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Linux connects to Samba and Windows file shares through the kernel’s cifs client and the mount.cifs helper. The helper is provided by the cifs-utils package.
This guide covers a temporary mount, secure credential storage, a persistent /etc/fstab mount, local ownership options, SMB protocol selection, and the errors that most often stop a mount from working. The examples use //server/share as the remote share and /mnt/share as the local directory.
1. Install the CIFS tools
Install cifs-utils before trying to mount the share. You normally also need root privileges, supplied with sudo.
# Debian, Ubuntu, Linux Mint
sudo apt update
sudo apt install cifs-utils
# Fedora, RHEL, CentOS Stream
sudo dnf install cifs-utils
# Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S cifs-utilsThe kernel must support the cifs filesystem. Most current general-purpose Linux distributions include that support. Confirm that the helper is available:
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command -v mount.cifs
mount.cifs --version2. Create a local mount point
The local directory must exist before you mount the share:
sudo mkdir -p /mnt/shareYou can choose another directory, such as /media/windowsshare or /srv/files. Do not mount over a directory that already contains files you need to access; the underlying files will be hidden until the share is unmounted.
3. Mount the share temporarily
For an authenticated share, use username= and let mount.cifs prompt for the password:
sudo mount -t cifs -o username=alice //server/share /mnt/shareThe prompt normally looks like this:
Password for alice@//server/share:The generic mount form and the dedicated helper are equivalent:
sudo mount -t cifs //server/share /mnt/share -o username=alice
# Equivalent form
sudo mount.cifs //server/share /mnt/share -o username=aliceUse the server’s hostname or IP address, the exact exported share name, and a local directory that exists. Avoid putting password=... directly in the command: it can remain in shell history and may be visible through process inspection.
Using a Windows domain or workgroup
Specify the domain separately rather than embedding it in the username:
sudo mount -t cifs
-o username=alice,domain=SALES
//server/share /mnt/sharedomain=, dom=, and workgroup= are aliases. A Windows-style identity such as SALESsally means user sally in the SALES domain, so the Linux mount options should be username=sally,domain=SALES.
Mounting a guest share
If the Samba server explicitly permits unauthenticated guest access, use:
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sudo mount -t cifs -o guest //server/share /mnt/shareguest suppresses the password prompt. It does not bypass the server’s access policy; a server that disallows guest access will still reject the mount.
4. Check that the mount worked
List the mounted files:
ls -l /mnt/shareThen inspect the active mount and negotiated options:
mountLook for an entry similar to:
//server/share on /mnt/share type cifs (...)When finished with a temporary mount, unmount it with:
sudo umount /mnt/shareA command-line mount is not automatically restored after a reboot. Use an /etc/fstab entry if the share should be available persistently.
5. Store credentials in a protected file
A credentials file is safer than putting a password in /etc/fstab or on a command line. Create one readable only by root:
sudo sh -c 'umask 077; cat > /root/smb.cred <<EOF
username=alice
password=secret
domain=SALES
EOF'
sudo chmod 600 /root/smb.credFor a real system, replace the sample values. The file format is strict: do not put spaces around the equals sign.
# Correct
username=alice
password=secret
# Incorrect
password = secretThe optional domain= line can be omitted for a local Samba account. The format also supports password2=, which can be useful during password rotation.
Mount with the file instead of exposing the password in the command:
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sudo mount -t cifs
-o credentials=/root/smb.cred
//server/share /mnt/shareA password containing a comma is another reason to use a credentials file. CIFS mount options are comma-separated, so a comma supplied directly in password=... can be parsed as an option separator.
6. Make the mount persistent with /etc/fstab
Ensure the mount point and credentials file exist, then edit the filesystem table:
sudo mkdir -p /mnt/share
sudo editor /etc/fstabAdd this line:
//server/share /mnt/share cifs credentials=/root/smb.cred 0 0Test the entry without rebooting:
sudo mount /mnt/share
ls -l /mnt/share
mount | grep ' /mnt/share 'When mount receives only the mount point, it finds the matching entry in /etc/fstab. If the test fails, fix the entry before rebooting.
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Guest share in /etc/fstab
For a guest share, the entry can look like this:
//servername/sharename /media/windowsshare cifs guest,uid=1000 0 0The uid=1000 option makes UID 1000 appear to own the files when the server does not provide Linux ownership information. Use the correct local UID for the user who needs access.
Share names containing spaces
Escape spaces in the remote path as 40 in /etc/fstab:
//server/My 40Documents /mnt/share cifs guest 0 0Avoid boot delays when the server may be offline
A network share can be unavailable while the machine is booting. If it should be mounted manually instead, add noauto:
//server/share /mnt/share cifs noauto,credentials=/root/smb.cred 0 0Then mount it when needed:
sudo mount /mnt/share7. Set local ownership and displayed permissions
CIFS may not receive Unix ownership information from the server. In that case, files can appear to be owned by root unless you specify local ownership options:
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-o credentials=/root/smb.cred,uid=1000,gid=1000,
file_mode=0660,dir_mode=0770
//server/share /mnt/shareYou can use a username and group name instead of numeric IDs when supported:
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sudo mount -t cifs
-o credentials=/root/smb.cred,uid=alice,gid=users
//server/share /mnt/share| Option | Effect |
|---|---|
uid= |
Local owner displayed for files and directories when server Unix ownership is unavailable. |
gid= |
Local group displayed under the same conditions. |
file_mode=0660 |
Displayed mode for files. |
dir_mode=0770 |
Displayed mode for directories. |
These options affect the Linux view of the mount. They do not override Samba share permissions, Windows ACLs, or the privileges of the SMB account in the credentials file. By default, one set of SMB credentials is used for access to the mounted share, so mounting as Alice does not make each local Linux user authenticate independently.
8. Use separate SMB credentials for different Linux users
For a multi-user mount, use multiuser with a non-interactive security mechanism such as sec=ntlmssp or sec=krb5. For example:
//server/share /mnt/share cifs multiuser,sec=ntlmssp,credentials=/root/smb.cred 0 0Each user can add their server credentials to the kernel keyring:
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9. Choose an SMB protocol version only when necessary
Normally omit vers= and allow the client and server to negotiate a compatible dialect. Current CIFS clients do not request SMB1 by default, and SMB 2.1 or later is preferred.
Supported values commonly include:
vers=1.0
vers=2.0
vers=2.1
vers=3.0
vers=3.1.1Only force a version when negotiation with a particular server requires it. For example:
sudo mount -t cifs -o vers=3.0,credentials=/root/smb.cred
//server/share /mnt/shareSMB1 is substantially less secure and should not be the default troubleshooting step. Use it only for a confirmed legacy device or a known CIFS UNIX-extensions requirement:
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sudo mount -t cifs -o vers=1.0,username=alice
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sudo mount -t cifs
-o vers=3.0,seal,credentials=/root/smb.cred
//server/share /mnt/shareseal requires SMB 3.0 or later. Avoid insecure sec=ntlm; when NTLMv2 is required, sec=ntlmssp is the safer normal choice. sec=ntlmsspi additionally forces packet signing.
Common mount failures
| Error or symptom | What to check |
|---|---|
mount error(13): Permission denied |
Check the username, password, domain or workgroup, server-side share permissions, and credentials-file formatting. In particular, remove spaces around =. |
No such device or protocol negotiation failure |
The forced vers= value may not be supported by the server or client. First omit vers=; then try a confirmed compatible version such as 3.0 or 2.1. |
| Files appear owned by root | Add appropriate uid=, gid=, file_mode=, and dir_mode= options when server Unix ownership is unavailable. |
| Mount works manually but boot is slow or fails | The server was unavailable during boot. Use noauto if the share should be mounted on demand, or otherwise configure boot handling for network availability. |
| Guest mount prompts for a password or is denied | The server does not permit guest access. The guest option prevents prompting but cannot grant unauthorized access. |
Do not automatically solve authentication problems by forcing vers=1.0 or an old sec= value. Check the account and server policy first, then select a protocol version only if the server’s requirements are known.
Use current CIFS syntax
Use mount -t cifs or mount.cifs. Do not use the obsolete smbmount command. Also avoid deprecated credential forms such as user%password, workgroup/user, or workgroup/user%password. Use separate username=, password=, and domain= options, or preferably credentials=.
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FAQ
What command mounts a Samba share in Linux?
Create a local directory and use the CIFS filesystem type: sudo mkdir -p /mnt/share, followed by sudo mount -t cifs -o username=alice //server/share /mnt/share. You will be prompted for Alice’s password.
How do I mount a Samba share automatically at boot?
Put the share in /etc/fstab, preferably using a protected credentials file: //server/share /mnt/share cifs credentials=/root/smb.cred 0 0. Test it with sudo mount /mnt/share before rebooting.
Why does my CIFS mount say permission denied?
The server rejected authentication or authorization. Check the username, password, domain, server-side share permissions, and the exact credentials-file syntax. Lines must use forms such as password=secret, without spaces around the equals sign.
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Usually no. Omit vers= first and allow negotiation, or use SMB 2.1 or later when the server requires a specific dialect. SMB1 is less secure and should be limited to confirmed legacy requirements.
How do I stop a mounted Samba share?
Run sudo umount /mnt/share. If the mount is busy, close shells and applications currently using the directory, then retry.
The Bottom Line
For a one-time mount, use mount -t cifs with an interactive password prompt. For regular use, store the account in a root-only credentials file and reference it from /etc/fstab. Start with negotiated SMB settings, use uid= and gid= only to control the local view, and reserve SMB1 for genuinely legacy servers.
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