This post shows students and new users the steps to share a user’s public folder on Ubuntu with Windows 11 systems using Samba. Every Ubuntu user home directory has a public folder. The folder is called Public and it is not shared by default, however you can easily share this folder with other people on your local network.
When you share the Public folder, users who are directly connected to your local network will be able to browse and access it. While sharing it, you can also choose to share so that guests (people without a user account) can also access it.
To share with Windows systems, Samba must be installed. Samba is an open source implementation of the SMB / CIFS network file sharing protocol that enables users to access files, printers, and other shared resources.
This post can also be applied to other Linux folders that you want to share with Windows systems.
To start sharing the public folder in the Ubuntu user directory with Windows, please follow the steps below.
How to share folders on Ubuntu Linux
When you log into your Ubuntu desktop and explore File Explorer, you will find the Public folder in your home directory. All accounts on the Ubuntu system have one. The folder is there to share with other users, including Windows users.
If you are using Ubuntu Linux system and want to share the public folder in your home directory, just open File Explorer, then right-click on the public folder and select Local Network Sharing as highlighted below.