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Open the "PCLOS Control Center", choose "Local disks", "Share your hard disk partitions", and select if you want to allow all users to share, or just a few. I select Allow all users, as I'm making this as simple as I can. If you choose Custom, then you need to make sure your user is selected, and make sure they are a member of the Fileshare usergroup under System>Manage users on system.
Next, selecting "Network Sharing" from the right, then "Share Drives and Directories with Windows (SMB) systems". This will start the Samba server configuration wizard. Choose "Standalone - standalone server", then OK to go to the next screen. Under Workgroup, I choose WORKGROUP, as this is the type most Windows machines will use, and makes it simpler for those in the house using Windows, etc. Choose whatever Workgroup name you like, but make sure all machines use the same name, for convenience sake. Under Netbios name, I usually add the name of the PC (david's-PC, Superbox, etc), then OK again.
Under Security Mode, select Share, and leave hosts allow empty, then OK again. Banner I normally leave alone as-is, then OK again. Select Ok again at the next window, then at the last window, confirm all your settings appear correct before choosing OK again. This completes the set up of the samba server section.
Select "Share Drives and Directories with Windows (SMB) systems" again. With it open at the "File Share" tab, select "Add", and at the open window, next to "Directory", choose "Open", and navigate to the directory you want to share.
I'm sharing out my storage drive, mounted at /media/MY_STUFF, so I navigate to there, and select and open /media/MY_STUFF, and choose OK to verify it. back at the smaller "DrakSamba add entry" window, it now shows /media/MY_STUFF under the directory listing. Choose a name for the share. Being lazy, I simply name it MY_STUFF to make it obvious which drive it is when i'm browsing the network. Basically, just give it a name that stands out , makes it apparent which it is. In the "Comment" entry, I usually list the same as the name, but anything will do, you need to have something in it or it will complain, and refuse to proceed.
Once all is done, select OK, and close it off. Back at the main window, it will now list your share/s. Since I want to share out these shares across my network, with no need for passwords or the like (this IS simple file-sharing), and everyone on the network to be able to read and write, I want to do the following. Double-click on the share listing (or choose Modify from the right), this will bring up a window allowing you to set some more parameters to make things simpler. The 3 options down the right, Public, Writable, and Browseable, I click on the selection boxes for all 3 and choose YES for all options, so that everyone can see, write to, and have full access to the shares, then select OK. Once I've done this for the shares i've set up, I then select the 3rd tab at the top, Samba Users, select "Add" from the right, and in the new window to open, click on the option box next to "User name" and from the options available from the drop-down, select your username (eg. david), leave the password empty, and click OK.
Once you're sure you're done, I then select File (top left) in the main window, and choose "Write conf", slide across one to Samba Server (top left still, 2nd option), and choose "Reload", then slide down to the bottom right and choose OK.
There you have it, my drive/folder is now fully shared across the network, with all files available to all users. If you want finer control, user restrictions, etc, then this is not for you. But for those who simply want to simply share their stuff across a local network, with no restrictions, or pestering for passwords, then this is what you want. I'm happily sharing between 3 desktops, a netbook, and my friends when they drop by with their windows laptops. Easy, simple, and friendly. Cheers.
edit: Just remembered, at timjes the pc name seems set to locahost.domain, and needs to be changed manually. PCLOS Control Center>Network and Internet>Hosts definitions. Make sure hostname is set to whatever you want to name your PC (eg. John's-PC, Superbox, Melanie, etc), and host aliases is set to localhost. A reboot will likely be needed to make this take proper effect.
Also, make sure SMB is set to start at boot in the Control Center (System> Manage system services), and that it is running now. So long as it's set to do so, should run automatically all the time.
