Shortcut to NAS folder

rahzan · April 8, 2026, 8:18pm

On Zorin 18.1:
I am a windows refugee and trying to create short-cut to commonly used folder in a NAS. I tried the DISK application to mount them as drives at start-up, but the DISK application does not show the NAS drive, only the pc's hard drive and the usb-drive that is attached.

The I tried making a .Desktop executable with the following content:

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Name=PLMbu_Main_Data
Exec=xdg-open smb://192.168.1.79/Public
Icon=Folder
terminal=false

"Allow launching" is on, and the Properties-executable is also on.
When the file is clicked, or Open from the context menu nothing happens.
The IP and the share-name (including casing) is correct.

Any hints on any method to get this done will be appreciated.

Nourpon · April 8, 2026, 8:35pm

You can read this, it will help you to mount your NAS drive on startup
https://linuxconfig.org/how-to-mount-a-samba-shared-directory-at-boot

rahzan · April 9, 2026, 4:14pm

Thank you very much.

I am completely new and the instructions given require editing a file (/etc/fstab) which I can't even access via the file manager. Even if I did I am very leery of destroying a second computer by messing its boot process. That's how I gave up Mint, bought a new pc and started on Zorin. The other laptop one is now a doorstop. It's not just me; see for example: https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxquestions/comments/tsckws/how_to_modify_etcfstab/

To access a folder within thousands on a NAS I have to drill down for 10-20 seconds each time. I have been held up for a day and a half on this. Why is creating a simple link to a folder so complicated? Is there any other way?

Nourpon · April 9, 2026, 4:54pm

there is none I know, if you follow the tutorial I sent with terminal you will be able to make it work, all the command ate pretty clear
1.. sudo apt install cifs-utils
2. sudo mkdir /mnt/nas
3. sudo nano /etc/fstab
add this at the end of fstab
//192.168.1.79/Public /mnt/nas cifs username=myusername,password=mypassword 0 0
save with CTRL+O
4. sudo mount -a

rahzan · April 13, 2026, 5:30pm

Thank you. I entered the sequence of commands:

sudo apt install cifs-utils
sudo mkdir /mnt/nas
sudo nano /etc/fstab
add this at the end of fstab
//192.168.1.79/Z_/Datafiles_Main /mnt/nas cifs username=rahzan,password=6321 0 0
save with CTRL+O then Ctrl+X to exit
sudo mount -a
systemctl daemon-reload

And the folder is now seen in the File manager. I went in and added a second folder with the same template as the first to the fstab file then the next two commands to mount and reload. The second folder is then also visible. However, on reboot I don't see the second folder! I entered the
sudo mount -a
but I get the errors presumably on each of the two folders:
ernesto@Bluey:~$ sudo mount -a
mount error(13): Permission denied
Refer to the mount.cifs(8) manual page (e.g. man mount.cifs) and kernel log messages (dmesg)
mount error(13): Permission denied
Refer to the mount.cifs(8) manual page (e.g. man mount.cifs) and kernel log messages (dmesg)

I'm afraid I don't know where to start with these errors.
As well, could this be the error that prevent the mount on reboot?

One last thing is (the mount error notwithstanding) if I enter:
systemctl daemon-reload
I can see both NAS folders

I will appreciate any hints to make this work on every reboot.

Nourpon · April 13, 2026, 5:39pm

could you show me the new line you add in fstab ?

rahzan · April 13, 2026, 6:01pm

Here is the full content of the file copuied from nano:
(Sorry! I don't know how the font got so big.)

/etc/fstab: static file system information.

Use 'blkid' to print the universally unique identifier for a

device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name devices

that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).

/ was on /dev/sda5 during installation

UUID=47f0a5a5-3f04-45b0-b773-258207f152df / ext4 errors=remoun>

/boot/efi was on /dev/sda1 during installation

UUID=DC9B-3EB0 /boot/efi vfat umask=0077 0 1
/swapfile none swap sw >
#[TSH]this line mounts NAS Datafile
//192.168.1.79/Z_ /mnt/nas cifs username=admin,password=5221 0 0
//192.168.1.79/Z2 /mnt/nas cifs username=admin,password=5221 0 0

Nourpon · April 13, 2026, 6:10pm

OK we gonna change that:

Create credentials file in terminal (copy the block and launch)

sudo tee /root/.smbcredentials > /dev/null <<EOF
username=admin
password=5221
EOF
sudo chmod 600 /root/.smbcredentials

sudo nano /etc/fstab
edit and replace the lines you added by:

//192.168.1.79/Z_ /mnt/nas cifs credentials=/root/.smbcredentials,iocharset=utf8,vers=3.0,uid=1000,gid=1000,sec=ntlmssp 0 0
//192.168.1.79/Z2 /mnt/nas cifs credentials=/root/.smbcredentials,iocharset=utf8,vers=3.0,uid=1000,gid=1000,sec=ntlmssp 0 0

rahzan · April 13, 2026, 6:32pm

Thanks.
I'm guessing that we pushed the credentials to a text file in the root folder and referred to it in the fstab.

1.I assume I should not type the "mount -a" and just reboot to see the effect?\

2.If the credentials change how can I access the file?

Nourpon · April 13, 2026, 7:12pm

yes
to edit file

sudo nano /root/.smbcredentials

rahzan · April 13, 2026, 7:31pm

Thanks!
I appreciate the time you are giving me.

Somehow the smbcredentials file is blank even-though I did enter it as you said:

I have not yer rebooted the pc.
Any ideas?

Nourpon · April 13, 2026, 7:37pm

copy the entire block and past it on terminal, not line by line

sudo tee /root/.smbcredentials > /dev/null <<EOF
username=admin
password=5221
EOF
sudo chmod 600 /root/.smbcredentials

watch you screenshot you have ">" on every lines

rahzan · April 13, 2026, 7:51pm

You said it; I didn't think and entered it line by line.
This time I pasted-in the lines as a block:

hit enter, then asked for the password and it gave no errors.

But nano still shows a blank file.

Sorry to be dense, but can one just type in the lines in the nano editor?

Nourpon · April 13, 2026, 7:57pm

I wrote

sudo nano /root/.smbcredentials

the file is in the root directory

rahzan · April 13, 2026, 8:57pm

My mistake.
The credentials are now visible in Nano editor.
I restarted the pc so now I wonder what I should see thast confirms the mount is working. I open the File manager and I do not see Z2 anywhere in there:

But I do see Z_ every time even before this thread started; I cannot remember how it got there!

However it is possible to reach Z2 by going through "+Other locations" and clicking on the credentials window. I then created a short-cut to Z2, but it probably won't stick after a reboot. Is this the correct behavior?

Nourpon · April 13, 2026, 9:23pm

they are mounted in the same directory, so yes this is the correct behavior, and for the shortcut it should stay. If you prefer 2 mounts point we can change that like this

sudo mkdir /mnt/Z_
sudo mkdir /mnt/Z2
sudo nano /etc/fstab
change fstab lines we added by this

//192.168.1.79/Z_ /mnt/Z_ cifs credentials=/root/.smbcredentials,iocharset=utf8,vers=3.0,uid=1000,gid=1000,sec=ntlmssp 0 0
//192.168.1.79/Z2 /mnt/Z2 cifs credentials=/root/.smbcredentials,iocharset=utf8,vers=3.0,uid=1000,gid=1000,sec=ntlmssp 0 0

sudo mount -a
reboot

rahzan · April 13, 2026, 10:36pm

Much obliged.
One last question in case I will do this again on a new unit.
How do I copy and paste the "block" that created the credentials file?
I am not sure what it copied from the screen here that was worked as

Is it simply copy (Ctrl-C) all the lines with regular (enter) key at the end of each line in a text, then paste (Ctrl-V) the whole string in the Terminal?

Nourpon · April 13, 2026, 10:41pm

the credential file is already created you don't need to make it again and if you want to copy the block go the the little squares on the right it will copy it, and after just paste in terminal with the right click mouse an paste

rahzan · April 13, 2026, 10:46pm

Thanks. I did use those little squares to copy. However, I since I don't know if that icon did something special to copy, I am asking for the next computer setup when easy access to this thread may not exist, where I will have to use the string from my notes.