The strongest principle in this thread is that remote collaborators should not receive the administrator account. ZimaOS supports separate member accounts and folder-level permissions, so access can be scoped to the files each person actually needs.
Multi-User Samba and Remote Sharing Solve Different Problems
The current ZimaOS multi-user Samba documents ZimaOS member creation plus read or read/write permissions for Samba shares. That is the right permission model for recurring access to shared folders.
The NAS file sharing basics explains the current NAS sharing flow, while Zima Client overview provides the remote-connectivity layer when the user is not on the same LAN.
Share via Link Is Better for One-Off File Delivery
The current ZimaOS Share via Link describes ZimaOS Share via Link as a WebTorrent-based file-transfer option. It is a different model from giving someone a persistent member account and folder permissions.
Use a member account when the person needs recurring access to a directory. Use a share link when the goal is to send a specific file without giving broader NAS access.
Do Not Expose the Admin Interface Directly Just to Share Files
The original poster had forwarded ports and was entering ZimaOS remotely as administrator. That works around the sharing problem by exposing a much more powerful interface than collaborators need. Prefer the current Zima device connectivity remote-access path or a scoped sharing method instead of publishing the management interface solely for file exchange.
Version Context Matters
The original poster was on ZimaOS 1.4.3 and did not see the newer member UI shown by support. After upgrading, they reported that it worked. If your settings screen differs substantially from current documentation, update the OS before assuming the feature is missing.
Bottom Line
For ongoing collaboration, create separate ZimaOS members and assign only the required folders and permissions. For one-off delivery, Share via Link can avoid creating a full account. Do not share the administrator login or expose the admin panel simply to give someone access to files.
