Currently the user has to install/configure kdenetwork-filesharing, samba, smb.conf in order to share files/folders to other devices through the internet.
Why is that? Is there an explanation to why users can’t just Right-Click a folder, go to Properties → Sharing and just make it work out of the box?
I’m using Arch, is this a thing exclusive of this distro? If so, then I guess it makes sense.
Arch is not expected to have all features enabled OOTB - that would be regarded as bloat to people who do not wish to enable the many features available which they have no intention of using.
This also applies to Manjaro - we don’t have Samba set up by default, something I haven’t actually noticed in 7 years of using it.
A quick search reveals that upon install, it’s working already with:
These are more ‘convenience’ orientated distributions which will include more bloat in order to make it more straightforward to set up and manage the installation.
KDE Neon, being a KDE showroom, also doesn’t have Samba pre-configured, neither does Kubuntu.
Also, there are quite a few other ways to approach the topic of sharing files - depending on the various devices and/or operating systems… setting up folder shares is one of many solutions.
For my Android phone I looked at KDE Connect, syncthing, LANdrop, and LocalSend too.
It’s good to know that the most popular distros have it all set.
However, why this couldn’t be done with a single package?
Check again - I mentioned UBUNTU SERVER - not UBUNTU. Also, your sentence ‘in order to share files/folders to other devices through the internet’ is rather vague and extremely simplistic.
Actually I edited the statement, they are not so much ‘convenience’ or ‘noob’ oriented, they are actually ‘server’ oriented distributions - not ‘regular desktop’ use.
You can easily set up a website and upload your files, then I can find that website in Google and download your stuff, right?
How about a Lamp server, or Apache? Why Samba? why not FTP?
Even simpler - an HTTP server that can be accessed via browser?
You need to look into the XYZ problem - this is a classic example. There is absolutely NOTHING stopping you or anyone else from creating a single application to do what you want.
Also, there’s a ton of Free and Open Source alternatives - we’re not going to stop you or anyone else creating a new one to suit their own needs…
Oh, and lets not forget EVIL options:
Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, WeTransfer, pCloud, AirDroid, SHAREit…
I have an application on my phone which, when I start it up, starts up it’s own LAMP server ready to share things securely - I can use that when I visit someone and I want to share some files to their phone or computer or for them to allow me to access theirs - it fires up (enter a code to connect) and gives open access until the application is closed.
That means the folders aren’t permanently shared - which I prefer.
I think everyone is tired of Linux Distros shipping with basic things like Filesharing being broken out of the box. For 20 years I’ve been saying Samba is a steaming pile of … because it never works out of the box. If you can get it work even in just one direction from one machine between a Linux and Windows computer, you make sacrifices to the gods.