Samba is the Linux implementation of the SMB/CIFS file sharing standard used by Windows PCs and Apple computers and widely supported by media streamers, gaming consoles, and mobile apps. In this tutorial, you will learn how to use a Raspberry Pi as a file server where you can save backups and share files with all the other computers on your network using Samba.
You need the following things for this tutorial:
- A keyboard (Wired or wireless)
- A mouse (Wired or wireless)
- Raspberry Pi (Model 3B is recommended)
- A 32GB (or smaller) micro SD card
- Internet connection (Only to download Samba)
The SD card must have a reasonable amount of free storage space without requiring any extra steps to make it accessible. However, if you want extra storage, simply mount a large USB drive and create a Samba entry for it. If you want to keep your Samba file server compact and portable, install Raspbian on a 128Gb or 256GB SD card. Before purchasing, check online whether the SD card is fully compatible with Raspberry Pi or not.
Install Samba
Samba is available in Raspbian’s standard software repositories. Update your repository index, make sure that the operating system is fully updated, and install Samba using apt-get. Open a Terminal and type:
sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get upgrade sudo apt-get install samba samba-common-bin
The download and installation process will start and it will take a while depending on your internet speed.
Now you need to create a shared directory that will be accessible by other PCs/mobiles connected to the same network. You can put it anywhere, but in this tutorial, it will be at the top level of the root file system of the Pi’s microSD card. Type the following command:
Read more: Samba : Set Up Your Raspberry Pi As A Local Network File Server
