Linux as my Home Server - setting up Samba and harddisks correctly
 

Hi

I hope someone on here is able to assist me.

I have decided to use Linux (Ubuntu) as the host operating system for my new home server.

This new server is going to be used for file storage (for my windows boxes, my media player etc etc, and also for storing VirtualBox images)

I have used Linux a long long time ago so am basically a newbie.

My problem is as follows.

In the server I have 3 hardisks

120gb SSD, 3TB SATA and 1TB Sata.

When I installed Ubuntu is asked where to install the OS so I said the SSD.

So when I look at my disks it has set them up as

sda - 3tb
sdb - 1tb
sdc - ssd

When I load Ubuntu in the Devices section of the GUI is has 3 entries, 1 says Computer which is the SSD and where the OS is, 2 says 3.0TB Volume and 1 says 1tb volume.

I have now also installed SAMBA.

Questions:

1. When I installed Ubuntu I chose the SSD as EXT4 and installed it there, is this the recommended way of installing Linux?

2. All of the research I have done on Samba indicates when sharing out files / folders with Windows machines etc to share out say /media/drive1 as an example. The Linux system files and folders are only on the SSD.

If I want to share out something on my other two SATA disks, how do I do that? When I look at the properties of a file that I add onto one of the disks, it says say /media/username/219f99ee5c69475/foldername

So basically it is naming the hardrive volumes with an ID of sorts.

How do I make it so that I create files and folders on these Sata drives and share them out with my windows boxes.

Thanks in advance and I hope what I have written has been explained properly.

Cheers

Welcome to LQ.

Boy! That's a mouthful. I think the answers may be beyond a simple forum post.

I'm going to suggest you take a look at Samba by Example. I think that will help you more than a bunch of disjointed forum posts. Don't be dismayed by the fact that it refers to Samba v. 3; the part of Samba you need didn't change between v. 3 and v. 4.

Samba by Example takes you through scenarios for setting up Samba, ranging from very simple to very complex, including example configuration files. (You can get a PDF here. I still have my printed-out copy on my bookshelf.)

When I set up my first file server with Samba, I had all the same questions you have and I found what I needed by about page 20.

You also need to look into how to configure your /etc/fstab to mount the partitions properly (that is, the way you want them to be mounted).

As for setting up Samba, there are three steps:

1. Create the directories to be shared and configure them as "shared" in the directory permissions. This one is simple, but takes place independently of the samba configuration and is often overlooked by first-timers. Like I was.
2. Create your /etc/samba/samba.conf file, then start samba. This is more complicated.
3. Troubleshoot anything that's not working.

As an aside, the more specific information you provide, the easier it will be for others to help you. You might want to take a look at this; it will help you help us help you.

Edit:

If I remember correctly, Ubuntu by default includes samba-client, but does not include samba-server. You may need to install samba-server from the repos.

Thanks very much for the reply mate, I will have a look at what you have suggested and let you know how I go, thanks again.

The first time I set up my home network, I think I poked at it for about two weeks until I was happy with it. That was with Slackware v. 10 and Windows XP.

Good luck and let us know, with as much detail as possible, if you run into specific issues.