How to setup a Samba share on Debian Linux

Setting up a Samba share on Debian Linux allows you to share files across different operating systems within your local network. This is useful in both homelabs and work environments when you want to move files between machines without using a cloud service or local network attached storage. For example, I use Samba to share useful files and scripts from the Public folder in my Home directory.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started:

1. Install Samba

First, you need to install Samba. Open a terminal and run:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install samba

2. Configure Samba

Next, you’ll need to configure Samba. Open the Samba configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

Add the following lines at the bottom of the file to create a new share called “public”:

[public]
   comment = My Samba Share
   path = /home/username/Public
   read only = no
   browsable = yes

Replace /home/username/Public with the path to the directory you want to share.

3. Create the Shared Directory

Create the directory you specified in the configuration file. On some distributions, this folder may already exist:

mkdir -p /home/username/Public

4. Set Permissions

Set the appropriate permissions for the shared directory:

sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /home/username/Public
sudo chmod -R 755 /home/username/Public

5. Restart Samba

Restart the Samba service to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart smbd

6. Set Up Samba User

Create a Samba user and set a password. Note that Samba users are separate from system accounts:

sudo smbpasswd -a username

7. Access the Share

You can now access the Samba share from other devices on your network. On Windows, open File Explorer and enter:

\\your-ip-addr\Public

On GNOME, open the file manager, click “Other Locations,” and enter:

smb://your-ip-addr/Public

You can also use your machine name or even a domain name instead of your IP address.

This should get your Samba share up and running! There are a lot of options if you want to get granular with how you share files and with whom. I recommend taking a look at the SambaWiki for advanced configurations.