Alternatives to SMB folder sharing

1st Official Post

    I'm getting close to the point of going postal with this stuff. I'll have to assume that for whatever reason, this W10 pc and the LE box under the telly simply aren't going to ever work together over SMB.
    Can someone please run me (and many others no doubt) the other options to get them working?
    NFS, upnp, etc.

    • Official Post

    UPnP for me has an issue that it doesn't understand external subtitles.

    FTP gave me video skip problems.

    NFS has been my 'companion' for more than 8 years now.

    The upside: Easier to confgure (IMO), and once it runs, it runs.

    The downside: Linux prefers EXT4 formatted disks, and NFS isn't supported by default by Windows. You can add an NFS client as from Win10Pro afaik, and I tried it, but couldn't get it to work (go figure). I wouldn't recommend a Windows machine for what is basically a Linux file protocol.

    Frankly, I have no idea where your SMB problems start. Microsoft keeps changing its Windows GUI and/or settings with every major update, so that is adding to the confusion. I do have a Windows machine, but I hardly use it. It still has to receive the latest 1803 update.

    I've been using an Ubuntu Linux machine all the time (since XMBC Eden), and it's been faithful to me.

    For newcomers there is a small learning curve to the Linux world, but for file serving only, even I got it working.

    Using a VM machine like Virtualbox is a good tool to experiment with Ubuntu (Server) and its quirks.

    There are plenty of Ubuntu tutorials on how to install and setup NFS server.

    The question is: are you willing to put in the extra effort?

    Thanks. I may well have no choice, as no matter why I (with a lot of help from people here) just cannot get the smb thing to work. I'll have a search around to see which is the best next option.

    To install nfs on win10 pro: got to old fashioned control panel>programs & features>(on left) turn windows featueres on or off then check everything under services for nfs.

    Then you will need to create a file called "exports" on the libreELEC machine, I think in /storage/.config, following nfs tuts available on line.

    I am still trying to figure out where samba.conf is supposed to live in LE, I guess the same place as exports.

    Samba works fine for me, you can't browse to directories, but you type \\192.168.x.xxx into the nav bar and Viola!

    Yes, and if I want to make LE the server? I want to have nfs access to the hdd on the LE machine.

    I finally found that samba.conf does live in /storage/.config.

    • Official Post

    LibreELEC was never intended as a server. LibreELEC only has a SMB server on-board, which was meant for small local access.

    If you want an NFS server, you will have to implement something into a Docker environment AFAIK.

    Thanks fellas - I had a look at the NFS stuff and it's waay over my head. I'll have another go at the SMB thing some time in the next few weeks. One of the only things I haven't tried is doing a full network reset on this pc. I may well have changed some setting in the past in this pc that is stopping it from working with LE. I'm totally fed up with the whole thing right now and I'll take some time to get the enthusiasm to try again later.

    If you type \\address into the nav window it will be there.

    If you are wanting to access a file from LE that is on your windows machine you can't browse workgroup/machine anymore. Instead type smb://machine address/folder name. You will need to have a password protected windows.

    If you want access files on LE from windows, first you need the samba.conf set up then on windows file explorer type the address of the LE box, \\192.168.x.xx or whatever.

    If you just want to transfer files or edit files on LE try WinSCP on the windows machine

    It is not as complicated as we try to think.