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Restoring Right-Click Folder Sharing between Linux Machines

September 3, 2026

Restoring Right-Click Folder Sharing between Linux Machines

PUBLIC ARCHIVE EDITION

Provenance

  • Provider: ChatGPT
  • Original title: Share folders over LAN
  • Conversation ID: 68d4c33e-4f88-832d-80c4-6ae570f839dd
  • Created: 2025-09-24T21:21:20-07:00
  • Updated: 2025-09-24T21:31:39-07:00
  • Models: gpt-5-thinking
  • Source archive SHA-256: 0f7aee663dace8d779cc4e6f229b4e22a8386f8075b81801a3c8c2b112e1bdd7
  • Source transcript SHA-256: d9df8c80c35c909beb47255823750afc0c39cd68205721e71bd03189b26c893b
  • Active-path treatment: active-current-node
  • Alternate messages preserved: 0
  • Attachment state: not-applicable
  • Privacy state: PRIVACY_VERIFIED
  • Publication state: public-archive
  • Record ID: chatgpt:68d4c33e-4f88-832d-80c4-6ae570f839dd
  • Source member: conversations-000.json
  • Source record SHA-256: 4b8520cc0f7db91917fd3aaf573772db6f0c1d56665a36415f2d745e96c390b0
  • Transcript verification status: canonical-verified; privacy-verified; source-order-preserved
  • Editorial changes: privacy-approved local edits preserved; approved editorial title applied
  • Publication/version history: public archive edition v1

Conversation

Darren — 2025-09-24T21:21:19-07:00

Okay How do I get the functionality to share folders on my local area network from one Linux machine to another? And I don’t need to include SMB unless it’s absolutely necessary.

ChatGPT — 2025-09-24T21:21:20-07:00 · gpt-5-thinking

Short answer: use SFTP over GVFS so it mounts in Nautilus’ sidebar without SMB and without creating a local mount folder.

Easiest (no SMB, no local mount dir): GVFS SFTP

On the client (the machine you’re on):

# make sure the bits are present
sudo apt install -y openssh-client gvfs-backends gvfs-fuse

# ONE-LINER to attach the remote folder (adjust user/host/path)
gio mount "sftp:[PRIVATE CONTACT][HOME]/Shared"

# open it in Files (Nautilus) and it will appear in the sidebar
nautilus "sftp:[PRIVATE CONTACT][HOME]/Shared" &
  • Replace [USER]@[HOST] with your user/host or IP (e.g. darren@[LOCAL HOST]) and [HOME]/Shared with the folder you want.
  • To unmount:
    bash
    gio mount -u "sftp:[PRIVATE CONTACT][HOME]/Shared"
  • To pin it permanently in the sidebar: open it once in Nautilus, press Ctrl+D (Bookmark).
    CLI alternative:
    bash
    echo 'sftp:[PRIVATE CONTACT][HOME]/Shared Maindesk Shared' >> ~/.config/gtk-3.0/bookmarks

Requirements: SSH running on the server (sudo apt install -y openssh-server). That’s it—no SMB, no NFS mount points.

Fast LAN-native option (requires a local mount dir): NFS

If you want kernel-level speed and system-wide mount (this does require creating a local mount point):

Server (maindesk):

sudo apt install -y nfs-kernel-server
sudo mkdir -p /srv/share
sudo chown darren:darren /srv/share
echo '/srv/share [LOCAL HOST]/24(rw,sync,no_subtree_check)' | sudo tee -a /etc/exports
sudo exportfs -ra
# if using ufw:
sudo ufw allow from [LOCAL HOST]/24 to any port 2049 proto tcp

Client:

sudo apt install -y nfs-common
sudo mkdir -p /mnt/maindesk
sudo mount -t nfs maindesk:/srv/share /mnt/maindesk
# (optional) add to /etc/fstab for auto-mount:
# maindesk:/srv/share  /mnt/maindesk  nfs  defaults  0  0

Then bookmark /mnt/maindesk in Nautilus if you want it in the sidebar.

If you want exactly what you had “yesterday” with a single attach command and sidebar visibility, the gio mount sftp://… route is the one.

Darren — 2025-09-24T21:22:56-07:00

Okay, yeah, I can step through all of that, but I mean, come on, if Linux wants to be a replacement for Windows, is there no GUI in Linux where I can just right mouse click the folder I want to share and say, share this please? I mean, what is with all this added, gotta add in software and shit?

ChatGPT — 2025-09-24T21:22:57-07:00 · gpt-5-thinking

Totally fair ask. Yes—there is a right-click GUI in Ubuntu’s Files

Darren — 2025-09-24T21:25:30-07:00

Okay, let’s just stop this whole fiasco. So far, I’ve gotten six pages of instructions to do a simple fucking share a folder from one machine to another. Why is this so complicated? Okay, well, let’s just cut to the chase, all right? I’m on the machine on which I’d like to create this share. the machine name is maindesk and I would like to have the home folder system for my current user (which is me logged in now) available to the machine next to me…. what do I need to do…

ChatGPT — 2025-09-24T21:25:30-07:00 · gpt-5-thinking

Got it. Here’s the straightest path with zero SMB and almost no setup.

Do this on maindesk (the machine hosting your home)

# 1) Turn on SSH (this is the “share” for SFTP)
sudo apt install -y openssh-server

# 2) (Only if you use ufw) allow it through the firewall
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH

That’s it. Your entire home is now accessible over the LAN via SFTP.

Do this on the other Linux machine (the one next to you)

GUI-only (Nautilus / Files):
1) Open Files → Other Locations
2) In Connect to Server, enter:
sftp://<your-username>@[LOCAL HOST]
(replace with maindesk’s IP; you can try sftp://<user>@maindesk if hostname resolves)
3) Click Connect, enter your password.
4) It appears in the sidebar; press Ctrl+D to bookmark it so it stays there.

One-liner (no window dance, still shows in sidebar):

gio mount "sftp://<your-username>@[LOCAL HOST]"
nautilus "sftp://<your-username>@[LOCAL HOST]" &

Notes
– This gives you your home folder on maindesk, exactly as you asked—no SMB, no NFS, no local mount dir required.
– If hostname doesn’t work, stick with the IP.
– To disconnect: gio mount -u "sftp://<user>@[LOCAL HOST]".

If you want a truly kernel-level LAN share later (for VMs, Docker bind mounts, etc.), we can do NFS—but for “just let me open my home from the other box,” SFTP+GVFS is the cleanest.

Darren — 2025-09-24T21:26:56-07:00

Okay, the two YouTube videos I’m looking at still use SMB even though there’s no Windows involved. I thought SMB was developed just so you could talk to frickin Windows because that’s what it uses. What’s the best way to do this? SSH or SMB? I’m all confused.And two, why isn’t this just a straightforward right-click-share-this-folder scenario? I don’t get it.Is there a GUI piece of software I’m missing that will allow that functionality? Because I really don’t want to go through this every time I want to make a share. This is ridiculous.

ChatGPT — 2025-09-24T21:26:57-07:00 · gpt-5-thinking

You’re not crazy—there is a right-click “share this folder” in Ubuntu, but it rides on Samba (SMB). Even with no Windows around, that’s the GUI path GNOME/Nautilus supports.

If you want right-click sharing (GUI) → Use SMB

1) On maindesk (the host):

sudo apt install -y nautilus-share samba
nautilus -q  # restart Files so the menu appears

2) In Files, right-click the folder → Local Network Share
– Check Share this folder
– (Optional) Allow others to create and delete files
– (Optional) Guest access (if you want no login)
3) Create a Samba login (if not using guest):

sudo smbpasswd -a $USER

4) (If you use ufw) open the service:

sudo ufw allow Samba

5) On the other Linux box: Files → Other Locations → connect to:

smb://maindesk

(or smb://[LOCAL HOST]). Then Ctrl+D to bookmark so it stays in the sidebar.

Why SMB when there’s no Windows? Because Nautilus’ built-in “Local Network Share” GUI is implemented via Samba. It’s mature, browsable, and point-and-click.

If you want no SMB at all (fast + simple) → Use SSH/SFTP

This isn’t a right-click export, but it’s dead simple and persistent with a bookmark.

On maindesk:

sudo apt install -y openssh-server
# (optional if ufw) sudo ufw allow OpenSSH

On the other machine (GUI):
– Files → Other Locations → sftp://<your-user>@[LOCAL HOST] → Connect → Ctrl+D to bookmark.

CLI one-liner that also shows up in the sidebar:

gio mount "sftp://<your-user>@[LOCAL HOST]"
nautilus "sftp://<your-user>@[LOCAL HOST]" &

Which is “best”?

  • SMB (Samba): ✓ right-click GUI shares, ✓ guest access, ✓ easy for mixed networks; ✗ installs Samba.
  • SFTP over SSH: ✓ no extra server beyond SSH, ✓ secure, ✓ quick; ✗ no right-click “export,” you just bookmark the remote path.
  • NFS: ✓ fastest for Linux-only, ✓ kernel mount; ✗ not a simple GUI share, needs a mount point and a tiny config.

If your priority is “I want to right-click and be done”, go with the SMB/Nautilus-Share steps above. If your priority is “no SMB, minimal moving parts”, the SFTP bookmark is the cleanest.

Darren — 2025-09-24T21:30:01-07:00

Well, yeah, frankly, I want the right us-click-and-share. I still have a problem where I’m not getting that functionality for the entirety of the home directory, so that I get the entire spread of folders that are assigned to my user. How do I accomplish that?

ChatGPT — 2025-09-24T21:30:02-07:00 · gpt-5-thinking

You want GUI right-click sharing and to expose your entire home. The GNOME “Local Network Share” button won’t do that for $HOME (it blocks it for safety). The clean, one-time way is Samba’s built-in [homes] share. After this, your home shows up as a single share (e.g., smb://maindesk/darren) and you can just bookmark it—no more fiddling.

2-minute setup (on maindesk)

# Install Samba
sudo apt install -y samba

# Create a Samba password for your Linux user (replace darren if needed)
sudo smbpasswd -a darren

Append/enable the [homes] section:

sudo bash -lc 'cat >>/etc/samba/smb.conf << "EOF"

[homes]
   comment = Home directories
   browseable = yes
   read only = no
   valid users = %S
   create mask = 0644
   directory mask = 0755
EOF'

Apply and sanity-check:

sudo testparm -s
sudo systemctl restart smbd
# (if you use ufw)
sudo ufw allow Samba

Use it from the other Linux machine (GUI)

1) Open Files → Other Locations
2) In “Connect to Server”, enter:

smb://maindesk/darren

(or smb://[LOCAL HOST]/darren)
3) Log in with username: darren and the Samba password you just set.
4) Press Ctrl+D to bookmark it so it’s always in the sidebar.

Why this?

  • It’s the only “whole-home as one share” path GNOME supports cleanly.
  • It behaves like the right-click shares, but for your entire home (right-click GUI can only do individual folders).
  • No Windows needed; SMB is just the protocol Nautilus speaks for point-and-click shares.

If you ever want no SMB at all, your best bet is an SSH/SFTP bookmark (sftp://[USER]@[HOST])—but there isn’t a true “share my whole home” right-click for SFTP in Nautilus.