What is the difference between a Samba share and the Nautilus share method?

Solution 1:

Ubuntu requires the Samba server to be able to share files using network protocol called Server Message Block (SMB) that's where the name "Samba" came from. Thus, any Ubuntu apps that runs on top of Ubuntu including Nautilus requires the Samba server daemon installed to serve files over the network.

Additional info at https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Samba

Hope this helps.

Eduardo B.

Solution 2:

Nautilus just provides a simple front-end to creating a share with Samba. It is Samba that actually does the job. Therefore is you require a more fine-grained control over sharing use manual configuration instead. You may find the below and related docs useful: http://www.samba.org/samba/docs/man/Samba-Guide/index.html

There are also other protocols available, that allow to share files from Linux machine, like NFS (Network File System). However to mount this kind of shares under Windows you'll have to install 'Client For NFS' on those boxes.