I'm switching from Windows to Linux Mint and want to clean up my network-storage setup when I install Linux on a new desktop. I have a Synology NAS sharing six folders over Samba. On my current system, I mount each share separately through /etc/fstab using a credentials file, with paths such as /home/username/mapped/books and options including x-systemd.automount, uid, gid, and file and directory modes.
This works, but it leaves everything several folders deep and requires more navigation than I'm used to. I'm wondering whether mounting each share under a common directory such as /mnt/nas would be better, or whether I should change how the shares are organized on the NAS. I'm also considering mounting one broader share and using symbolic links in my home directory for frequently used folders such as Music, Books, or Videos.
Is using CIFS through fstab and a credentials file a sensible approach, especially while I still need Samba compatibility? Where do you normally mount NAS shares, and do you link them into your home directory or replace the standard folders directly? Are there any permission, reliability, automount, or migration issues I should plan for?
2 Answers
There isn’t one universally correct directory layout. Samba and NFS can coexist, so you can keep Samba for systems that need it and use NFS for Linux clients where that makes sense.
For a larger shared area, I’d normally expose one parent share and mount it at something like /mnt/shared or /srv/shared. Then the individual folders appear below that mount, and adding another folder on the NAS usually doesn’t require another fstab entry. Symlinks into each user’s home directory can provide convenient access to common folders.
Think about access requirements before choosing the layout: shared files may need a common group and carefully planned ownership and permissions, while private files should use a separate restricted share. Also avoid blindly using 0777 unless you really need it; it grants broad access and is often unnecessary with suitable uid, gid, and permission settings.
Mounting network storage under a dedicated path such as /mnt/nas or /mnt/media is a clean approach. If you mount several things, give each one its own subdirectory rather than using /mnt itself directly.
You can then create symbolic links in your home directory for the folders you use most often. For example, /home/username/Music could point to /mnt/nas/music, while the rest of the NAS remains available below /mnt/nas. This gives you convenient shortcuts without tying the actual mount layout to your home directory.
The same general structure works with Samba mounts. A credentials file in fstab is also normal; just make sure it is readable only by root, and consider options such as nofail and x-systemd.automount so a missing or temporarily unavailable NAS does not prevent the system from starting.
So the idea is to mount the storage below /mnt and create links in my home directory for the folders I access frequently. That sounds cleaner than putting all six mounts directly under /home, and I’ll also look into mounting one broader share if the NAS layout allows it.
A single parent mount does seem preferable if the NAS can export the folders that way. It would avoid changing the Linux configuration every time another shared directory is added, while links in the home directory would keep the frequently used locations easy to reach.