# 🏠💾 How to Turn a Raspberry Pi 4 into a NAS with Raspberry Pi OS & Samba

If you’ve got a Raspberry Pi 4 lying around, you can easily turn it into a **Network-Attached Storage (NAS)** device to share files across your network. This guide will show you how to set up **Samba** on **Raspberry Pi OS** to create a simple and efficient NAS solution. 🚀🔧

---

## 🛠️ **What You’ll Need**

* **Raspberry Pi 4** (or newer)
    
* **Raspberry Pi OS (Bookworm recommended)**
    
* **An external USB storage device** (HDD or SSD)
    
* **Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi connection**
    
* **SSH access or a monitor and keyboard**
    

---

## 1️⃣ **Prepare Your Raspberry Pi**

### ✨ **Update Raspberry Pi OS**

Before starting, update your system to the latest version:

```plaintext
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
```

### 📂 **Attach and Mount Your Storage**

If you're using an **external USB drive**, check if it's recognized:

```plaintext
lsblk
```

Check if your drive appears:

```plaintext
NAME        MAJ:MIN RM  SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINTS
sda           8:0    0  7.3T  0 disk
├─sda1        8:1    0  200M  0 part
└─sda2        8:2    0  7.3T  0 part /media/amastelek/G
sdb           8:16   0  1.8T  0 disk
└─sdb1        8:17   0  1.8T  0 part /media/amastelek/amastelek
mmcblk0     179:0    0 29.7G  0 disk
├─mmcblk0p1 179:1    0  512M  0 part /boot/firmware
└─mmcblk0p2 179:2    0 29.2G  0 part /
```

🔹 A 2 & 8 TB drives are attached and mounted!

---

## 2️⃣ **Install and Configure Samba**

Samba is an open-source software that allows Windows, macOS, and Linux devices to share files.

### 🔹 **Install Samba**

```plaintext
sudo apt install samba -y
```

### 📝 **Edit Samba Configuration**

Open the Samba config file:

```plaintext
sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf
```

Add this to the bottom:

```plaintext
[Pi-SMALL]
   path = /media/amastelek/amastelek
   writeable = yes
   create mask = 0777
   directory mask = 0777
   public = yes
   valid users = amastelek, ronald, megs, ray
   guest ok = yes
   force user = amastelek

[Pi-LARGE]
   path = /media/amastelek/G
   writeable = yes
   create mask = 0777
   directory mask = 0777
   public = yes
   valid users = amastelek, ronald, megs, ray
   guest ok = yes
   force user = amastelek
```

📌 **Save and exit** (`CTRL+X`, then `Y`, then `Enter`).

---

## 3️⃣ **Enable and Restart Samba**

```plaintext
sudo systemctl restart smbd
sudo systemctl enable smbd
```

---

## 4️⃣ **Access Your NAS**

### 💻 **From Windows**

1. Open **File Explorer**
    
2. In the address bar, type:
    
    ```plaintext
    \\34DiasMedia\
    ```
    
    *(Use the Pi’s IP if the hostname doesn’t work:* `\\<Pi-IP>\`)
    

### 🍏 **From macOS**

1. Open **Finder**
    
2. Press `Cmd + K` and enter:
    
    ```plaintext
    smb://34DiasMedia
    ```
    
3. Click **Connect**
    

---

## 🎯 **Secure Access with User Authentication**

For private shares, create a Samba user:

```plaintext
sudo smbpasswd -a ronald
```

Then, modify your `smb.conf` to require authentication:

```plaintext
public = no
   valid users = ronald
```

Restart Samba:

```plaintext
sudo systemctl restart smbd
```

Now, you'll need to log in with the username **ronald** and the password you set. 🔐

---

## ✅ **Wrap**

You've now turned your **Raspberry Pi 4 into a fully functional NAS** using **Samba**! Whether you're storing backups, streaming media, or just sharing files, this setup will serve you well. 📂🚀