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Asked: 2024-09-24T21:46:55+05:30 In:

I’m encountering an issue with mounting a CIFS share, and I’m receiving an error with return code 2. I’ve double-checked my fstab configuration, but I’m still stuck. Can anyone provide insights or solutions to resolve this problem?

I’m having a bit of a rough time with mounting a CIFS share on my Linux system, and I could really use some help. I keep getting this pesky return code 2 error, and I’m honestly not sure what to make of it. I thought I had everything sorted out in my fstab configuration, but clearly, I’m missing something.

Here’s the deal: I’m trying to mount a shared folder from a Windows machine. I’ve followed a bunch of tutorials online and pretty much copied what everyone has recommended for the fstab entry. It looks something like this:

“`
//192.168.1.100/share /mnt/share cifs username=myuser,password=mypassword,uid=1000,gid=1000 0 0
“`

I’ve triple-checked that the IP address is correct, and I can ping the Windows machine just fine. The share is definitely accessible because I can browse it using the file explorer from another PC. But when I try to mount it with the command `mount -a` or just manually with `mount -t cifs`, I’m hit with return code 2. I know that means “no such file or directory,” which doesn’t really help me since the path seems to be correct.

I wondered if there’s something I’m missing in terms of permissions or if I need to tweak my fstab even more. I’ve made sure that the CIFS utilities are installed on my system, so that should be good. And the weird part—I’ve tried mounting it manually using the command line, but I still get the same error.

If anyone has had a similar experience or knows a way to troubleshoot this, I’d appreciate any tips. Should I look closer at the network configuration, or is there something I should check in my configuration settings? Even suggestions on additional logging might help, because right now I’m feeling pretty stuck. Any insights would be awesome!

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    2 Answers



    1. CIFS Mounting Help

      Mounting a CIFS Share: Troubleshooting Return Code 2

      It sounds frustrating to deal with that pesky return code 2! Here are a few things you might want to check or try:

      • Check the Mount Point: Make sure that the directory /mnt/share actually exists on your Linux system. You can create it using:

        sudo mkdir -p /mnt/share
      • Check Network Configuration: You’ve pinged the Windows machine, which is great! However, also ensure that the firewall on the Windows side allows file sharing, and that the share is properly set up for access permissions.
      • Use Correct Options: Sometimes, tweaking the fstab entry can help. You might want to add some options like vers=3.0 (or another version if necessary) to specify the CIFS version. Your entry could look like this:

        //192.168.1.100/share /mnt/share cifs username=myuser,password=mypassword,uid=1000,gid=1000,vers=3.0 0 0
      • Check `dmesg` for Errors: After you try to mount the share, run dmesg | tail to see if there are any relevant error messages that can give you more details about what’s going on.
      • Try Manual Mounting: You mentioned using mount -t cifs. You might want to try it like this:

        sudo mount -t cifs //192.168.1.100/share /mnt/share -o username=myuser,password=mypassword,uid=1000,gid=1000
      • Credentials File: For security, consider using a credentials file instead of putting the plain password in fstab. Create a file (e.g., /etc/cifs-creds):

        username=myuser
password=mypassword

        Then change permissions to protect it:

        sudo chmod 600 /etc/cifs-creds

        Update your fstab to:

        //192.168.1.100/share /mnt/share cifs credentials=/etc/cifs-creds,uid=1000,gid=1000 0 0

      Hopefully, one of these tips will help you get past that pesky error. Don’t hesitate to ask around in forums or communities if you’re still stuck; sometimes a fresh set of eyes can spot something you’ve missed!


    2. It sounds like you’re encountering a common issue when trying to mount a CIFS share on Linux. The return code 2 (which indicates “no such file or directory”) can stem from a couple of factors despite your fstab entry appearing correct. First, ensure that the mount point directory `/mnt/share` exists on your Linux system. You can create it using the command sudo mkdir -p /mnt/share if it doesn’t already exist. Double-check your fstab entry for any typographical errors, and ensure that the CIFS utilities are properly installed. To troubleshoot further, try mounting the share manually with verbose output by using sudo mount -t cifs //192.168.1.100/share /mnt/share -o username=myuser,password=mypassword,uid=1000,gid=1000,vers=3.0. The vers=3.0 option can sometimes resolve compatibility issues with certain Windows shares.

      If the manual mount still fails, it’s worth checking the permissions of the shared folder on the Windows machine. Confirm that the user credentials you’re using (in this case, myuser and mypassword) have the necessary permissions to access the share. You can also inspect the Windows firewall settings to ensure that CIFS/SMB traffic is not being blocked. For additional logging, you can enable CIFS debugging by adding the option debug to your mount command. This would give you more insight into what might be going wrong. Additionally, reviewing the output of dmesg after a failed mount could provide helpful error information.

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