Step-by-step – Samba File Sharing on Arch Linux

Setting Up Server

2. 2. Setting Up Smb Configuration File

   Download Smb Configuration File for Arch GNU/Linux

   Smb Conf File for Arch Linux

   Downloading Smb Configuration File for Arch Linux

   Right-Click on Page and Choose “Save as…” Naming it as “smb.conf“.
   This because the Arch Linux Package Do Not include it!
   Then Replace it into the Default Location with:

   sudo mv ~/Downloads/smb.conf /etc/samba/

   Last to Fix Ownership run:

   sudo chown -R root:root /etc/samba/smb.conf

3. 4. Installing Samba Server

   Now to Setup Samba Server on Arch
   Simply play:

   sudo pacman -Sy samba

   Next to Start the Samba Server Service run:

   sudo systemctl start smb nmb

   Possibly to Start it at Boot:

   sudo systemctl enable smb nmb

   Last, to check it’s running:

   systemctl status smb

   But if you use a Firewall then to Setup it check the ArchWiki Docs.

4. 5. Configuring Samba Server

   Then Edit the Samba Config File
   With:

   sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

   To Quick enabling a generic Read Only access with No Security use:

   [sharing]
   comment = Sharing Directory
   path = /home/[myUser]/Public
   browseable = yes
   read only = yes
   guest ok = yes
   

   Just Replace [myUser] with your Real username you can Check running:

   whoami

   This to enable the default Sharing Location in your Home Folder.
   Else for a Password protected Access append:

   [sharing]
   comment = Sharing Directory
   path = /home/[myUser]/Public
   browseable = yes
   security = user/nencrypt passwords = yes
   

   And to make a Writable Share set “writable = yes” in the Configuration.
   Moreover, if you store sentitive Data and you have a Static IP then you should limit the allowed Hosts appending something like: “allow hosts = 127.0.0.1 192.168.1.0/24”.
   Last, to Add you User to the Samba enabled Users play:

   sudo smbpasswd -a `whoami`

   This to setup a Login for your current Username (Set a Different Password that for Admin if you Share it!)
   Ctrl+x to Save & Exit from nano Editor :)

5. 6. Restarting Samba Server

   Then Restart Samba & Winbind Services
   Simply play:

   sudo systemctl restart smb nmb

6. 7. Looking up Server IP

   Find the Server IP on Terminal.

   ip a

   Find the Server IP often under eth0 on the inet Line: