Fedora Linux has become one of my go-to Linux distribution suggestions for users of all types and skill levels. Not only is it very easy to use, but it is also reliable, secure, and offers quite a stylish desktop.
One thing I appreciate about Fedora is how easy it makes sharing folders over a network. This is very useful whether you’re in a business or home network, as you can share files with co-workers or family, without having to send them email or set up an FTP server on your network.
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Now, the work that went into simplifying this process comes not only from the Fedora team, but also from those who have worked hard to make the GNOME desktop as easy to use and as robust as it is. In the end, what matters is that sharing files and folders with those on your network couldn’t be easier.
Let me show you how it’s done.
How to enable sharing of your public folder
What you will need: All you will need is a running instance of Fedora. I suggest you use an updated version (like the next release of Fedora 38).
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That’s all you need. Let’s do our best Jean Luc Picard and do it like this.
The first thing is to log in to your Fedora desktop and open the file manager application (called Files).
In your home directory, you will see a folder called Public. Double click on that folder and you should see a blue bar at the top with a Sharing Settings button. Click on that button.
This blue bar and button only appear in the Public folder.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
The next thing you need to do is enable sharing. You will see an ON/OFF switch in the upper right corner. Click to enable Sharing.
Be sure to change the device name to suit your needs.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Next, you’ll want to change the name of the device. By default, the name will be a long string of characters (which is your computer’s hostname).
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Click the pencil icon associated with that name, type the new name for the device, and press Enter on your keyboard.
Click the File Sharing entry, and in the resulting pop-up window, click the ON/OFF slider until it is in the ON position. Next, enable Require password and type a password that will be used to access the shared folder. Finally, click the ON/OFF slider for the chosen network until it is in the ON position.
You will need to create a strong and unique password for the public folder.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Close the File Sharing popup, and then close the Settings app.
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You should now be able to see the Fedora public folder on your network. If it doesn’t, you may need to log out of Fedora and log back in (especially if you changed the device name). Click on the entry and you will be prompted for the password you created during the share setup.
Fedora’s Public folder is easy to discern.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
That’s all there is to it to enable file sharing on Fedora Linux. This might be the easiest and most reliable network share you’ll ever use.
