A USB disk can appear in ZimaOS Files without the entire mounted filesystem being exposed as a Samba share. The solved community workaround was to navigate to the real mount point, then share the directory that represents the USB drive.
The Solved Files Workflow
- Open the USB drive in the ZimaOS Files app.
- Change the breadcrumb path to
/. - Navigate into the mounted-media location and identify the directory that corresponds to the USB drive.
- Right-click that directory and enable sharing.
Why This Shares More Than a Normal Folder
The Linux Linux mount behavior explains that mounted filesystems become accessible through a directory in the host filesystem. Sharing that mount-point directory therefore exposes the mounted drive below it rather than only one child folder.
Samba's Samba share configuration uses a filesystem path as the basis of a share. The community method works because ZimaOS ultimately shares the directory where the USB filesystem is mounted.
Current ZimaOS Sharing Context
The NAS file sharing basics explains the current Samba share workflow and client access, while the authenticated SMB access covers authenticated member access when you do not want an unrestricted guest share. For external-disk application mappings, the external drive mount workflow shows why the host mount point also matters to containers.
What Changes When the USB Drive Is Reconnected
Do not assume every removable disk will always return under the same temporary device name. Before relying on the share after a disconnect, verify that the filesystem is mounted and that the share still points to the intended mount directory.
Bottom Line
The original thread was solved by sharing the USB drive's underlying mount-point directory rather than looking for a separate “share whole disk” button. The method is useful, but access permissions still need to be configured like any other Samba share.
