Access your entire Windows C: drive from Nautilus (Fedora)
and your Fedora home directory from File Explorer (Windows)
— all over a secure Tailscale VPN.
- 🎯 What You'll Get
- 📋 Prerequisites
- 🔑 Finding Your Info (IP & Username)
- 🐧 Fedora Setup
- 🪟 Windows Setup
- 🧪 Verify It Works
- 📌 Quick Reference
- ❓ Troubleshooting
- 📄 License
┌──────────────────────┐ Tailscale ┌──────────────────────┐
│ │◄────────────────────────────────────►│ │
│ 🐧 Fedora Linux │ │ 🪟 Windows 11 │
│ │ │ │
│ ┌────────────────┐ │ │ ┌────────────────┐ │
│ │ Nautilus │ │ smb://WINDOWS_IP/C$/ │ │ File Explorer │ │
│ │ (see Windows) │◄┼──────────────────────────────────────┼─►│ (see Fedora) │ │
│ └────────────────┘ │ \\FEDORA_IP\FEDORA_USER │ └────────────────┘ │
└──────────────────────┘ └──────────────────────┘
WINDOWS_IP = 100.103.197.14 FEDORA_IP = 100.66.222.92 FEDORA_USER = eprahemi
| Direction | What You Access | Application |
|---|---|---|
| 🪟 Windows → 🐧 Fedora | Your Fedora home directory | File Explorer on Windows |
| 🐧 Fedora → 🪟 Windows | Your entire Windows C: drive | Nautilus on Fedora |
No cloud. No middleman. Direct peer-to-peer over Tailscale.
| # | Requirement | How to Check |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Both machines on the same Tailscale network | tailscale status — both must appear |
| 2 | Tailscale installed & running on both | tailscale version |
| 3 | Both can ping each other | ping FEDORA_IP (e.g. ping 100.66.222.92) |
| 4 | Internet connection (for initial setup) | — |
| 5 | Admin rights on both machines | Required for installs |
Your username:
whoamiExample output: eprahemi
Your Tailscale IP:
tailscale ip -4Example output: 100.66.222.92
Your hostname:
hostnameExample output: eprahemi-lenevo-fedora
Your username:
whoamiExample output: eprahemi-msi\fsown
Tip
If you see a Microsoft account email here, you'll need to create a local user for SMB (covered in Windows Setup Step 3).
Your Tailscale IP:
tailscale ip -4Example output: 100.103.197.14
Your computer name:
hostnameExample output: eprahemi-msi-windows
| What | Fedora Command | Windows Command |
|---|---|---|
| Username | whoami |
whoami |
| Tailscale IP | tailscale ip -4 |
tailscale ip -4 |
| Hostname | hostname |
hostname |
Complete these steps on your Fedora machine.
sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://pkgs.tailscale.com/stable/fedora/tailscale.repo
sudo dnf install tailscale -y
sudo systemctl enable tailscaled --now
sudo tailscale upA browser window will open — sign in with your Google, Microsoft, or GitHub account.
tailscale ip -4📌 Make a note of this IP — you'll use it on Windows.
Your Fedora IP → 100.x.x.x (e.g. 100.66.222.92)
Install Samba:
sudo dnf install samba samba-client -ySet your SMB password (used when connecting from Windows):
sudo smbpasswd -a YOUR_USER # YOUR_USER = your Fedora username (e.g. eprahemi)Start Samba and allow it through the firewall:
sudo systemctl enable smb --now
sudo firewall-cmd --add-service=samba --permanent
sudo firewall-cmd --reloadEnable SELinux to allow Samba access to home directories:
sudo setsebool -P samba_enable_home_dirs on✅ Fedora is ready. Your home directory is now shared.
On your Fedora machine, open Files (Nautilus):
- Click Other Locations in the sidebar
- In the Connect to Server box, enter:
smb://WINDOWS_IP/C$/ # WINDOWS_IP = your Windows Tailscale IP (e.g. 100.103.197.14)
- Click Connect. When prompted:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Username | smbuser (the user you'll create on Windows) |
| Password | (the password you set for smbuser on Windows) |
- Press
Ctrl + Dto bookmark it for quick access.
Tip
Replace C$ with Downloads, Users, or any other share name to limit access to a specific folder.
Complete these steps on your Windows machine.
- Download the installer: tailscale.com/download-windows
- Run the installer
- Click Sign in in the system tray — use the same account as Fedora
Open PowerShell:
tailscale ip -4📌 Make a note of this IP — you'll use it on Fedora.
Example: Your Windows IP → 100.103.197.14
Why this is needed: Microsoft accounts don't work well with SMB authentication. A dedicated local user avoids login issues.
Open PowerShell as Administrator:
net user smbuser eprahemi /addnet localgroup Administrators smbuser /addWhy this is needed: Windows blocks admin shares (
C$) over the network by default. This registry key removes that restriction.
In PowerShell (Admin):
reg add HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System /v LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
Note: Make Sure You Share You LocalDisk C or D or whatever one you have
🔁 Restart your computer for the change to take effect.
On your Windows machine, open File Explorer:
- In the address bar, type:
\\FEDORA_IP\FEDORA_USER # FEDORA_IP = your Fedora IP (e.g. 100.66.222.92), FEDORA_USER = your username (e.g. eprahemi)
- Press Enter. When prompted:
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Username | FEDORA_USER (your Fedora username, e.g. eprahemi) |
| Password | (the SMB password you set on Fedora) |
- Map as network drive for permanent access (optional):
- Right-click This PC → Map network drive
- Pick a drive letter (e.g.,
Z:) - Paste
\\FEDORA_IP\FEDORA_USER# e.g. \100.66.222.92\eprahemi - Check Connect using different credentials if needed
smbclient //WINDOWS_IP/C$/ -U smbuser # e.g. //100.103.197.14/C$/You'll be prompted for the password — enter the one you set for smbuser. If you see a file listing, ✅ success.
net use Z: \\FEDORA_IP\FEDORA_USER # e.g. \\100.66.222.92\eprahemiIf the command completes without errors, ✅ success.
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CONNECTION STRINGS │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ 🐧 Fedora → Windows (in Nautilus): │
│ smb://WINDOWS_IP/C$/ │
│ (e.g. smb://100.103.197.14/C$/) │
│ │
│ 🪟 Windows → Fedora (in File Explorer): │
│ \\FEDORA_IP\FEDORA_USER │
│ (e.g. \\100.66.222.92\eprahemi) │
│ │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
| Variable | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
WINDOWS_IP |
Tailscale IP of Windows machine | 100.103.197.14 |
FEDORA_IP |
Tailscale IP of Fedora machine | 100.66.222.92 |
FEDORA_USER |
Your Fedora Linux username | eprahemi |
smbuser |
Windows SMB user (you create) | smbuser |
| Action | Command |
|---|---|
| Check Tailscale status | tailscale status |
| Get Tailscale IP | tailscale ip -4 |
| Check Samba status | sudo systemctl status smb |
| Restart Samba | sudo systemctl restart smb |
| List firewall services | sudo firewall-cmd --list-services |
| Check SELinux status | getenforce |
| Symptom | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| ⏱ Timeout / can't connect | Tailscale not running or firewall blocking | ping FEDORA_IP and ping WINDOWS_IP from each machinesudo systemctl status smb — is Samba running?sudo firewall-cmd --list-services — is samba listed? |
| 🚫 Access denied (Windows → Fedora) | SELinux blocking Samba | Run sudo setsebool -P samba_enable_home_dirs onCheck valid users in /etc/samba/smb.conf |
| 🚫 Access denied (Fedora → Windows) | UAC remote restriction | Confirm LocalAccountTokenFilterPolicy registry key is setReboot Windows Verify smbuser is in Administrators group |
| 🔑 Authentication failed | Wrong password or Microsoft account | Use the SMB-specific password, not your Windows PIN Use local smbuser, not your Microsoft account |
| 📁 Permission denied on folder | Share permissions not set | Windows: right-click folder → Properties → Sharing → grant smbuser access |
| 🔇 Can't browse shares | SMB1 disabled (this is normal) | Use direct path instead of browsing |
This guide is provided under the MIT License.
Feel free to use, modify, and distribute it. If you found it helpful, a ⭐ on GitHub is appreciated!