Today, Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems can talk to each other and exchange files on the same network without third-party software.
To configure file exchange between these systems, we will use the SMB protocol. Windows uses SMB for file sharing, while Mac and popular Linux distributions have built-in support for SMBs. Microsoft even provided open source patches for the Samba project to improve it.
Windows folder sharing
Since other operating systems cannot access your home network – you need to enable file sharing on Windows. Click on the network icon with the right mouse button and select “Network and Sharing Center”, or find it through the search, you can also open Explorer => select a network and from there open the Network Control Center.
On the left side, select “Change advanced sharing options”
Select “Turn on network discovery” and “Turn on file and printer sharing.” Also at the very bottom you can disable password access to shared folders, that is, if you select “Disable password-protected sharing”, users on other computers will not need your credentials to view the shared resources on your computer. Don’t forget to click “Save Changes”.
Now find the folder you want to share and right-click on it, select “Properties” => go to the “Access” tab => advanced settings => check the box “Share this folder” and click “OK”. You can also change other settings for sharing.
Accessing a shared folder with Windows
Open Explorer, that is, any folder and in the left pane at the bottom select “Network”. All available computers with shared resources will open in front of you. Double-click any of them to see the shared folders and use them.
Also, if you know the ip-address or computer name, you can connect to it directly. In the address bar of the explorer, you need to put two slashes and write the IP or name of the desired computer, and press Enter. For example Net and press enter, after which you will see the shared resources on the desired computer.
Sharing a Linux folder
Open the file manager, right-click on the folder you want to share and select “Sharing” (you can also select “Properties” and go to the “Sharing” tab). If this is the first time you enable sharing, you will be prompted to download and install the Samba software – this happens automatically.
Check the boxes “Publish this folder” and “Guest access”, then click “Create resource”.
Accessing a shared folder with Linux
The file manager most likely contains a network browser that you can use to find and share shared folders on your local network.
Select browse network to see the available computers on the network and double-click to open the one you need to see the shared resources on them. Or if you know the computer name (ip-address) – click on “Connect to server” and enter the name or ip of the computer. For example: smb: // NET and press Enter
You may be asked for the username and password of the user who has access to these resources. It depends on whether guest access is enabled or disabled on the computer to which you are connecting.
Sharing a Mac OS X Folder
Open System Preferences by clicking on the Apple logo and selecting System Preferences. Click on the Sharing icon and check the File Sharing box. In the Shared Folders column, you can add or remove shared folders using the + and – keys. In “Users” you can add users to share and choose what rights they have to work with shared resources.
Accessing a shared folder with Mac OS X
Open Finder, click the Go to Menu button at the top of the screen, and choose Connect to Server. In the server address enter smb: // computer name (or IP address), for example: smb: // laptop and click “Connect”
You will be asked for credentials to connect, or offered to log in as a guest. You will see the shared resources of this connection, if you want to use a certain folder often – drag it to the Login Items list.
That’s all for today, if there are additions – write comments! Good luck ?
