Why Is This So Complicated? - Share Folder

Hoping someone can give a simple comprehensive understandable answer. Thanks in advance!

Everything I could find online including in these forums is to install Samba and create shares thought its config UI.

First problem is while I used the Samba Config tool and am able to see the share I created through it from a Windows computer on the network, I cannot open the folder. The error in Windows is that I do not have access.
So I find various opinions online about editing the Samba config file though terminal. After following as many of these instructions that make sense, it still does not work.
Here is an example of one of the instructions I tried to follow: https://www.maketecheasier.com/install-and-configure-samba-in-ubuntu-for-file-sharing/

Can someone advise what I am missing? Why is this soooo hard? In Windows you can just right-click the folder, choose to share and set some permissions right there in the context menu. No such simplicity in Linux-Zorin.

Please help.... thanks in advance!

Are you just wanting access on dual-boot or on network? You need to make sure Zorin in same workgroup as Windows machine and select share with password. For a better solution:

https://vimeo.com/266410509

@Swarfendor437, not sure how your post was relevant to what I asked, but thanks for the reply.

Just to be clear, I simply want to share a folder on my Zorin instance so that it is accessible from Windows and MAC computers on my network.

I have found half a dozen different flavors on what to do, from suggestions to just use the Samba GUI configurator, to editing the samba configuration file via terminal /gEdit with what seems like different parameters. None seem to work. This is whats frustrating that there doesn't seem to be one straight-forward method. Sharing a folder should be a simple process of right-clicking the folder and choosing options for sharing.

Any help appreciated.

Hi

please take a look here

Code:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWXNVcxDxNI&ab_channel=QuickNotepadTutorial

sharing a common folder on a USB stick is much more simple

Hi @zorinantwerp, thanks for the reply.

Not sure what it is that I am not saying clearly. I am trying to set up a share on Zorin and access it from a Windows or Mac computer on the network.

What you posted was how to access a Windows share from a Zorin computer.

https://www.technig.com/share-file-betw ... d-windows/

https://www.howtogeek.com/191116/how-to ... a-network/

Thanks for the references @Swarfendor437.
One common thread I see with all these guides thats different from what I see in my Zorin is in the File Manager there is no tab called "Local Network Share" when I right-click and choose properties.

This led me to wonder what File Manager I actually have, since there is a continuous mention of "Nautilus" File Manager in articles about sharing. Turns out I have the "Thunar" File Manager, which then led me to check what version of Zorin I have. Turns out I have Zorin Lite.

So now the question is, does Zorin Lite support file sharing via Samba and should I expect a sharing tab in the Thunar File Manager?

Here you go friend:

https://bipedu.wordpress.com/2013/01/15 ... e-manager/

Thanks for the link @Swarfendor437.

While I was able to add the options to the context menu of the Thunar File Manager according to the instructions at https://bipedu.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/add-right-click-samba-share-in-thunarxfce-file-manager/ I am still unable to access the share. Errors from a Mac or Windows machine on the network is that I do not have permission to view the contents of the folder.

One thing that is still confusing is that although the share commands were successfully added to the File Manager context menu and the share(s) become visible from the network, the Samba GUI does not show any added shares and there is no reference in the smb.config file. This is still a mystery.

Thanks for the link @Swarfendor437.

While I was able to add the options to the context menu of the Thunar File Manager according to the instructions at https://bipedu.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/add-right-click-samba-share-in-thunarxfce-file-manager/ I am still unable to access the share. Errors from a Mac or Windows machine on the network is that I do not have permission to view the contents of the folder.

One thing that is still confusing is that although the share commands were successfully added to the File Manager context menu and the share(s) become visible from the network, the Samba GUI does not show any added shares and there is no reference in the smb.config file. This is still a mystery.

Hi, Sorry if you have already come across the following links:

https://www.howtogeek.com/176471/how-to ... and-linux/

also found this which didn't show up before in previous searches - could be the 'missing link'?:

https://goodies.xfce.org/projects/thuna ... res-plugin

Thanks for trying to help guys, but I give up! Nothing seems to work and the https://goodies.xfce.org/projects/thunar-plugins/thunar-shares-plugin seems hella complicated. Which brings me right back to my original post... "Why is this soooo complicated?"

As a last ditch effort for a simple solution, I tried to persue the notion that as in Windows, share permissions and file system permissions are two different things and have to be set separately. Its not entirely clear how these two are taken care of in Zorin in any simple way. I give up.

I will endeavour to try this myself at some point with Zorin Lite and Windows 7 machine (I don't have Windows 10) but you will need to be patient!

Appreciate the effort @Swarfendor437. My windows machines are Windows7 and a few OSx Macs. Most important is access from the Windows7 machines...

Thanks