Importing Remote SMB Directories

Abstract

File sharing between various machines has been available for a long time on UNIX systems. The new facilities brought by recent tools make this feature easily available for all users. Sharing data between two users on two different machines is made in three simple steps:

  1. Admin authorizes sharing: the section called “Partition Sharing: Allow Users to Share Directories”.

  2. Users share directories: see the section called “File Sharing”.

  3. Users browse remotely shared directories: see the section called “File Sharing”.

This tool allows the system administrator to import remote shared directories on the local machine. This tool affects shares based on the SMB protocol, used mainly by windows OSs.

While users can individually access remote shares through their file managers, it may be interesting in some cases to import a specific share for it to become available at once for all users. We will go through an example showing how to import a template directory from a Windows machine.

Figure 17.8. Scanning The Whole Network

Scanning The Whole Network

When you click on the Search servers button (Figure 17.8), the local network is scanned and all machines that currently share directories (including the local one) are shown. In our example, only one server is available, server. It is the machine that contains the templates we want to make available locally for all users.

Figure 17.9. Choosing The Machine to Import Files From

Choosing The Machine to Import Files From

Clicking on a machine's name will try to connect to it and browse available shares. If those shares are password protected, a dialog pops up asking for your authentication on that machine.

Figure 17.10. Authenticate on a remote Samba server

Authenticate on a remote Samba server

Enter the correct Username, Password and Domain. The available shares on that machine will then appear. Click on the little arrow on the left of the server icon to show available shares.

Figure 17.11. Choosing The Remote Directory to Import

Choosing The Remote Directory to Import

Once a share is selected, a Mount point button appears. Clicking on it displays a dialog where you can type the local directory where remote files will be accessible.

Figure 17.12. Where to Make Remote Files Accessible

Where to Make Remote Files Accessible

Once this is done, two more buttons appear:

Also, the little icon in front of the shared directory becomes

Tip

You can change the user name and password to access a specific resource by clicking the Options button.

When you have finished configuring the access points for remote directories, click the Done button. A dialog box will appear asking whether you wish to save your configuration or not. Click Yes to make the shares always accessible. Click No to exit without saving your changes.