Thunar-Shares-Plugin 0.5 new release - managed to get it built and working with Samba but a real pain - works well

[BitterTruth]

For those that don't know thunar-shares-plugin allows you to share your folders by right clicking within thunar (windows style - see pics below). It uses the usershares feature in Samba (like MX-Samba-Config), and gives non-root users the capability to add, modify, and delete their own share definitions.

What's the point when we have MX-Samba-Config, I hear you ask? Well this is more for quick sharing as it allows you to do it with just a right click in thunar.

I think it was broken for a while but there was a new release in May of 2025.

I managed to build and compile the latest version (released 2025/05/20 16:31) albeit on a test Devuan VM setup (supposed to mimic MX25), but it was a right PITA.

The xfce docs are wrong/incomplete for the installation part and also wrong on the Samba setup

https://docs.xfce.org/xfce/thunar/thunar-shares-plugin

I had to install so many dependencies and dev packages and then run the build script multiple times each time before the installation worked.

Then came the samba setup which was even worse. If you follow the xfce docs and add this

Code: Select all

security = share

into the [global] section of the /etc/samba/smb.conf, the samba server (smbd) will fail to start at boot time and you also won't be able to start it afterwards either!!!!! It will just fail.

Follow the arch wiki instead:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Samba

section 1.3.3 Enable Usershares

Anyhow, it would be nice to have a pre-packaged version if @Stevo could make it available in the repos somehow. Should work with MX23.

Don't forget you need all the usual samba stuff too first. This just makes sharing easy (and don't believe it if you see "it's only for local file sharing with local users", because it works across the network).

Also, whilst I'm here, the same technical notes that apply to MX-Samba-Config, apply here as well:
https://mxlinux.org/wiki/help-files/he ... ba-config/

[FullScale4Me]

The sharing user still need an SMB password set IF the remote users expect to authenticate with an ID & PW credentials vs anonymous.

File ownership of files created on the share is an issue, as well as who can/can't delete them. The distro whose name sounds like a bad breath cure has this struggle also with File Manager plugins. They advocate editing /etc/samba/smb.conf as the better choice.

Yup, the plugin doc's @Xfce are in need of some tweakin methinks too. On a LOT of MATE distros almost none of the plugin setup (including copying the binary to the ISO) is done, not funny for users!

[FullScale4Me]

Follow the arch wiki instead:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Samba

We've been in a 'Samba 4.x world' for a LONG time (2012) but I see a LOT of Samba 3.x isms still present. To be fair, it's marked "This article or section is out of date" at the top.

[FullScale4Me]

Just reading Server Message Block (SMB) protocol changes as a subsection of What's new in Windows 11, version 24H2. (/23 May 2025)

One distro's summarized Windows 11 / Samba impact here. That post is from altair4, their SMB SME (Subject-Matter Expert).

Looks like I have a LOT to read. For the MS one twice or thrice to boost comprehension/retention and understanding. I wonder how many believe Windows 10 is going to stop working next month?

[Stevo]

Here are some MX 23 and 25 packages: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WNyfLh ... sp=sharing

[FullScale4Me]

From https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/file-server/smb-secure-traffic#updated-firewall-rules

Updated firewall rules
Beginning with Windows 11, version 24H2 and Windows Server 2025, the built-in firewall rules doesn't contain the SMB NetBIOS ports anymore. In earlier versions of Windows Server, when you created a share, the firewall automatically enabled certain rules in the File and Printer Sharing group. In particular, the built-in firewall automatically used inbound NetBIOS ports 137 through 139. Shares made with SMB2 or later don't use NetBIOS ports 137-139.

If you need to use an SMB1 server for legacy compatibility reasons, you must manually reconfigure the [Windows Defender] Firewall to open those ports.

That last line creates a small fail case when users are trying to connect to older network devices (no SMB2/3 support) like a NAS/ or a 95/98/XP Windows PC. Someone who Googled "how to set up Samba" and then implemented a "x max protocol" of NT1 or older will see the devices, but not the shares!

Eventually this may be pushed to Windows 10 as it has a medium level security impact.

[BitterTruth]

Sorry for the late replies, this samba crap is driving me insane.

I have manged to get smb1, netbios, WINS, lmhosts disabled and WSD is working really well on windows 10. The machines I'm having problems with are surprisingly all linux based.

Once I turned off all smb1/netbios bs in WIN10 the linux machines have lost their minds. All sorts of wierd behaviour. It's funny because Windows discovers them instantly now and I can browse their shares with one click now but for some reason the linux vms can't even access their own local shares, never mind the windows one unless I type the URI.

@FullScale4Me It truly is a big convoluted mess, one that only Microsoft can make. I'm hoping I can give you something concrete for your wiki. In the meantime, have a read of this, if you want:

https://www.truenas.com/community/resou ... -ever.106/
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windo ... abs=client
https://www.lenovo.com/gb/en/glossary/lmhosts/

@Stevo Thanks. You go out of your way mate. For some reason I can't download anything. when i click on the debs, it just gives an option to copy the name?

[Stevo]

There's a little download symbol on the upper right. I also did an upload just now to Wormhole tha's good for a day: https://wormhole.app/rMqzY1#pXS0f6EiNSMEmQ5P_bwkTQ

Yeah, manually building from source is a giant pain compared to how it mostly works automagically for Debian packaging. I did have to add libxfconf-0-dev to the build-depends to fix a configuration error that was not in the 0.3.2's debian folder that I got from a PPA.