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Samba Access

Samba is a Linux server that provides remote filesystem access using SMB/CIFS protocol and is most commonly used by UFRC clients for drive mapping to HiPerGator filesystems from their Microsoft Windows, MacOS, and Linux desktops.

Notice

Samba access is only available while on the University of Florida network. You must be on campus or connected to the UF VPN to mount HiPerGator filesystems as network drive shares.

The network drive server name for /blue and /orange is exasmb.rc.ufl.edu

The network drive server name for /home is cifs.rc.ufl.edu.

Mapping Drive Shares

Note: for automatically mounted filesystem paths like /blue/group or /orange/project use the full path when mounting a samba share to initiate the automounting. e.g. on Windows type the full path into the Windows Explorer Path bar - \\exasmb.rc.ufl.edu\blue\mygroup\mydir.

If you are logged into a managed device with UFAD credentials enter the following into the search field in the Start Menu or the Windows Explorer location bar and browse the available folders.

  • \\exasmb.rc.ufl.edu

  • For /home, the server name is \\cifs.rc.ufl.edu. You cannot browse the home area. You MUST enter the full path to your home share: \\cifs.rc.ufl.edu\home\<username>

If you are not logged with UFAD credentials i.e. are using a local Windows account or some such a login box will appear for a username and password. Enter your UFAD credentials to be connected to the system. Precede your username with "UFAD\".

  • For example, user "jsmith" would enter UFAD\jsmith

Note: If contents of the Samba folders change after the connection is established, you may need to click on the refresh button in Windows Explorer or press 'F5' to see the changes.

Note

Check out the Check out the How-To Video: SSH from Windows

  1. Bring the Finder to the front
  2. Select "Connect to Server..." from the "Go" menu or press Command+K
  3. Enter
  4. Click "+" button to add to favorites (optional)
  5. Connect (use GatorLink user name and password)

Warning

There is a known issue with the CIFS client in Mac Finder. The Finder software in current version of MacOS does not have a refresh button to update contents for any changes after the connection is established and disconnecting/reconnecting does not refresh CIFS contents either. A manual solution to force refreshing in Mac Finder can be found on the web 1, 2.

Note

Check out the How-To Video: octicons-terminal-16: SSH from MacOS

GNOME Desktop

Click on a "Places" Menu at the top-left corner of the screen. Select the "Connect to Server..." option to open a dialog where you can select the service type, server, etc. Fill out the dialog as shown below:

  1. Service type: Windows Share
  2. Server: exasmb.rc.ufl.edu
  3. Share: blue for /blue, homes for /home, or orange for /orange filesystem
  4. Domain: UFAD
  5. Username: your Gatorlink user name
  6. Password: your Gatorlink password

Command Line

To mount from the Linux shell prompt, install the cifs-utils package (yum or apt-get) and run

sudo mount -t cifs -v -o user=<Username>,domain=ufad,sec=ntlmssp <remote share>/<group> <local mount>

where <Username> is your GatorLink username, <remote share> is the remote folder you wish to mount, <group> is the group directory you wish to access, and <local mount> is the local directory on which to mount the remote share (i.e. directory). For '/home', <remote share> will be //cifs.rc.ufl.edu/home.

You will be asked to enter your Gatorlink password.

If the SMB dialect 3.0 does not work with an older Linux system please try vers=2.1.

Examples

  • /blue

    mount -t cifs -v -o user=joe.smith,domain=ufad,sec=ntlmssp,vers=3.0 //exasmb.rc.ufl.edu/blue/smith /mnt/blue/smith

  • /orange

    mount -t cifs -v -o user=joe.smith,domain=ufad,sec=ntlmssp,vers=3.0 //exasmb.rc.ufl.edu/orange/smith /mnt/orange/smith

  • /home

    mount -t cifs -v -o user=joe.smith,domain=ufad,sec=ntlmssp,vers=3.0 //cifs.rc.ufl.edu/home/jsmith /mnt/home