Can't share files between two Linux machines (why it is so hard?)

[rodrigo666]

Greetings

I've purchased a desktop PC and would like to share some files in a folder from my Laptop to it, they booth are running Linux Mint 20.3.

So I installed Samba and clicked on the folder in my laptop and choose "folder sharing" and enabled all the options there (allowing guests and read and write)

I also installed Samba on my shining new desktop and, although I can see my laptop on the file browser, I can't access the folder I shared.

Why it is so difficult to do such a simple task on Linux?

I've been trying to solve it for the last couple of hours without success.

[antikythera]

Have you tried using Warpinator? That's a simple way of transferring files or folders between machines running any linux distribution let alone two running Mint

[motoryzen]

I second antikythera's idea as warpinator has never failed me ( although I've only just used it when my PC was being stubborn about recognizing when my phone was plugged into my pc via usb cord and it was the only way to transfer my music to my phone)

Regardless, does it give you any error messages when you would click on the laptop-involved folder on your Desktop PC's file manager?

[rodrigo666]

Have you tried using Warpinator? That's a simple way of transferring files or folders between machines running any linux distribution let alone two running Mint

Thank you! I remember that a few years ago Linux Mint came with an app called "giver" that did something like that, I don't know why it was excluded. I've tried to search for it, but didn't found.

[rodrigo666]

Okay, now I'm trying to use Warpinator, but I'm getting this message:



My desktop is connected through an ethernet cable to the network and my laptop through wi-fi, is that cause for the issue?

Another thing, they're both on the same group name (Warpinator, I didn't change the default), but I've noticed that Warpinator on the Desktop says enp7s0 at the bottom right corner and the Warpinator on the laptop says wlp9s0, maybe is that?

By the way, on both computers, the Firewall is turned off.

[Reddog1]

Unfortunately, your 'image' did not post, so we have no idea what message you are attempting to convey.

Normally, (in all cases in my experience), once Warpinator is installed, all that is required to make a connection is that warpinator is running on all machines that I want to connect to. It makes zero difference if some machines are connected via wifi and some are hard-wired ethernet. For me, warpinator 'just works' for file transfers. Warpinator even works with virtual machines, without any configuration, and is a 'must have' on every installation that I do, and it works across multiple linux distributions and even windows 10. I have warpinator on multiple distributions installed as virtual machines, and on several Mint hosts, and it has always worked, so more information from you would be helpful (other than 'warpinator isn't working').

[SMG]

Okay, now I'm trying to use Warpinator, but I'm getting this message:

Moderator note: Please do not post the same message in two different topics.

The discussion about Warpinator was already here and you have a reply so I have deleted your duplicate post. I have also changed the tags on your image so others can see what you posted.

[rodrigo666]

Unfortunately, your 'image' did not post, so we have no idea what message you are attempting to convey.

I uploaded it to a new server, please, see if it is showing now. Anyway, it's the standard error message, the one that appears if you open Warpinator only in one PC

[rodrigo666]

Okay, now I'm trying to use Warpinator, but I'm getting this message:

Moderator note: Please do not post the same message in two different topics.

The discussion about Warpinator was already here and you have a reply so I have deleted your duplicate post. I have also changed the tags on your image so others can see what you posted.

Okay, I'm sorry, I did that because this thread was about Samba at first, so I thought starting to ask for help about Warpinator in here was against the rules.

[altair4]

While you all figure out why this Warpinator thingy doesn't work have you tried to access the Laptop share from the Desktop directly?

On the Laptop run:

Code: Select all

hostname

On the desktop - in the Location bar of Nemo - enter:

Code: Select all

smb://hostname.local/share-name

Where:

hostname is the Laptop host name you found in the first step - and don't forget to add .local at the end.
share-name is the name you gave the share on the Laptop.

If you don't remember what you called the share on the laptop you can run this command on the laptop:

Code: Select all

net usershare info --long

[rodrigo666]

While you all figure out why this Warpinator thingy doesn't work have you tried to access the Laptop share from the Desktop directly?

That would be great!

Here are the results from Terminal of the recommended commands:

rodrigo@rodrigo-HP-ENVY-TS-m6-Sleekbook:~$ hostname
rodrigo-HP-ENVY-TS-m6-Sleekbook

rodrigo@rodrigo-HP-ENVY-TS-m6-Sleekbook:~$ net usershare info --long
[System12345]
path=/home/rodrigo/Videos/System
comment=
usershare_acl=Everyone:F,
guest_ok=y

I believe I did everything right, but here is the result, exactly what I got the other time:

[altair4]

From Server:

tester@vmint20mate:~$ hostname
vmint20mate
tester@vmint20mate:~$ net usershare info --long
[Public]
path=/home/tester/Public
comment=
usershare_acl=Everyone:F,
guest_ok=y

From Client:

I cannot reproduce your error.

An "invalid argument" usually means you did something funny with the client / server max protocols in smb.conf.

[JerryF]

Using Warpinator is not a solution to shared files on a network. Most likely, the OP wants to access the shared files directly without needing to send file(s) and then going to the other computer to accept the files.

[motoryzen]

Instead of quotations...try apostrophes instead. *shrugs*. It has worked for me before

[rodrigo666]

I cannot reproduce your error.
An "invalid argument" usually means you did something funny with the client / server max protocols in smb.conf.

I never messed with smb.conf

[altair4]

Just out of curiosity can you ping rodrigo-HP-ENVY-TS-m6-Sleekbook from your desktop:

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ping -c3 rodrigo-HP-ENVY-TS-m6-Sleekbook.local

Should that not work can you ping it by it's ip address:

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ping -c3 ip-address-of-laptop

If you can't do either I suspect you either have a firewall running on the laptop or the two machines are not in the same network.

[rodrigo666]

The first command didn't work, but the ping for the Ip address did.



The strange thing is that the laptop appears in the file browser of my Desktop.

I hope that help to solve my problem.

[DisturbedDragon]

Both systems are Linux, so why mess with Samba and not use what is native?

Open up your file browser be it Caja or Nemo. Go to File -> Connect to Server. Default protocol is SSH. Type in the server IP where it says "Server". Type in the share folder. Foe example one of mine is /media/administrator/RAID

Enter user and password then "Connect". The share will mount and once mounted you can bookmark it in your file browser for easy access.

If you need to restrict the shares you can use chroot jails.

Read https://kifarunix.com/restrict-sftp-use ... -in-linux/ for more on that.

[altair4]

You ran ping -c3 rodrigo-HP-ENVY-TS-m6-Sleekbook.local from the wrong machine. I wanted you to run it from the client machine.

Anyhoo, from the client machine - in the Location bar of Nemo - enter:

Code: Select all

smb://192.168.0.48/share-name

Replace share-name with the name of the share you created on that machine.

[Reddog1]

Of course the first ping (by name) would not work. The share is IN ALL CAPS. Linux is caps sensitive, ie SHARE and Share and share are 3 different folders or 3 different computers