Potato HomeLab Step 3: SMB File Sharing

What storage can you use?

You can use whatever you want as long as your OS can read it. However, I would recommend high capacity hard disk. As most of the data isn’t going to be accessed daily anyway, and we all have great stories to tell about the data that we are going to store )_<. I am currently using an external 5 TB HDD from WD, but will get a 2 DAS later.

Setting up SMB in Fedora

Here is the setup process for SMB in Fedora. I am also going to put some issues that I have encountered during the setup of SMB, in case you type in the wrong file path. In best practice, please double-check your command before pressing Enter.

1. Installing Samba

Step 1: Install Samba

sudo dnf install samba

Note 1: Everytime you use "sudo" you will be asked for admin password

Note 2: Samba is likely come pre-installed with fedora

Step 2: Enable Auto-Start for Samba after bootup

sudo systemctl enable smb --now

Step 3: Making sure Samba isn’t blocked by the firewall

firewall-cmd --get-active-zones

sudo firewall-cmd --permanent
--zone=FedoraWorkstation --add-service=samba

sudo firewall-cmd --reload

2. Creating user account for SMB

The user account for SMB is separated from the OS, so you need to create an account specifically for SMB unless you want a guest user (meaning no need for a password).

Step 1: Create a new smb user account

sudo smbpasswd -a [smb user_name]

Note: Replace [smb user_name] with anything you like e.g. John_Wick

Step 2: Set the password for the new smb user account

#Expected outcome after step 1

New SMB password:

Retype new SMB password:

Added user John_Wick.

3. Sharing File Path

Step 1: Label the file path for sharing with Samba

sudo semanage fcontext --add --type “samba_share_t” “[file_path](/.*)?

Example [file_path]: /run/media/john_wick/Samsung_SSD(/.*)?

Step 2: Restore the correct security context labels for the shared file path

sudo restorecon -R [file_path]

Note 1: Replace [file_path] that you typed in Step 1

Note 2: no need to type in (/.*)

4. Edit samba conf. file

Step 1: Open the Samba conf. file with nano in terminal

sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

Step 2: Add necessary information to the smb.conf file

[File_path_name]

Comment = [As_note]

Path = [file path in 3.1 without (/.*)]

Writeable = yes (*this is allowing write permission)

Browseable = yes (*read permission)

Public = yes (optional)

Create mask = 0644

Directory mask = 0755

Write list = [smb user name] (*user account that allow to access drive)

Note: If you want to allow drive to be accessed without account, add a line "guest ok = yes" 

Step 3 (optional): Time machine backup for Mac -> add the line below to smb.conf

min protocol = SMB2 

ea support = yes 

vfs objects = catia fruit streams_xattr 

fruit:metadata = stream 

fruit:model = MacSamba 

fruit:posix_rename = yes 

fruit:veto_appledouble = no 

fruit:nfs_aces = no

fruit:wipe_intentionally_left_blank_rfork = yes 

fruit:delete_empty_adfiles = yes

fruit:time machine = yes

Step 4: Save the changes by “ctrl + x” ->  “y” -> “enter”

5. Testing the SMB connection for the drive

Since the process is similar across Windows, Macos and Linux, the following session will only demonstrate how to connect to a file server/drive in macOS.

Step 1: Go to finder  “Go” -> “connect to server”

Step 3: Login in with the SMB user account

Note: If you have put in “guest ok = yes” in smb.conf, then pick Guest

Step 4: Enjoy

6. Other notes

6.1 Drive Ownership & Permission Issues

Sometimes when you format a drive in Fedora, the drive owner might be owned by “root” but you. They might prevent you from writing to the drive that is shared by Samba. Below is how. 

Step 1: Changing the drive owner

sudo chown -R user:user [file_path]

Note: Replace the “user:user” with your user name in the OS 

Step 2: Change the read, write, and execute permissions for the file path

sudo chmod -R 0700 [file_path]

6.2 Client computer can’t see any file in the folder

This is likely due to permission issues in Linux. Below is a command that you can give it a try for non-home directory file sharing.

Step 1: Type in the command below command 

sudo setsebool -P samba_export_all_rw on

6.3 Deleting the wrong share file path

In case of any typo that has been made in the shared file path. It can find and delete with the following command.

Step 1: Search the shared Samba file path 

sudo semanage fcontext -l | grep “samba_share_t"

Step 2: Delete the shared Samba file path that you want

sudo semanage fcontext -d “[wrong file path]”

Conclusion

Hope you find it easy to follow and have fun managing all your “homework” files.