How to Set Up Network Storage with Cinnamon Desktop on Linux Mint

Setting up network storage on Linux Mint with the Cinnamon desktop is an efficient way to share files across multiple devices, access data remotely, and improve collaboration. Whether you want to connect to a NAS (Network-Attached Storage) device or simply share folders between Linux, Windows, or macOS systems, Cinnamon provides built-in tools to make the process seamless.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through setting up network storage on Linux Mint using Samba, NFS, and SSHFS, covering both connecting to network storage and sharing your own storage over the network.

1. Understanding Network Storage Options in Linux Mint

Before we begin, it’s important to understand the different ways you can set up network storage:

• Samba (SMB/CIFS): Best for sharing files between Linux, Windows, and macOS systems.
• NFS (Network File System): Ideal for Linux-to-Linux file sharing.
• SSHFS (SSH File System): Secure option using SSH tunneling, best for remote access.
• FTP/WebDAV: Alternative protocols for remote file access over the internet.

2. Installing Necessary Packages for Network Storage

Linux Mint comes with built-in support for network sharing, but some services need to be installed manually.

Install Samba for Windows and macOS Sharing

Samba allows your Linux system to communicate with Windows file shares:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install samba smbclient cifs-utils

Install NFS for Linux-to-Linux File Sharing

For efficient sharing between Linux systems, install NFS support:

sudo apt install nfs-common nfs-kernel-server

Install SSHFS for Secure Remote Storage

SSHFS allows you to mount remote directories securely over SSH:

sudo apt install sshfs

3. Connecting to Network Storage on Linux Mint Cinnamon

A. Accessing Windows or macOS Shares via Samba (SMB/CIFS)

1. Open the File Manager (Nemo) and click on Other Locations in the sidebar.

2. In the Connect to Server field, enter your Samba share address:

   smb://[SERVER_IP]/[SHARE_NAME]
   

   Example:

   smb://192.168.1.100/shared_folder
   

3. Click Connect, enter your username/password if prompted, and mount the share.

4. If you want to mount the share permanently, create a mount point and edit /etc/fstab:

   sudo mkdir /mnt/network_share
   echo "//192.168.1.100/shared_folder /mnt/network_share cifs username=user,password=pass,iocharset=utf8,sec=ntlm 0 0" | sudo tee -a /etc/fstab
   sudo mount -a
   

B. Connecting to NFS Shares (Linux to Linux)

1. Create a directory to mount the NFS share:

   sudo mkdir /mnt/nfs_share
   

2. Mount the NFS share manually:

   sudo mount -t nfs 192.168.1.200:/shared_folder /mnt/nfs_share
   

3. To make the mount permanent, add this line to /etc/fstab:

   192.168.1.200:/shared_folder /mnt/nfs_share nfs defaults 0 0
   

4. Reload fstab:

   sudo mount -a
   

C. Mounting Remote Storage Securely with SSHFS

1. Create a mount point:

   mkdir ~/remote_storage
   

2. Mount the remote storage via SSH:

   sshfs user@192.168.1.150:/remote_folder ~/remote_storage
   

3. To unmount:

   fusermount -u ~/remote_storage
   

4. To auto-mount at boot, add this line to /etc/fstab:

   user@192.168.1.150:/remote_folder /home/yourusername/remote_storage fuse.sshfs defaults 0 0
   

4. Setting Up Network Storage for Sharing on Linux Mint

A. Setting Up Samba to Share Folders

1. Open the terminal and edit the Samba configuration file:

   sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf
   

2. Add a shared folder entry at the bottom:

   [Shared]
   path = /home/yourusername/shared
   browseable = yes
   writable = yes
   read only = no
   guest ok = yes
   force user = yourusername
   

3. Create the shared folder:

   mkdir ~/shared
   chmod 777 ~/shared
   

4. Restart Samba:

   sudo systemctl restart smbd
   

5. Access the share from Windows by navigating to \\192.168.1.100\Shared.

B. Setting Up an NFS Server

1. Edit the NFS export file:

   sudo nano /etc/exports
   

2. Add a share configuration:

   /home/yourusername/shared 192.168.1.0/24(rw,sync,no_root_squash,no_subtree_check)
   

3. Apply changes and restart NFS:

   sudo exportfs -ra
   sudo systemctl restart nfs-kernel-server
   

5. Troubleshooting Network Storage Issues

A. Checking Samba Services

If Samba isn’t working, restart the service and check its status:

sudo systemctl restart smbd
sudo systemctl status smbd

B. Verifying Mount Points

If your storage isn’t mounting, run:

df -h
mount | grep cifs

C. Debugging Permissions Issues

Ensure the correct permissions for shared folders:

sudo chmod -R 777 /path/to/shared_folder

Conclusion

Setting up network storage on Linux Mint with the Cinnamon desktop allows seamless file sharing across different operating systems. Whether you use Samba for Windows compatibility, NFS for Linux-to-Linux sharing, or SSHFS for secure remote access, Linux Mint provides all the necessary tools to configure and manage network storage efficiently.

By following this guide, you should now be able to connect to network storage, share your own files, and troubleshoot common issues. If you need additional features like cloud storage integration, consider using Nextcloud or Syncthing for more flexibility.