Set Up File Sharing Server on Arch Linux

In today’s interconnected world, file sharing has become a vital component of collaboration and communication. As an Arch Linux user, you have several options for setting up a robust file sharing server. In this article, we will guide you through the process of how to set up a file sharing server on Arch Linux using Samba and NFS. These two protocols are the most popular and widely-used file sharing methods on Linux.

Table of Contents

1. Samba Server Setup
2. NFS Server Setup
3. Securing Your File Sharing Server
4. Conclusion

Set Up File Sharing Server on Arch Linux

Samba Server Setup

Samba is an open-source implementation of the SMB/CIFS protocol that allows file and print sharing between Linux and Windows systems. It’s a great choice if you need cross-platform compatibility.

How to Install Samba on Arch Linux

To begin, you’ll need to install the Samba package using the following command:

sudo pacman -S samba

Configure Samba on Arch Linux

Next, you’ll want to create a new Samba configuration file at /etc/samba/smb.conf. You can use your favorite text editor, such as Vim or Nano, to create the file. Here’s an example configuration to get you started:

[global]
   workgroup = WORKGROUP
   server string = Samba Server %v
   netbios name = arch-samba
   security = user
   map to guest = Bad User
   log file = /var/log/samba/%m.log
   max log size = 50
   dns proxy = no

[public]
   path = /srv/samba/public
   writable = yes
   guest ok = yes
   guest only = yes
   create mode = 0777
   directory mode = 0777
   force user = nobody
   force group = nobody

This configuration sets up a single share named public accessible by all users. Modify the configuration as needed to suit your requirements.

Create Shared Directory and Set Permissions on Arch Linux

Create the shared directory specified in your configuration file, in this case /srv/samba/public, and set the necessary permissions:

sudo mkdir -p /srv/samba/public
sudo chown -R nobody:nobody /srv/samba/public
sudo chmod -R 0777 /srv/samba/public

Start and Enable Samba Service in Linux

Finally, start the Samba service and enable it to start automatically on boot:

sudo systemctl start smb nmb
sudo systemctl enable smb nmb

NFS Server Setup on Arch Linux

Network File System (NFS) is a distributed file system protocol that allows users to access files over a network. NFS is best suited for sharing files between Linux systems.

How to Install NFS on Arch Linux

Install the NFS server package using the following command:

sudo pacman -S nfs-utils

Configure NFS on Arch Linux

Create a directory that you want to share using NFS, and set the necessary permissions:

sudo mkdir -p /srv/nfs/shared_folder
sudo chown -R nobody:nobody /srv/nfs/shared_folder
sudo chmod 777 /srv/nfs/shared_folder

This creates a shared directory called shared_folder inside the /srv/nfs directory, and sets its ownership to the nobody user and group, ensuring that all users can read, write, and execute files within it.

Next, edit the /etc/exports file to define the shared directories and their access permissions. Open the file using a text editor like vim:

sudo vim /etc/exports

Add the following line to the file, replacing 192.168.0.0/24 with the subnet of your local network:

/srv/nfs/shared_folder 192.168.0.0/24(rw,sync,no_subtree_check)

This configuration allows read and write access (rw) to the shared folder for all IPs within the specified subnet, while enabling synchronous updates (sync) and disabling subtree checks (no_subtree_check) for better performance.

Save and exit the text editor.

Now, export the shared directory and restart the NFS server to apply the changes:

sudo exportfs -a
sudo systemctl restart nfs-server

Configure the Firewall

To allow clients to connect to your NFS server, you need to open the necessary ports in your firewall. If you’re using firewalld, run the following commands:

sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=nfs
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=mountd
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=rpc-bind
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

If you’re using iptables, run the following commands:

sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 111 -j ACCEPT
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 2049 -j ACCEPT
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 20048 -j ACCEPT
sudo iptables-save | sudo tee /etc/iptables/iptables.rules

Connect a Client to the NFS Server

To access the shared folder on a client machine, you need to install the NFS client package and mount the shared directory.

For an Arch Linux client, install the nfs-utils package:

sudo pacman -S nfs-utils

Create a mount point for the shared directory:

sudo mkdir -p /mnt/shared_folder

Mount the shared directory from the NFS server to the client machine, replacing server_ip with the IP address of your NFS server:

sudo mount -t nfs server_ip:/srv/nfs/shared_folder /mnt/shared_folder

To automatically mount the shared directory at boot, add an entry to the client’s /etc/fstab file:

server_ip:/srv/nfs/shared_folder /mnt/shared_folder nfs defaults 0 0

That’s it! You have successfully set up a file sharing server on Arch Linux using NFS. Now you can easily share files between your server and client machines.

Securing your server is essential to protect your data and privacy. Consider following these guides for additional security measures:

• How to Disable Root Login on Arch Linux
• How to Use SSH Public Key Authentication on Arch Linux

• How to Enable Two-Factor Authentication for SSH on Arch Linux

Backup and Restore NFS Configuration

It is important to backup your NFS configuration files to easily restore your NFS server setup in case of an accidental deletion or hardware failure. You can create a backup by archiving the configuration files:

sudo tar czvf /path/to/backup/nfs_config_backup.tar.gz /etc/exports /etc/nfs.conf

Replace /path/to/backup/ with the desired backup location. This will create a compressed archive containing the /etc/exports and /etc/nfs.conf files.

To restore your NFS configuration from a backup, first, uncompress the archive:

sudo tar xzvf /path/to/backup/nfs_config_backup.tar.gz -C /

Replace /path/to/backup/ with the location of your backup file. This will extract the configuration files and restore them to their original locations.

After restoring the configuration files, restart the NFS server to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart nfs-server

Monitoring NFS Server Performance

To monitor your NFS server’s performance, you can use the nfsstat command. It displays NFS server and client statistics, such as the number of RPC calls, cache hits, and cache misses.

To view NFS server statistics, run:

nfsstat -s

To view NFS client statistics, run:

nfsstat -c

You can also use monitoring tools like Grafana and Prometheus to create visualizations and set up alerts for your NFS server performance metrics.

By following these steps, you have successfully set up and configured an NFS server on Arch Linux, secured it, and learned how to backup and monitor its performance. NFS provides a reliable way to share files between Linux systems and is widely used in various applications, including home networks, data centers, and high-performance computing environments.

Troubleshooting NFS Server Issues

In case you run into issues with your NFS server, here are some common problems and their solutions:

1. Clients cannot mount the NFS share: Check if the NFS server is running using sudo systemctl status nfs-server. If it is not running, start the server with sudo systemctl start nfs-server. Also, ensure that the /etc/exports file has the correct syntax and includes the shared directories and client permissions.
2. Firewall blocking NFS traffic: Ensure that the required NFS ports are open on the server’s firewall. You can use firewalld or iptables to configure the firewall rules.
3. Permission issues: Verify that the shared directories have the appropriate permissions for the clients to access. You can use chmod and chown commands to set the correct permissions and ownership.
4. Slow NFS performance: Check the NFS server and client statistics using the nfsstat command to identify potential bottlenecks. Also, ensure that the network connection between the server and clients is stable and has adequate bandwidth.
5. NFS server logs: Review the NFS server logs for any errors or warnings. You can use the journalctl command to view the logs:bash

sudo journalctl -u nfs-server

If you are still experiencing issues, consider searching for solutions in online forums or consulting the official Arch Linux and NFS documentation.

Conclusion

Setting up a file-sharing server on Arch Linux using NFS is an effective way to share files and directories between Linux systems. This guide has covered the essential steps to configure an NFS server, secure it, and monitor its performance. By following these steps, you can create a reliable and efficient file-sharing solution for your network.

Remember to always keep your Arch Linux system up to date and apply security best practices to maintain a secure and stable environment. By doing so, you can enjoy the benefits of NFS and Arch Linux, both known for their robustness and flexibility.