The first step in configuring Samba is to edit the /etc/samba/smb.conf file. More advanced configurations such as integrating Samba within an Active Directory environment are also available, though these are outside the scope of this book. This is a configuration known as a standalone Samba server. Learn more.įor the purposes of this chapter we will look at joining an Ubuntu system to a Windows workgroup and setting up a directory as a shared resource that can be accessed by a specific user. Buy the full book now in eBook ($14.99) or Print ($36.99) format. You are reading a sample chapter from Ubuntu 20.04 Essentials. The Files application is located in the dash as highlighted in Figure 23-1: 1.1 Accessing Windows Resources from the GNOME Desktopīefore getting into more details of Samba sharing, it is worth noting that if all you want to do is access Windows shared folders from within the Ubuntu GNOME desktop then support is already provided within the GNOME Files application. In this chapter we will look at the steps necessary to share file system resources and printers on an Ubuntu system with remote Windows and Linux systems, and to access Windows resources from Ubuntu.
In addition to providing integration between Linux and Windows systems, Samba may also be used to provide folder sharing between Linux systems (as an alternative to NFS which was covered in the previous chapter). This is achieved using technology called Samba. In order for an Ubuntu system to serve such resources over a network to a Windows system and vice versa it must, therefore, support SMB. Windows systems share resources such as file systems and printers using a protocol known as Server Message Block (SMB). Similarly, shared folders and printers residing on Windows systems may also need to be accessible from Ubuntu based systems. It is a common requirement, therefore, that files on an Ubuntu system be accessible to Linux, UNIX and Windows-based systems over network connections. It is also extremely common for Ubuntu and Windows systems to be used side by side in networked environments. It is not surprising therefore that Ubuntu has the ability to act as a file server. Although Linux has made some inroads into the desktop market, its origins and future are very much server-based.