How to Mount Windows 11 Shares on Ubuntu Linux

Enable Network Discovery in 🪟 Windows 11

To let your Ubuntu computer see your Windows 11 PC for sharing files, you need to turn on Network Discovery in Windows settings.

To get to System Settings, use the Windows key + I shortcut or click Start ==> Settings.

In Windows Settings, click Network & Internet, then select Ethernet.

Under Network profile type, choose Private. This allows devices on your network to see your computer.

Turn on Public Folder Sharing in 🪟 Windows 11

Sharing files and folders from your Windows 11 PC to Ubuntu requires turning on file and printer sharing in the Network and Sharing Center.

Select Network and Internet.

Select Network and Sharing Center.

Select Change advanced sharing settings.

Under Private, select Turn on file and printer sharing.

Note: You may need administrator privileges to change these settings. You can also run these commands in an administrator Command Prompt:

netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="File and Printer Sharing" new enable=Yes
netsh advfirewall firewall set rule group="Network Discovery" new enable=Yes

How to mount Windows shares on Ubuntu Linux

Mounting Windows shares on Ubuntu Linux is simple once you install the cifs-utils tool and use the correct mount command.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install cifs-utils

Create a folder to act as your mount point:

sudo mkdir /mnt/Windows_Share

Mount the share using the mount command:

sudo mount -t cifs -o username=<Windows_UserName> //WindowsPC_IP/<ShareName> /mnt/Windows_Share

Let’s break down what those terms mean:

• -t cifs: Tells Ubuntu to use the CIFS/SMB protocol.
• username: Your Windows login name.
• //192.168.1.5/ShareName: The network path to your Windows folder.
• /mnt/Windows_Share: The folder on Ubuntu where files will appear.

Advanced Mount Options and Security

For better security when you mount Windows shares on Ubuntu, use a credentials file instead of typing your password directly in the terminal.

nano /home/user/.smbcredentials

Add these lines to the file:

username=generic_user
password=your_password
domain=WORKGROUP

Protect the file so only you can read it:

sudo chown root: /etc/credentials
sudo chmod 600 /etc/credentials

Use this command to mount using the file:

sudo mount -t cifs -o credentials=/etc/credentials //WindowsPC_IP/<ShareName> /mnt/Windows_Share

How to auto-mount with /etc/fstab

You can make your Windows share automatically mount every time your Ubuntu computer starts by adding a specific line to the /etc/fstab file.

sudo nano /etc/fstab

Add this line to the bottom of the file:

//WindowsPC_IP/ShareName  /mnt/Widows_Share  cifs  credentials=/etc/credentials,file_mode=0755,dir_mode=0755 0   0

The _netdev option ensures the system waits for the network to be active before trying to mount the share.

Summary Table

Summary

Mounting Windows shares on Ubuntu allows for easy file sharing. By enabling Network Discovery on Windows and using the cifs-utils package on Ubuntu, you can connect systems securely. Use the /etc/fstab file for permanent access, and always use a credentials file to keep your passwords safe.