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How to Create a Samba (SMB/CIFS) File Share on Ubuntu 22.04

02 Aug 2026 -- Ubuntu, Linux, Samba, SMB, CIFS, Windows, File Sharing

Introduction

Samba allows Linux systems to expose directories as SMB/CIFS shares, making them accessible from Windows, macOS, and other Linux machines. This is useful when you need to transfer files between systems or provide centralized storage without installing additional software on Windows.

This guide demonstrates how to configure a secure Samba share on Ubuntu 22.04.

Prerequisites

• Ubuntu 22.04
• A directory you want to share
• Root or sudo privileges
• Network connectivity between the Linux server and Windows clients

Step 1. Install Samba

Update the package repository and install Samba.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install samba -y

Verify that the service is installed.

systemctl status smbd

Step 2. Prepare the Shared Directory

In this example, the shared directory is:

/mnt/shared

Create it if necessary.

sudo mkdir -p /mnt/shared

Check the ownership and permissions.

ls -ld /mnt/shared

Example output:

drwxr-xr-x root root /mnt/shared

If the directory is intended to be read-only, these permissions are generally sufficient.

Step 3. Create a Samba User

Create a user that will authenticate to Samba.

sudo useradd -M -s /usr/sbin/nologin fileshare

Set the Samba password.

sudo smbpasswd -a fileshare
sudo smbpasswd -e fileshare

The Samba password is independent of the Linux account password.

Step 4. Configure the Share

Edit the Samba configuration.

sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

Append the following section.

[SharedFiles]
    path = /mnt/shared
    browseable = yes
    read only = yes
    guest ok = no
    valid users = fileshare

Configuration Explanation

If write access is required, replace:

read only = yes

with

read only = no

and ensure the underlying filesystem permissions allow writing.

Step 5. Restart Samba

Apply the new configuration.

sudo systemctl restart smbd
sudo systemctl enable smbd

Verify the service.

sudo systemctl status smbd

Step 6. Configure the Firewall

If UFW is enabled, allow Samba traffic.

sudo ufw allow Samba

or

sudo ufw allow 445/tcp

Step 7. Access the Share from Windows

Open File Explorer and browse to:

\\SERVER-IP\SharedFiles

or

\\SERVER-HOSTNAME\SharedFiles

Authenticate using the Samba credentials created earlier.

Testing the Configuration

Ubuntu provides the testparm utility to validate the configuration.

testparm

List available shares.

smbclient -L localhost -U fileshare

Example output:

Sharename       Type
---------       ----
SharedFiles     Disk
IPC$            IPC

Common Issues

Permission Denied

Verify the directory permissions.

ls -ld /mnt/shared

Check whether the authenticated user has permission to read the directory.

Cannot Connect from Windows

Verify that the Samba service is running.

systemctl status smbd

Check that TCP port 445 is listening.

sudo ss -tlnp | grep 445

Firewall Blocking Access

Verify firewall rules.

sudo ufw status

Security Recommendations

• Disable guest access unless explicitly required.
• Create dedicated Samba accounts instead of using administrative users.
• Use read-only shares whenever clients do not need to modify data.
• Restrict network access using firewall rules where possible.
• Regularly update Samba packages with system updates.

Conclusion

Samba provides a straightforward way to share directories between Linux and Windows environments using the SMB protocol. A read-only configuration is often the safest option for scenarios such as distributing exported data, backups, software repositories, or log files, while writable shares can be enabled when collaboration is required.