Trying to access a Windows share from a fresh install of MX Linux immediately proves what is wrong with Linux as a whole.

Posted by Redditburd@reddit | linux | View on Reddit | 14 comments

If you google "Connect to a windows share from linux" and you will inundated with people that have found out just like me that it's near impossible to accomplish this task without advanced computer and linux specific skills.

I have been trying to connect to a network share for three hours. I'm not dumb. I have even managed to accomplish this before, but this brings back so many memories of why I do not use Linux. This simply does not work. I don't care if it's a hidden Windows user setting or soemthing like that. I can ping the server I can even get a prompt for a password when I try to access the smb:// direcly from Thunar. There is no logical way forward.

Screw you Linux.

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Chronigan2@reddit

Samba can be finicky on windows as well. I once spent an hour trying to get windows 11 to connect to a network share. I could ping the server just fine using the computer name, but it would not map the name. Changed it to the IP and it worked fine.

Your problem may be that the smb on your server may be set up to use a different version than what your linux computer is trying to use.

If it's a linux server you can always try setting it up s an NFS share.

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Altareos@reddit

meanwhile, home versions of windows don't even have any nfs support. screw you windows.

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bhones@reddit

The most basic way I’m aware of is to use advanced sharing settings to share (for example) Drive X: and permit everyone read and write permissions, then navigating to or adding the network share in your file explorer, you’d need to confirm the proper url syntax but that’s worked for me with no other steps I can recall.

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Redditburd@reddit (OP)

Hell yeah man. Tried this about 30 minutes ago. All my other windows computers can access the share fine. It's just this linux box that cannot connect. Thanks for the tips. Keep them coming!

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bhones@reddit

Can’t really unless I know what steps you’ve taken and what you’re doing to try to mount it (eg cli using cifs-utils or in your file explorer), what error you’re getting, whether or not the drive or folder is shared and whether full control is enabled for “everybody” or not.

Give me some details and I can try and point you in the right direction.

As a test I just shared a folder on my laptop (win11) and set permissions, and changed my sharing/discovery settings in the control panel and was able to navigate to the folder and access contents from arch, it’s definitely possible lol.

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Redditburd@reddit (OP)

I get it man. I appreciate your input. I have no doubt it's possible. Heres what I did:

Installed MX Linux in a VM. Tried to access a windows share on Win11 pro.

I dunno man.

Typed smb:\AERO\Drivepool\ into the file explore on MX Linux and I get prompted for a password. There is no password or combination of human created synmbols in any order that will allow acces to the network resource.

I'll recreate the share and try some other things.

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PackageEdge@reddit

Have you tried forward slash instead of backslash? Windows uses backslash in file paths, but Linux uses forward slash.

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edparadox@reddit

If you google "Connect to a windows share from linux" you will be inundated with people that have found out just like me that it's near impossible to accomplish this task without advanced computer and linux specific skills.

This can replicated for any subject on any topic.

This is the foolproof argument you think it is.

The suggestions and responses to the question are numerous and attempt to help but they immediately dive into a plethera of "try this" , install that, check this check that. It gets very detailed very quickly and no one truely knows WHY THIS DOES NOT WORK. It has NEVER worked!

See above.

For example, Stack Overflow and Reddit are full of such answers.

I have been trying to connect to a network share for three hours. I'm not dumb. I have even managed to accomplish this before, but this brings back so many memories of why I do not use Linux.

It's called a bias.

You did not even begun to explain what problem you effectively have.

This simply does not work. I don't care if it's a hidden Windows user setting or soemthing like that.

Like you eluded to before, it's a skill issue.

I can struggle to explain to my parents how to access a Windows share on Windows. Even by your logic, it implies my argument.

I can ping the server I can even get a prompt for a password when I try to access the smb:// direcly from Thunar. There is no logical way forward.

So, I don't think I understand ; you're not prompted to a username/password?

If you use Thunar or Nautilus, typing the relevant information of the share is quite straightforward, even for non-technical people (my GF does it daily).

Screw you Linux.

Be a little bit mature, mate ; you did not explain your issue, and you vented on a sub which is not about technical support. If you're being denser, you'd be a blackhole.

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