup Samba configuration
sudo cp /etc/samba/smb.conf /backup/smb.conf.$(date +%Y%m%d)

# Backup user database
sudo cp -r /var/lib/samba /backup/samba-users.$(date +%Y%m%d)

# Create restoration script
echo '#!/bin/bash
sudo cp /backup/smb.conf.YYYYMMDD /etc/samba/smb.conf
sudo cp -r /backup/samba-users.YYYYMMDD/* /var/lib/samba/
sudo systemctl restart smbd nmbd' > restore-samba.sh

Conclusion

Setting up Samba on Linux provides excellent cross-platform file sharing capabilities, making it perfect for mixed-environment home servers and office networks. While it requires more configuration than NFS, the universal compatibility and advanced features make it invaluable for heterogeneous networks.

In my home server setup with the N100 Intel mini PC, running both NFS and Samba has proven to be the optimal approach - leveraging NFS’s performance for Linux-to-Linux communication while ensuring all family devices can access shared media and documents through Samba’s cross-platform compatibility.

The combination of proper security configuration, performance optimization, and integration with other home server services creates a robust foundation for centralized file storage and sharing.

For additional home server insights, explore my articles on best mini PCs for home servers and server monitoring.

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