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File Sharing Protocol

File sharing protocols allow you to share files stored on your Bianbu NAS with other devices on the same local network — this is one of the core features of any NAS product. These protocols typically run as systemd services on the system, so they’re often referred to as file-sharing services.

In this section, we’ll use SMB as an example to walk through the file-sharing setup process. Other protocols can be configured in a similar way.

Tip: Bianbu OS comes with Openmediavault pre-installed, offering full NAS functionality. This guide gives a simplified overview. For more advanced settings, check out the Openmediavault official site.

Server-Side Setup​

Set the Hostname​

For SMB to work properly, the hostname must be 15 characters or fewer. It’s a good idea to give your NAS a short and memorable name. This step isn’t required for other file-sharing services.

Note: Changing the hostname may cause the system to request a new IP address via DHCP. If your web interface becomes unreachable afterward, double-check the new IP and log in again.

Steps:

  1. Log in to the Openmediavault web interface.
  2. Go to Network → General, enter the new hostname, and click Save. smb1
  3. A yellow banner will appear at the top with a pending change notice. Click the ✔ icon to apply the changes. smb2

Mount Mount a Drive​

To share storage, you first need to mount a physical hard drive or SSD to the system. If the target partition is unformatted, format it first (Warning: formatting will erase all data).

Steps:

  • Go to Storage → File Systems, select the target disk:

    • Click mount to mount an existing file system.
    • Click Create + mount to create and mount a new file system (only if formatting is needed). smb3

Create a Shared Folder​

After mounting a drive, you need to create a shared folder. This helps manage permissions and keep data organized.

Steps:

  • Go to Storage → Shared Folders, then click Create + mount to create a new folder. Set the name, select the drive, and define access permissions. Example: create a folder called smb-share smb4 smb4

Set Up the SMB Service​

Steps:

  1. Enable SMB and configure global settings: Go to Services → SMB/CIFS → Settings, fill in the workgroup name, protocol version, etc. → Click Save → Apply the changes.

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  1. Publish the shared folder: Go to Services → SMB/CIFS → Shares, select smb-share → Click Save → Apply the changes.

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Set User Permissions​

Make sure remote users have permission to access the shared folder. Here's how to create a user bianbu with the same password.

Steps:

  1. Create a user: Go to Users → Users, then click Create + mount to add a new user. For example, you can create a user named bianbu with the username and password both set to bianbu.

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  1. Set folder permissions: Click any user in the list, then "Permissions" permission to assign the user permissions for the shared folder.

permission grant

For example, grant the bianbu user read and write access to the smb-share folder.

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Client Connection​

This section outlines how to connect different clients to the SMB service. The setup assumes the following:

  • Server IP: HOST_IP
  • Shared folder: smb-share
  • Username: bianbu
  • Password: bianbu

Windows File Explorer​

  1. Open “This PC” → Click Computer tab → Map network drive Mapping

  2. Enter the path:

    \\HOST_IP\smb-share

Linux Nautilus File Manager​

Open Nautilus, then select "Other Locations" and enter the shared folder address:

smb://HOST_IP/smb-share

Linux CLI​

Mount via command line:

mount.cifs //{HOST_IP}/smb-share /your_mount_path -o user=bianbu,password=bianbu