kekneus373/x-gvfs-show.txt

## x-gvfs-show.txt
Below is a practical way to have a Samba (CIFS) share that you already mount via /etc/fstab appear automatically in the side‑pane of your file manager (Pcmanfm, GNOME Files, etc.).
The trick is to tell the GVFS layer that the mount point should be treated like a “bookmark” – this is done with the x-gvfs-show mount option.

1. Edit the fstab entry
Add (or modify) the line for the share so it includes the x-gvfs-show option.
A typical CIFS entry looks like this:

//server.example.com/share   /mnt/samba_share   cifs   credentials=/home/you/.smbcredentials,iocharset=utf8,uid=1000,gid=1000,_netdev   0   0
Add the two extra options users (so you can mount/unmount as a normal user) and x-gvfs-show:

//server.example.com/share   /mnt/samba_share   cifs   credentials=/home/you/.smbcredentials,iocharset=utf8,uid=1000,gid=1000,_netdev,users,x-gvfs-show   0   0
Explanation of the added flags

Option	Why it helps
users	Allows non‑root users to mount/unmount the share (useful for desktop sessions).
x-gvfs-show	Informs the GNOME/KDE/Pcmanfm GVFS integration to expose the mount point as a bookmark in side‑panes and file‑picker dialogs.
_netdev	Prevents the system from trying to mount the share before the network is up (good practice for network mounts).
Tip: If you already have auto in the options list, you can keep it; the presence of x-gvfs-show is the only thing that makes the bookmark appear.

2. Reload the fstab configuration
You don’t need to reboot. Either:

sudo mount -a          # mounts any entries that are not yet mounted
or, if the share is already mounted, unmount and remount so the new options take effect:

sudo umount /mnt/samba_share
sudo mount /mnt/samba_share
3. Verify in the file manager
Open Pcmanfm, Nautilus (GNOME Files), Dolphin, or any other DE file manager.
You should now see an entry named samba_share (or whatever you called the mount point) in the left‑hand pane under “Devices”. It will also appear in the standard open‑file dialog used by applications.

4. Optional: give the bookmark a friendly name
Some file managers display the directory name as the label. If you want a prettier label, you can create a .desktop bookmark in ~/.config/gtk-3.0/bookmarks (for GTK‑based file managers) or the equivalent for your DE:

file:///mnt/samba_share My Shared Folder
Each line is URI<space>Label. After saving the file, restart the file manager (or log out/in) and the custom label will be shown.

Quick checklist
Edit /etc/fstab – add x-gvfs-show (and optionally users, _netdev).
Reload mounts (sudo mount -a or unmount/remount).
Open your file manager – the share should now appear in the sidebar.
(Optional) Create a bookmark for a custom label.
That’s all you need to make a Samba share mounted via fstab visible and conveniently reachable from your desktop environment. If you run into permission issues, double‑check the uid=/gid= values in the options so the mounted files belong to your regular user.
	Below is a practical way to have a Samba (CIFS) share that you already mount via /etc/fstab appear automatically in the side‑pane of your file manager (Pcmanfm, GNOME Files, etc.).
	The trick is to tell the GVFS layer that the mount point should be treated like a “bookmark” – this is done with the x-gvfs-show mount option.

	1. Edit the fstab entry
	Add (or modify) the line for the share so it includes the x-gvfs-show option.
	A typical CIFS entry looks like this:

	//server.example.com/share /mnt/samba_share cifs credentials=/home/you/.smbcredentials,iocharset=utf8,uid=1000,gid=1000,_netdev 0 0
	Add the two extra options users (so you can mount/unmount as a normal user) and x-gvfs-show:

	//server.example.com/share /mnt/samba_share cifs credentials=/home/you/.smbcredentials,iocharset=utf8,uid=1000,gid=1000,_netdev,users,x-gvfs-show 0 0
	Explanation of the added flags

	Option Why it helps
	users Allows non‑root users to mount/unmount the share (useful for desktop sessions).
	x-gvfs-show Informs the GNOME/KDE/Pcmanfm GVFS integration to expose the mount point as a bookmark in side‑panes and file‑picker dialogs.
	_netdev Prevents the system from trying to mount the share before the network is up (good practice for network mounts).
	Tip: If you already have auto in the options list, you can keep it; the presence of x-gvfs-show is the only thing that makes the bookmark appear.

	2. Reload the fstab configuration
	You don’t need to reboot. Either:

	sudo mount -a # mounts any entries that are not yet mounted
	or, if the share is already mounted, unmount and remount so the new options take effect:

	sudo umount /mnt/samba_share
	sudo mount /mnt/samba_share
	3. Verify in the file manager
	Open Pcmanfm, Nautilus (GNOME Files), Dolphin, or any other DE file manager.
	You should now see an entry named samba_share (or whatever you called the mount point) in the left‑hand pane under “Devices”. It will also appear in the standard open‑file dialog used by applications.

	4. Optional: give the bookmark a friendly name
	Some file managers display the directory name as the label. If you want a prettier label, you can create a .desktop bookmark in ~/.config/gtk-3.0/bookmarks (for GTK‑based file managers) or the equivalent for your DE:

	file:///mnt/samba_share My Shared Folder
	Each line is URI<space>Label. After saving the file, restart the file manager (or log out/in) and the custom label will be shown.

	Quick checklist
	Edit /etc/fstab – add x-gvfs-show (and optionally users, _netdev).
	Reload mounts (sudo mount -a or unmount/remount).
	Open your file manager – the share should now appear in the sidebar.
	(Optional) Create a bookmark for a custom label.
	That’s all you need to make a Samba share mounted via fstab visible and conveniently reachable from your desktop environment. If you run into permission issues, double‑check the uid=/gid= values in the options so the mounted files belong to your regular user.
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