Enable Personal File Sharing in Ubuntu Linux

Personal file sharing in Ubuntu Linux lets you send files directly to other computers on your home network without using a USB drive. This built-in feature uses a special folder named Public to share items quickly with family or friends nearby.

You can turn on file sharing in just a few clicks through your Ubuntu settings. Once you set it up, you choose whether people need a password to open your shared files, which keeps your computer safer while you share. The steps below follow the GNOME desktop that Ubuntu uses by default. Menu names and layout can differ slightly between Ubuntu releases, so if a screen looks a little different from the screenshots, look for the same wording.

How to turn on or off personal file sharing in Ubuntu Linux

Ubuntu needs the gnome-user-share package before the File Sharing option can appear in Settings. Install it from the terminal, a text-based command interface.

1. Press Ctrl+Alt+T on your keyboard. A terminal window opens.
2. Run the commands shown below to install gnome-user-share.
3. If the terminal asks for your password, type it and press Enter. Nothing appears on screen while you type, which is normal.
4. Wait until the terminal returns to a new prompt. That means the installation has finished.

sudo apt install gnome-user-share

Ubuntu keeps its system configuration in a single control panel, the Settings app. You can reach it in two ways, and both lead to the same place.

The first way is the System menu. Click the System menu in the top-right corner of the desktop, which is where the network, volume and power icons sit. A small panel opens.

If you are not sure where to click, look at the top bar of your desktop. The System menu is the group of status icons at its right-hand end.

1. Click the System menu in the top-right corner of the top bar.
2. Check that a panel drops down with quick settings and a row of buttons.

1. In the System menu, select Settings. It is highlighted in the screenshot below.
2. Wait for the Settings⚙️ window to open. You should see a list of categories down the left side.

You can also press the Super (Windows) key, type Settings and open the app from the search results.

1. In the Settings⚙️ app, find the Sharing entry and click it. Depending on your release, it may be a tile or an item in the left sidebar.
2. Check that the Sharing panel opens, with a switch at the top.

If you cannot find Sharing, use the search icon in the Settings window and type Sharing.

The switch at the top of the Sharing panel is the master control. Nothing is shared while it is off.

1. Flip the top toggle switch to the On position.
2. Check that the options below it are no longer greyed out. They can now be changed.

This turns on the main sharing layer, so folders can be shared with other computers on the network.

When the switch is set to Off, sharing stays disabled and the options under it cannot be used. Switch it back to Off whenever you want to stop all sharing at once.

1. In Settings › Sharing, click File Sharing. It is highlighted in the screenshot below.
2. Check that a File Sharing window opens.

If File Sharing is missing from the list, the gnome-user-share package is probably not installed yet. Go back to the installation step. If the package is installed and the entry still does not show, log out and back in, or restart the computer, then open the panel again.

1. In the File Sharing window, flip the File Sharing switch to On.
2. Check that the switch now shows as on and that the options below it are active.

You do not need to restart the computer. The change takes effect straight away.

To undo this and disable the feature, open the same window and switch File Sharing back to Off. Your files stay where they are. They just stop being offered to the network.

With File Sharing on, other people on the same network can now try to connect to your computer and open the files in your Public folder. Only put in that folder what you are happy for them to see.

You can ask visitors for a password before they open the Public folder. This is a good idea on any network you share with more than a few people you know.

1. In the File Sharing window, find the Require Password option.
2. Switch Require Password to On.
3. Enter a password if the window asks you to set one, and keep it somewhere safe so you can give it to the people who need it.

To remove the password requirement later, switch Require Password back to Off.

That completes the setup. Copy a file into your Public folder, then try opening it from another computer on the same network to confirm that sharing works.

Once the gnome-user-share package is installed, managing network transfers takes only a few clicks. The main points are:

• Enabling or disabling file sharing in Ubuntu Linux is straightforward once the gnome-user-share package is installed.
• In the Settings app, the File Sharing switch allows or blocks access to the Public folder.
• The Require Password option adds a layer of protection for your shared files.
• This guide covers installing the package, turning File Sharing on and off, and setting a password, so you can manage sharing without a USB drive.