Ubuntu
samba package

Setting up file sharing in a Ubuntu/Windows dual-boot environment

Asked by Telos

I'm migrating to Ubuntu from Windows. I bought a pc with Win 7 and used the Ubuntu Windows Installer to set up a dual boot environment. In installing my old data files on the new machine, I'd ideally like a single set of data files to be accessed by both operating systems, so, for example, I can work on a document in OpenOffice and then in Microsoft Office (which I may need to do on occasion to address formatting issues), but it remains the same single file and I don't have version control problems.

I've installed ntfs config; it shows two directories, which I assume are the C and D directories set up by windows. (C seems to have mount point /host and D is /media/DATA.) How do I access those directories from Ubuntu?

I've also installed samba, but couldn't figure out what do to in the "Add Share" dialogue box.

Do I need both of these approaches, or are they redundant?

And then, of course, I need to know what to do on the Windows side.

Many thanks!

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Best freedomrun (freedomrun) said : 		#1

It is very simple.
Samba is for network sharing so for this case you don`t need it.
Installing ntfs config souldn`t be necessary either.

In Ubuntu just open Nautilus (file browser) by clicking on home or computer icon on your desktop. On the left side of Nautilus window there should be "Places" list and "Devices" list. In "Devices" list there should be Filesystem (that is your ubuntu`s partition) and something like for example 52 GB Filesystem (this depends on how big your Windows partition is.) - click on this one and Nautilus should mount it, and on the right side of Nautilus window you should see all the folders of Windows partition.

If you wan`t to share and work with your Documents without creating a special folder as it is unnecessary, just go to your /Users/"YourUserName"/Documents on Windows partition an that is it. There are all your documents from Windows. There you could open document with OpenOffice - edit it and save it (yes at the same place).

While you have contents of Documents listed in right Nautilus window you can create shortcut for a faster access by clicking at main toolbar -> Bookmarks->Add Bookmark it will then showup at your left side in Nautilus under the places (this is also accessible from Gnome Places Menu). There you could right click on it and rename it at something like "win Documents" (don`t worry on the left side it is just a bookmark so you won`t rename windows folder for real).

On the Windows side everything works as usual in windows.

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Telos (bwbloch) said : 		#2

Thank you for your response. On the right side of Nautilus there are two icons: File System and 500GB Hard Disk: DATA. When I click on the latter, I get three folders: HWDrivers, $RECYCLE.BIN and System Volume Information. Now what? (By the way, I haven't yet loaded by backed-up data onto windows, but I assume there should still be the /Users/"YourUserName"/Documents folder somewhere......)

Thanks!

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Telos (bwbloch) said : 		#3

Thanks nafterburner, that solved my question.

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Yuzdi N. Badhniwalla (yuzdib) said : 		#4

I have am facing the same problem - however I dont find " /Users/"YourUserName"/Documents " in the said folder. Searching the folder didnt show any results either.

Pls help.