You can also use the mount command, as root, to quickly attach a remote
directory to a local file system by using a remote host’s name and exported
directory, as in this example:
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matthew@seymour:~$ sudo mount -t nfs 192.168.2.67:/music /music
After you press Enter, the entire remote directory appears on your file system.
You can verify the imported file system by using the df command, as
follows:
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matthew@seymour:~$ df
Filesystem 1k-blocks Used Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/hda2 18714368 9642600 8121124 55% /
/dev/hda1 46636 13247 30981 30% /boot
none 120016 0 120016 0% /dev/shm
192.168.2.67:/music 36875376 20895920 14106280 60% /music
Make sure the desired mount point exists before using the mount command.
When you are finished using the directory (perhaps for copying backups), you
can use the umount command to remove the remote file system. Note that if
you specify the root directory (/) as a mount point, you cannot unmount the
NFS directory until you reboot (because Linux complains that the file system
is in use).
Putting Samba to Work
Samba uses the Server Message Block (SMB) protocol to enable the Windows
operating system (or any other operating system) to access Linux files. Using
Samba, you can make your Ubuntu machine look just like a Windows
computer to other Windows computers on your network—without needing to
install Windows on your PC.
Although Samba is a complex program, setting it up and using it do not have
to be difficult. There are many options, which accounts for some of Samba’s
complexity. Depending on what you want, Samba’s use can be as easy or as
difficult as you would like it to be.
Fortunately, Ubuntu includes a very easy way to access files on a Windows
network share by default. To start, find the Network entry in the menu at the
left side of the Settings application. If there are other computers on the
network with shared files using Windows or Samba, you will see a Windows
Network icon that, when double-clicked, shows you all Windows domains or
workgroups on your network. Just double-click any computer icon there to