Introduction
In this article we will set up some samba file shares in Ubuntu 18.04, and secure them with username/password authentication, this is useful if you are setting up a NAS or Storage server that can later be accessed by most operating systems.
Samba is a free implementation of the SMB/CIFS networking protocol, this will provide file and print services that are compatible with normal Microsoft Windows clients and can integrate with a Microsoft Windows Server domain, either as a Domain Controller (DC) or as a domain member.
Step 1
Logging in to your server
ssh [email protected]
Make sure your OS is up to date.
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
Once that is done we will install Samba and set up a username and password.
Note:
This is the simplest to set up but you can also set up Samba with Active Directory for authentication.
sudo apt install samba -y
Now we will set up a username and password
Note:
The user will need to be an existing one, below i will show the steps to add a new user, but you can skip this if you will be using an existing user.optional:
sudo adduser --shell /bin/false <username>
set the samba password for the user
Note:
This should match the previous password:
sudo smbpasswd -a <username>
Step 2
Create a directory to be shared
sudo mkdir /mnt/<folder_name>
Set the correct owner and permissions for the newly created directory
sudo chown <username>:<username> /mnt/<folder_name>
sudo chmod 770 /mnt/<folder_name>
Configuring the shares in the Samba config file
Edit /etc/samba/smb.conf
sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf
Scroll to the bottom of the config file and add the following to create a share, and point it to the newly created directory.
....
[<share_name>]
path = /mnt/<folder_name>
valid users = <username>
read only = no
Close and save with Control + X , Y and Enter
Restart the Samba service
sudo systemctl restart smbd
Now you are ready to set up the share in windows or any os by using the following details.
\<ServerIP><share_name>
Username:
WORKGROUP<username>
Note:
The default group in the config file is called "WORKGROUP" but can be changed by editing the "/etc/samba/smb.conf"
That is all, now you have a functional file server with password protected windows shares.
