When sharing files with Linux over your network, there are primarily two main options to pick from. You can choose to share files via Samba or NFS, and both have their own strengths and weaknesses. The decision about which one you use primarily depends on which types of computers you would like to share files with.

With Samba, the network shares you create will be accessible by any Windows computer, as well as any Linux computer that has the Samba client installed. (Most distributions, including Mint, include this by default.) Being able to share files between both Linux and Windows computers may sound like a match made in heaven. However, Samba doesn't support Linux file and directory permissions without a lot of configuration and planning (which is beyond the scope of this book), to the point that it's generally not recommended for use if you have specific Linux permissions you would like to maintain, though it is technically possible.

NFS, on the other hand, is...