Sharing files across multiple systems in a network can make collaboration and resource access seamless. Two popular methods for network file sharing in Linux are NFS (Network File System) and Samba. While NFS is typically used in Unix/Linux environments, Samba is widely used for interoperability between Linux and Windows systems.

1. Sharing Files with NFS

Step 1: Install NFS
          

sudo apt update && sudo apt install nfs-kernel-server

Step 2: Create a Shared Directory

sudo mkdir -p /mnt/shared
sudo chown nobody:nogroup /mnt/shared
sudo chmod 777 /mnt/shared

Step 3: Configure Exports

Edit the NFS exports file:

sudo nano /etc/exports

Add:

/mnt/shared 192.168.1.0/24(rw,sync,no_subtree_check)

Then:

sudo exportfs -a
sudo systemctl restart nfs-kernel-server

Step 4: Mount the Share on Client

sudo apt install nfs-common
sudo mount server-ip:/mnt/shared /mnt

2. Sharing Files with Samba

Step 1: Install Samba

sudo apt update && sudo apt install samba

Step 2: Create a Shared Directory

sudo mkdir -p /mnt/shared
sudo chmod 777 /mnt/shared

Step 3: Configure Samba

Edit the Samba config file:

sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

Add:

[SharedFolder]
   path = /mnt/shared
   browseable = yes
   read only = no
   guest ok = yes

Step 4: Restart Samba

sudo systemctl restart smbd

Step 5: Access from Windows

Open Run (Win + R) and type:

\\server-ip\SharedFolder

Choosing Between NFS and Samba

• NFS is ideal for Linux-to-Linux environments due to simplicity and speed.
• Samba is the better choice for cross-platform sharing between Linux, Windows, and macOS.

How to Share Files Over the Network Using NFS or Samba (F.A.Q)