Samba, RPi as Windows file/print server

Updated 2024-01-05 OK with Bookworm !

If You want that the Raspberry Pi(RPi), shall appear in MS File Explorer or Mac Finder, as a File server, the easiest way is to install Samba.

This also makes it much easier if You want to edit files on the RPi with editors from Your MS/Apple device. Or maybe moving files from/to the RPi.

Intro

This setup can also be used when you want to share a RPi USB connected storage in the network.

Installing

Log on to the RPi and update

$ sudo apt update

then install Samba

$ sudo apt install samba

Edit the Samba configuration file so that You have more than "Read Only" rights.

$ sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

Then find the following part 

#======================= Share Definitions =======================

[homes]        

    comment = Home Directories

    browseable = no

# By default, the home directories are exported read-only. Change the

# next parameter to 'no' if you want to be able to write to them.

    read only = yes      

so change to

read only = no

Printserver

If you are planning to use the RPi as a print server find the following part  

# Windows clients look for this share name as a source of downloadable

# printer drivers

[print$]

   comment = Printer Drivers

   path = /var/lib/samba/printers

   browseable = yes

   read only = yes

   guest ok = no

and change to

read only = yes

guest ok = yes

and then save the file.

Add user

If you intend to use an existing RPi/Linux user, maybe "pi"?, just use the following command to add "pi" as a Samba user and set a password (The command "smbpasswd" has been replaced by "pdbedit")

$ sudo pdbedit -a pi

new SMB password:

retype new SMB password:

............

Restart the Samba service

$ sudo systemctl restart smbd

and now You should be up and running and the pi home folder should be shared

The picture above is from a Mac browsing a RPi running Homebridge and 2 plugin

Other user commands

List the Samba users sudo pdbedit -L

Delete Samba user  sudo pdbedit -x pi

Apache share
The RPi is also running an Apache server and therefore I wanted to share its default folder. Adding the following to the configuration file

[Apache_folder]

   comment = Apache folders

   read only = no

   locking = no

   path = /var/www/html/

   guest ok = no

And adding the default Apache user 

$ sudo pdbedit -a www-data

New SMB password:

Retype new SMB password:

Added user www-data.

$ sudo systemctl restart smbd

This makes it easy to edit the files if You log on to the RPi, from Your Mac/PC, with the " www-data" user.