How To Share Folders in Ubuntu & Access Them From Windows 7
How To Share Folders in Ubuntu & Access Them From Windows 7
BESTOF
HowtoShareFoldersinUbuntu&Accessthem
fromWindows7
ByGeorgeGrigorion02/09/2011
InaprevioustutorialIhaveshownhowtoenablethesharingserviceinUbuntuandchange
theWorkgroupsothatitisthesamewithalltheothercomputersinyournetwork,thus
makingnetworkingbetweenUbuntuandWindows7easier.InthistutorialIwillshowhow
tosharefoldersinUbuntuandhowtoaccessthemfromWindows7computers.
NOTE:ArticleupdatedtoworkonUbuntuv10.10&11.04.
EnableFileSharing&ConfiguretheWorkgroup
InorderforUbuntuandWindows7tosharefiles,theyhavetobeconfiguredtobepartofthesame
Workgroup.Also,filesharingneedstobeenabledinUbuntu.
TochangeyourWindows7workgroup,see:HowtoChangetheWorkgroupinWindows7&
Windows8.
ToconfigureUbuntu,see:HowtoEnableFileSharing&ChangetheWorkgroupinUbuntuLinux.
Oncetheseitemsaresetupcorrectly,proceedwiththistutorial.
HowtoShareFoldersinUbuntu
First,opentheHomeFolderinUbuntu,foundinthePlacesmenu.
Browsetothefolderyouwanttoshare.Rightclickonittoopenthecontextualmenuandclickon
SharingOptions.
TheFolderSharingwindowwillopen.ChecktheboxnexttoSharethisfolder.Then,intheShare
namefield,typethesharenameyouwanttouse.IntheCommentfieldtypeanythingyouwantorjust
leaveitemptytheresnoneedtocompleteit.Ifyouwanttoallowotherstocreateanddeletefilesin
thefolderyouaresharing,checktheboxnexttoAllowotherstocreateanddeletefilesinthisfolder.
Also,ifyouwanttoallowGuestaccess,checktheboxnexttoGuestaccess(forpeoplewithouta
useraccount).Whendone,clickonCreateSharetoactuallysharethefolder.
IfyouhaveselectedtheoptionAllowotherstocreateanddeletefilesinthisfolderapopupshows
up,askingifyouwanttoaddsomepermissionstothefolderyouaresharing.ClickontheAddthe
permissionsautomaticallybutton.Now,thefolderissharedwiththerestofthenetwork.
Note:WerecommendthatyouonlysharefoldersfoundorcreatedintheHomeFolderbecause
thosearefoldersonwhichyourusernamehasownership.Ifyoutrytoshareafolderoutsidethe
HomeFolder,youwillreceivethefollowingerrormessage:netusersharereturnederror255:net
usershareadd:cannotsharepathaswearerestrictedtoonlysharingdirectoriesweown."Thiserror
appearsbecauseyoudonthaveownershiponthosefolders.Inordertoshareanyofthemyouhave
togothroughacomplicatedprocedurethathasthepotentialtoaddsecurityriskstoyourUbuntu
computer.
AccessUbuntuSharedFoldersfromWindows7
AfteryousharedafolderinUbuntu,letsseehowtoaccessthatfolderfromaWindows7computer.
OpenWindowsExplorer.ClickonNetworktoviewalistwithallcomputersavailable(turnedonat
thattime)inthenetwork.
DoubleclicktheUbuntucomputeryouwanttoaccess.Alistwithallthesharedfoldersanddevices
fromthatcomputeropens.
Doubleclickthefolderthatyouwanttoaccess.IfyouhaventsetupthesharedfoldertoallowGuest
access,youareaskedtointroduceausernameandpassword.
Inthefirstinputfield,typethenameoftheUbuntucomputerfollowedbyabackslash(\")andthe
nameoftheuseraccountwithaccesstothesharedfolder.Inthesecondinputfieldtypethe
password.IfyouwantWindowstorememberyourusernameandpassword,checktheboxnextto
Remembermycredentials.Whendone,clickonOK.
Nowthecontentofthesharedfolderisshown.
Conclusion
OnanetworkwithWindows7andUbuntucomputers,youcanconfigureUbuntutosharefilesand
folderswhichareeasilyaccessiblefromaWindowsPC.Ifyouwanttoknowmoreaboutsettingup
otherPCsonalocalnetwork,orhowtofurtherutilizethenetworkingfeaturesbetweenUbuntuLinux
andWindows7,checkoutthearticleslistedbelow.
Discovermore: Tutorials NetworkandInternet Linux
Relatedarticles:
HowtoEnableFileSharing&ChangetheWorkgroupinUbuntuLinux
HowtoAccessWindows7SharedFoldersfromUbuntu
MountWindows7SharedPartitions&FoldersinUbuntu
Top7FreeGamesForWindows8.1ThatAreFoundInTheStore
Comments
byAnonymouson01/10/201112:23
WhenItrytoshareafolderusingtheprocedureyoudescribed,Igetthefollowingerror:
Clickmetogobacktothetopofthepage!
'netusershare'returnederror255:netusershareadd:cannotconvertname"Everyone"toaSID.
Logonfailure.
HowdoIfixthis?
reply
byjonhon03/29/201119:26
greattutorial,onlyproblemiswhenIgettothesectiontitled"AccessUbuntuSharedFoldersfrom
Windows7"theUbuntucomputersimplydoesnotshowuponthenetworklist.
Youmakenomentionofanythingtosetuponthewin7machine,whatdoIhavetodotomakemy
Ubuntucomputershowuponmynetwork?
reply
byCiprianAdrianRusenon03/29/201121:06
IntheRunwindow(Windows+R),type\\name of ubuntu computerandseeifyoucan
accessit.Ifnot,then...eithertheUbuntucomputerisnotonthesamenetworkorsomethingis
blockingitsometimessecuritysolutionsinterferewithyournetworkandcausesuchissues.
reply
byAnonymouson04/25/201111:51
ItriedthesesamestepsbutwheneverItrytoaccessthesharedfolderIcanaccessthelinux
machinebutnothingisdisplayed(0items),amIdoingsomethingwrong?
Alsowhatistheroleofthe'smb.conf'filewhenwecansharethefoldersfrominsidethelinux
desktop?ordowehavetoconfigure\smb.conf'filefirst?
Thnx
reply
byCiprianAdrianRusenon04/25/201114:46
Youneedtoeditandconfigurethesmb.conffilefirst.Checkoutthistutorialtolearnwhatyou
needtodowithit:HowtoEnableFileSharing&ChangetheWorkgroupinUbuntuLinux.
reply
byAnkuron08/20/201111:02
simpleandusefultutorial.usingitrightnow
reply
byasenyon10/21/201116:07
Fantasticilovedit,itreallyhelpedmealotthanx:)
reply
byRajeeveon11/08/201109:24
Thathelpedverymuch.Thankyou.
reply
byCiprianAdrianRusenon11/08/201113:21
We'regladthistutorialhelped!:D
reply
byburnedagainon12/14/201102:05
Whenyousharefileswiththismethodtherearenoentriescreatedin/etc/samba/smb.confthatI
candetect.......sowhatgives?Isthisnotapartofsamba?Whereisthe.confforthisfileshare?I
askbecauseIhaveamorecomplicatedproblem.
reply
bySilversleevesXon12/26/201120:01
I'vebeentryingtosharepasswordprotectedfoldersonmyUbuntu(Desktopinstalledontopof
Kubuntu)11.04laptopforalmosttwoweeksnow.Ihavenotbeenabletodoso,asmyWindows7
HomePremiuminstalledonadesktopmachinehasinvariablyandrepeatedlygivenmethe
message"Loginfailed:incorrectpassword"wheneverIhavetriedtoopenthefolderseitherof
thosesharesrepresentfromWin7.AllowingGuestaccessworksfine,andI'dbesatisfiedwithit,
exceptthatunderGuestaccess,anyfilescreated,copiedto,orsavedintheshareinvariablyhave
tohavetheirpermissions,ownershipandgroupIDchangedinLinux.Iknowthisisn'tnecessary
whenapasswordprotectedsharehasfilescreated,copiedtoorsavedinit,becausethefile's
umaskissetcorrectlyinsmb.conforsomewhereelse"underthehood"inLinux.
Ihavealsodiscoveredthat,unlessonemountsone'sownsharedfolderinUbuntuLinux,thereis
absolutelynowayofspecifyingthatshare'sumasknottomention,thisworkaroundseemsonlyto
applytofilescreatedinsharesfromloggedincomputersrunningUbuntu,Debianorsomeother
'flavor'ofLinux.
Sowhatwehavehereistheproverbial'dogchasingitsowntail.'
ThelastversionofWindowsIranonanyofmycomputerswasWindowsXPProSP3.It'ssadto
thinkthatinthelastsixorsevenyears,Microsoft,intryingtomakeupforsecurityflawsand
gaffesinthepast(ofthisIhavenodoubt),havecompletelyruinedwhatmostfolksmighthave
beeninclinedatonetimeoranothertocall"theirbaby."Samba,tomanypeopleIknow,is
synonymouswith"Windowsfilesharing"they'resurprisedwhenItellthemit'smaintainedbya
separateorganizationhavinglittleornothingtododirectlywithMicrosoft.Nowitwouldbefoolish
foranyonetomaketheconnection,fullstop,betweentheoneandtheother.
Inshort,thereisnowaytoaccesspasswordprotectedfoldersonUbuntumachinesrunning
SMB/CIFSfromanyincarnationofWindows7,becausewhatWindows7runsisobviouslynot
"straightSamba."
Buttakeheart:mostISPsblockthehighestTCP/UDPports,bynumber,byname139and445,
andasthelowertwoorthreewereintendedstrictlyforLANuse,thewholeofhonesttogoodness
Sambais,whilenot100%secure,asclosetoitasshouldmakenodifferenceformostusers.
BZT
reply
byChristopherWilsonon09/19/201201:12
Justwrotethis,hopeithelps:
http://wilson18.com/howto/linuxnetworking/howtosharefoldersinubun...
reply
byChristoon12/26/201214:53
Goodday.
Thisworkswelltoaccessthefiles.Myproblemiswriteprotections.
IfIsavethefilefromaWindows7or8PCtotheshared/home/netsharedfolderitgetareadonly
lockonit.
Iamabletofixthusvia
sudo chown -R -L -H -v {username} *
Buthavingtotodothiseachtimeisannoying,AnddoingthismakesitReadonlytotheWindows
PCandtheotherLinuxPC.
Inotherwords,Icanseethefilesbutcan`tsaveoverthemfromanotherPC.
Anyideas.
reply
byMelanieRimmeron12/27/201218:15
Thisisveryhelpfulandeasytofollow.Itworkedforme.
reply
byAndyBlahnikon12/07/201306:15
Worksgreat!JustremembertorefreshthenetworklistonthewindowsPCtoseethenewUbuntu
folders
reply
byFarshidTon04/24/201413:19
Forthosewhocan'tgetpassedtheauthenticationinwindows,configureausernameand
passwordthatwillbeusedtoaccesstheshare:
smbpasswdayourusername
ThenrestarttheSMBservice:
sudoservicesmbdrestart
Source:http://www.howtogeek.com/176471/howtosharefilesbetweenwindowsandl...
reply
byTravisHon01/28/201515:26
Thanks!Thistiphelpedmeoutgreatly!
reply
byZlatevon03/05/201509:56
Thankyou!
reply
byQuintuson11/07/201409:35
Ihavetriedeverythingabove,BeforesharingafileinUbuntuIcouldseethemachineonthe
networkfromanotherwindoescomputer.Oncethesharingwasmade(Icouldnevertickthe
Allowotherstocreateanddeletefilesinthisfolder),themachinenolongerappearedinthe
network...
Youknowwhat,Ubuntureallysucks...ThereisabsolutelyNOTHINGstraightforwardnoruser
friendly.justwantedtohaveasmallprintserverformyoffice,usingalittleoldmachinesoI
thoughtthiswouldbeperfect.Wellit'snotandagainI'mdisappointed...
reply
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