smbclient -L //server -U user

Samba and NFS Share Builder

Share a directory over the network. Pick Samba or NFS and get the config block, the permissions to set, and the client mount command.

Subnet or host. NFS requires this.
Access
Server configuration
Apply and mount

Which one to use

NFS is faster and preserves Unix ownership and permissions properly, which makes it the right choice between Linux machines you control. Samba works with everything including Windows and macOS, handles authentication rather than trusting IP addresses, and is what you want if any client is not Linux. NFS access control is essentially the client IP, so never export to the internet. Both need the underlying directory permissions to be correct: the share config cannot grant access the filesystem denies.

Generate Samba shares and NFS exports

This share generator writes a Samba smb.conf block or an /etc/exports line for sharing a directory across a home network. It covers read-only versus writable, host and subnet restrictions, create masks and forced group ownership, root squashing on NFS, and Time Machine support on Samba, along with the commands to validate the config, set directory ownership, and mount the share from a client.

Samba and NFS FAQ

Why can I see the share but not write to it?

Almost always filesystem permissions rather than the share config. The share can only permit what the underlying directory already allows for the user the server runs as. Check ownership and mode on the directory itself, and remember Samba applies create mask on top.

Why is my Samba password rejected when the system password works?

Samba keeps its own password database. A system account is not automatically a Samba account. Run smbpasswd -a username to create the Samba credential, which can differ from the login password.

What does root_squash do and should I disable it?

It maps requests from the client root user to an unprivileged account, so a root user on any allowed machine cannot rewrite files as root on the server. Leave it on. Disabling it means anyone who can become root on a client, which on their own laptop is everyone, is effectively root on the export.

Should I open these ports to the internet?

No. SMB in particular has a long history of exploited vulnerabilities and is a favourite target of scanners and ransomware. Keep both on the LAN and reach them over a VPN when away. The WireGuard config generator sets that up.

More Linux command tools

Crontab Generator Build cron schedule expressions visually, with plain-English previews of when your job will run. tar Builder Compose tar archive and extract commands with the right compression flags, without memorizing xvzf incantations. systemd Unit Builder Generate systemd service files with restart policies, dependencies, and sandboxing options. chmod / chown Builder Work out permission octals and ownership commands with a visual rwx matrix. rsync Builder Build rsync sync and backup commands with delete safety, excludes, and SSH transport options. SSH Config Builder Generate ~/.ssh/config host blocks with keys, jump hosts, and connection keepalives. find Builder Compose find commands with type, name, time, and size filters, plus prune lists and safe actions. /etc/fstab Builder Build fstab mount lines with the right options, dump, and pass ordering for disks and network shares. OpenSSL CSR Builder Generate certificate signing request commands with subject fields and SAN entries filled in. journalctl Query Builder Compose systemd journal queries with unit, boot, priority, time-range, and grep filters. docker run Builder Build docker run commands with ports, volumes, env vars, and restart policies. Podman-compatible. ufw Rule Builder Build ufw firewall rules with allow/deny/limit actions, source restrictions, and comments. systemd Timer Builder Generate paired .timer and .service units with OnCalendar schedules, persistence, and randomised delay. WireGuard Config Generator Produce matching server and peer configs with AllowedIPs, DNS, keepalive, and NAT forwarding rules. Reverse Proxy Config Builder Write nginx or Caddy config for a self-hosted service, with TLS, WebSockets, and forwarded headers. Docker Compose Generator Build a docker-compose.yml with volumes, environment, ports, restart policy, and healthcheck. nftables Rule Builder Generate nftables rules and a stateful starter ruleset for the inet filter table. useradd / usermod Builder Build user creation and modification commands without accidentally wiping group membership. sed Command Builder Compose substitution, deletion, and insertion commands with safe in-place editing and backups. LVM Command Builder Get the full command sequence for creating, extending, and snapshotting logical volumes. restic / Borg Backup Builder Build init, backup, retention, and restore commands for restic or BorgBackup repositories. tcpdump Filter Builder Assemble BPF capture filters by host, port, and protocol, with rotation and Wireshark output. dd Bootable USB Builder Write an ISO to a USB drive, with the device identification and checksum checks to run first. ffmpeg Command Builder Convert, compress, trim, scale, and extract audio with the arguments in the right order. umask Calculator See what a umask produces for new files and directories, and where to set it persistently. GPG Command Builder Verify signed downloads, generate keys, and sign files or git commits without guessing flags. Subnet Calculator Work out network, broadcast, host range, and masks for any IPv4 or IPv6 CIDR block, and split networks into subnets. curl Command Builder Build curl requests with methods, headers, JSON or form bodies, uploads, auth, retries, and timeouts. ssh-keygen Builder Generate Ed25519, RSA, or FIDO2 security key SSH keys, then install them with ssh-copy-id. sudoers Rule Builder Write sudoers.d rules with run-as targets, NOPASSWD, and limited command lists, validated with visudo. logrotate Config Generator Generate /etc/logrotate.d files with rotation schedules, retention, compression, and postrotate reloads. Podman Quadlet Generator Turn a container into a systemd service with a Quadlet .container file, rootless or rootful. Netplan Config Generator Write Netplan YAML for static IPs, DHCP, bridges, and VLANs on Ubuntu, applied safely with netplan try. grep Command Builder Build recursive grep searches with regex modes, context lines, and include or exclude filters, plus the ripgrep equivalent.

View all tools →