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How to Share A Folder in Ubuntu 14.04 (Local Network)

Last updated: February 5, 2015

share a folder

This is a beginners’ step by step guide that shows how to share a folder in Ubuntu 14.04 LTS over local network.

1. To get started, right-click on the folder you want to share and choose the “Local Network Share” option.

If you don’t see this option, search for and install nautilus-share in Ubuntu Software Center and restart Nautilus by running nautilus -q or just log out and back in.

2. When the ‘File Sharing’ dialog opens, click the box to enable ‘Share this folder’ option. Click the “Install service” button if it asks.

Once the installation process finish, log out and back in.

3. Re-do step 1 to open the ‘File Sharing’ dialog for any folder. Depends on your need, enable write permission and/or guess access.

4. If you want client machines to access this share with a username and password, disable Guest access and do:

  • Search for and install system-config-samba in Ubuntu Software Center.
  • Start Samba (graphical tool) from the Dash or menu.
  • Navigate to menu Preferences -> Samba Users
  • Click ‘Add User’ in next window and then select your username, type in a Windows username and password.

Finally you can access this folder in a local network machine using the username (either handbook or ubuntu-laptop in picture) and password.

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    15 responses to How to Share A Folder in Ubuntu 14.04 (Local Network)

    1. Hoover Campoverde February 7, 2015 at 1:55 am

      Thank you so much Ji m for your big help. Things I hate in Ubuntu in share folders, because it’s so difficult.

    2. Hritesh August 24, 2015 at 4:33 pm

      Thanks Ji. I had to download Samba in order to create a share permission.

    3. olek February 27, 2016 at 6:48 pm

      I have no sharing option when right click
      Ubuntu 14.04 Trusty says I have already the latest version of nautilus

      Tried sudo apt-get install nautilus
      do you have any clue what is wrong?

    4. Jack Zhong April 24, 2016 at 3:26 pm

      Thank you, Ji, I followed your instruction to set up local network sharing on my Orange Pi successfully

    5. James May 27, 2016 at 3:56 am

      Hi Ji,

      I am not getting the option of enabling Guest Access.

      Thanks,
      James

    6. Jeffry June 21, 2016 at 2:14 am

      Thanks for your help. Now i can share my folder with my friend. :)

    7. Muhammad Uzair June 21, 2016 at 12:44 pm

      Hi! Jim

      I followed your steps and and I’ve shared a folder called “UShared” but when I access this folder from a Windows10 Computer then it gives errors of access permissions and after that folder gets disappeared.

    8. Dennis June 26, 2016 at 4:33 pm

      Hi Ji,

      I’m hoping you may help me with problem on a fresh install of Ubuntu 16.04.
      I want to share file to another Ubuntu machine on the local network. I can’t see the mach that is sharing the file even after following your directions.
      I also do not have a ‘Browse Network” option on the files launcher menu.

      Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

      Thanks

    9. Roger July 3, 2016 at 11:29 am

      This procedure used to work in 14.04 LTS, but step 4 for 16.04 LTS, Ubuntu Software Center does not find system-config-samba. If I search for “samba”, it finds Smb4K, which I don’t think works with Ubuntu, or at least I am unable to launch it. Any solutions for 16.04 LTS?

      • Ji m July 3, 2016 at 5:40 pm

        Ubuntu 16.04 uses Gnome Software (Ubuntu Software) which does not index apps without appdata, you may run the command below in terminal (Ctrl+ALt+T) instead to install it:

        sudo apt install system-config-samba
        • Roger July 3, 2016 at 10:53 pm

          Ok, it’s installed, and search finds it, but when I run, nothing happens.

          Before I had to follow the Software Center Reviews section Ubuntu 14.04 fix instructions just to get the Samba Server Configuration tool to show up in the side bar, but this doesn’t work now either:
          [code]Fix For Ubuntu 14.04 .. Make sure Samba is not installed. Then open terminal & type “sudo apt-get install gksu” (Without The Quotes).

          Then type gksu-properties

          In the dialogue that follows set authentication mode to “sudo” and grab mode to “enable”

          Now Install Samba everything should be working & it show up on Unity Bar & Search.[/code]

          Maybe I have to un-install Samba and do the above again to get it to show up on side bar and run correctly?

    10. cmcanulty December 7, 2016 at 9:46 pm

      been working for 2 days on it. Can go win 10 to Ubuntu but not Ubuntu to windows 10 or Ubuntu to Ubuntu, extremely frustrating

    11. jayakumar March 9, 2017 at 11:56 am

      i installed sudo apt install system-config-samba
      i got error
      dpkg: error processing package winbind (–configure):
      subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 1
      Errors were encountered while processing:
      winbind