With Windows 8, you can share files and documents with users on your local computer and local network. Local users can sign using their local accounts and access the shared resources. Local network users must connect to your computer over the network to access those same shared resources.
This brief tutorial is going to show you how to share files and documents in Windows 8 and access them from Ubuntu 13.04 Raring Ringtail over the local network. By default, file and printer sharing are disabled on Windows 8 computers. You must turn it on before remote systems will be able to access shared resources
To enable File and Printer sharing on Windows 8 computers, press the Windows Key + X keys to show Windows 8 Tools Menu. When it opens, select Command Prompt (Admin).
Next, run the commands below to enable File and Printer sharing on Windows 8 machines.
netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="File and Printer Sharing" new enable=Yes
Now that File sharing is enabled, let’s find out what workgroup the Windows 8 machine belongs to? If you want to make file sharing easy between Windows and Ubuntu machines, you must add them both to the same workgroup.
To find out what workgroup your Windows machine belongs, run the commands below
net config workstation
After running the above commands, you should see the workstation domain or workgroup your computer belongs.
Filesharing is now enabled on your Windows machine and you also know what workgroup it belongs. Next, let’s logon to our Ubuntu 13.04 machine run press Ctrl – Alt –T on the keyboard to open the terminal or console. When it opens, run the commands below to install Samba.
Samba is the software tool that allows Windows and Linux / Ubuntu machines to enable filesharing.
sudo apt-get install system-config-samba
After installing it, open Samba from Dash
When it opens, select ‘Preferences –> Server Settings’ then add the workgroup that your Windows machine belongs to and click OK.
After that, go back to the terminal and run the commands below to add your account to Samba database.
sudo smbpasswd -a username
That’s it! You should now be able to see both the Windows and Ubuntu machine from your Ubuntu machine.
Then same from your Windows machine.
Although file sharing is enabled, to view files and documents from either machines, you must share them. Our next tutorial will show you how to share files and documents from Ubuntu or Windows 8 machine.
Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I enable file sharing between Windows 8 and Ubuntu 13.04 Raring Ringtail?
To enable file sharing, you need to turn on File and Printer Sharing on your Windows 8 computer and install Samba on your Ubuntu 13.04 machine.
What is the process to enable File and Printer sharing on Windows 8 computers?
To enable File and Printer sharing on Windows 8, press the Windows Key + X keys, select Command Prompt (Admin), and run the command netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="File and Printer Sharing" new enable=Yes.
How can I find out the workgroup my Windows 8 machine belongs to?
To find out the workgroup your Windows 8 machine belongs to, run the command 'net config workstation' in the Command Prompt.
What software tool allows Windows and Ubuntu machines to enable file sharing?
Samba is the software tool that allows Windows and Ubuntu machines to enable file sharing between them.
What are the steps to install Samba on Ubuntu 13.04?
To install Samba on Ubuntu 13.04, open the terminal or console and run the command 'sudo apt-get install samba'.
How do I access shared resources from Windows 8 on Ubuntu 13.04 over a local network?
Once file sharing is enabled on Windows 8 and Samba is installed on Ubuntu 13.04, you can access shared resources from Windows 8 on Ubuntu 13.04 over the local network.
Why is file and printer sharing disabled by default on Windows 8 computers?
File and printer sharing are disabled by default on Windows 8 computers for security reasons. You need to manually enable it to allow access to shared resources.
What keys do I press to show the Windows 8 Tools Menu for enabling file sharing?
To show the Windows 8 Tools Menu, press the Windows Key + X keys to enable file and printer sharing on Windows 8 machines.
