Notes on creating a Hammer File Share
I asked Copilot to help me create a samba file share on a VoidLinux system with a two 8TB drives in a mirrored zpool. I want to set up a samba share that a windows machine, Mac and Linux can mount.
First Response
Setting up a Samba share on your Void Linux workstation with a mirrored ZFS pool for cross-platform access is a solid choice. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Install Samba
First I updated the package list and installed Samba:
sudo xbps-install -Syu
sudo xbps-install -S samba
Enable and Start the Samba Service
sudo ln -s /etc/sv/smbd /var/service/
sudo ln -s /etc/sv/nmbd /var/service/
To verify it’s running:
sudo sv status smbd
sudo sv status nmbd
Why Separate Services?
smbd handles actual file sharing.
nmbd broadcasts the share name for discovery on Windows and macOS networks.
Configure Your Samba Share
Edit /etc/samba/smb.conf to define your shared folder:
sudo sv status smbd
sudo sv status nmbd
[global]
workgroup = WORKGROUP
server string = Void Samba Server
security = user
map to guest = Bad User
[shared]
path = /mnt/zpool/share
browseable = yes
writable = yes
read only = no
guest ok = yes
force user = your_user
valid users = your_user
My zfs dataset is mounted at /zhammer.
hammerVoid ~ zfs list Sun 08 Jun 2025 01:32:15 PM EDT
NAME USED AVAIL REFER MOUNTPOINT
tank 12.5G 887G 24K /tank
tank/home 12.5G 887G 24K /export/home
tank/home/rgeorgia 12.5G 887G 24K /export/home/rgeorgia
tank/home/rgeorgia/workspace 12.5G 887G 12.5G /export/home/rgeorgia/workspace
zhammer 1.52M 14.4T 96K /zhammer
hammerVoid ~ sudo mkdir /zhammer/martel Sun 08 Jun 2025 01:49:08 PM EDT
Password:
hammerVoid ~ sudo zfs create zhammer/martel 5.3s Sun 08 Jun 2025 01:52:14 PM EDT
hammerVoid ~ zfs list 333ms Sun 08 Jun 2025 01:52:25 PM EDT
NAME USED AVAIL REFER MOUNTPOINT
tank 12.5G 887G 24K /tank
tank/home 12.5G 887G 24K /export/home
tank/home/rgeorgia 12.5G 887G 24K /export/home/rgeorgia
tank/home/rgeorgia/workspace 12.5G 887G 12.5G /export/home/rgeorgia/workspace
zhammer 1.66M 14.4T 96K /zhammer
zhammer/martel 96K 14.4T 96K /zhammer/martel
hammerVoid ~ sudo zfs set mountpoint=/zhammer/martel zhammer/martel
Make sure /mnt/zpool/share exists: .. code-block:: bash
mkdir -p /mnt/zpool/share chmod 777 /mnt/zpool/share
Set Up User Authentication
Create a Samba user:
sudo smbpasswd -a your_user
Adjust Firewall Settings (if applicable)
Allow Samba traffic:
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 445 -j ACCEPT
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 137 -j ACCEPT
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p udp --dport 138 -j ACCEPT
sudo ufw allow 80/tcp # HTTP
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp # HTTPS
sudo ufw allow 22/tcp # SSH
sudo ufw allow 445/tcp # SMB over TCP
sudo ufw allow 137/udp # NetBIOS Name Service
sudo ufw allow 138/udp # NetBIOS Datagram Service
sudo ufw allow 139/tcp # NetBIOS Session Service (optional, for legacy support)
sudo ufw app list
sudo ufw app info Samba
sudo ufw allow Samba
Restart Samba
sudo sv restart samba
Mount the Share on Other Machines
Windows: Open Explorer, type \your_void_ipshared, and map the drive.
Mac: Use Finder -> Go -> Connect to Server, then smb://your_void_ip/shared
Linux: Mount manually:
sudo mount -t cifs //your_void_ip/shared /mnt -o username=your_user,password=your_password
Let me know if you run into any issues, especially with ZFS permissions or network access!
More Secure Options
Instead of 777, consider: - User Group-Based Control: Create a Samba-specific group:
sudo groupadd smbshare
sudo usermod -aG smbshare your_user
sudo chown -R your_user:smbshare /mnt/zpool/share
sudo chmod 770 /mnt/zpool/share
This allows only your_user and members of smbshare to access the folder.
Force Specific Ownership in Samba: Modify your smb.conf:
force group = smbshare
create mask = 0660
directory mask = 0770
This ensures new files are created with proper permissions.
If you’re the only one using the share and security isn’t a major concern, 777 is fine for quick access. But if you prefer more control, these adjustments are better long-term solutions.