I'm new to Linux and using an older laptop to learn. I have a Windows computer with several shared drives, each available through a static IP address. I can access them from Windows, but I'd like to use the same media files from Linux Mint 22.3 Cinnamon without manually reconnecting the shares after every reboot. What's the simplest and most reliable way to set this up? I've seen suggestions involving Samba, CIFS, and the file manager, but I'm not sure which approach is best for a beginner.
3 Answers
Linux can access Windows shares through Samba, and CIFS is the filesystem used when you want to mount a share like a local directory. For occasional access, the graphical file manager is usually enough: enter the smb:// address, authenticate, and browse the files. You don’t necessarily need a permanent mount just to access the shares conveniently.
For the easiest setup, open the file manager and connect to each share using an address such as smb://192.168.x.x/share-name. Once it works, add the locations to your bookmarks or Favorites. They’ll be easy to reach, and the connection can be established when you open the bookmark without requiring a complicated boot-time configuration.
Thanks! I’ll try bookmarking the shares first since that sounds like the simplest option.
For shares that should appear as mounted folders, you can add CIFS entries to /etc/fstab. A typical entry includes the server IP, share name, local mount point, username, and options such as vers=3.0, uid and gid for file ownership, and x-systemd.automount so the share is mounted when accessed. Using x-systemd.requires=network-online.target can also prevent the system from trying too early during startup. This is more advanced, and storing a password directly in fstab is not recommended; use a protected credentials file instead. Also consider options that allow the laptop to boot if the Windows computer is unavailable.
That helps clear up the difference between Samba and CIFS. I’ll start with the graphical method.