[FIX][SMB] Permission denied when setting ext2 attributes

fix-cannot-set-ext2-attr-samba.md

The error you're seeing is related to extended attributes (ext2/ext3/ext4 filesystem attributes) that can't be transferred over Samba to your destination. This is a common issue when syncing between Linux systems via Samba shares.

To resolve this, you have a few options:

In your sync/backup tool:

• Disable the option to copy extended attributes or file metadata
• If using FreeFileSync, uncheck options related to copying file permissions or attributes

In smb.conf on the server: Add or modify these settings in your share configuration:

[your_share_name]
    ea support = no
    store dos attributes = no
    map archive = no
    map hidden = no
    map readonly = no
    map system = no

The ea support = no setting specifically disables extended attribute support[8], which should prevent the error. Since you mentioned you don't need these attributes, turning them off is perfectly fine and won't affect your ability to copy the actual file data[7].

After modifying smb.conf, restart the Samba service:

sudo systemctl restart smbd

This will allow your files to copy without trying to preserve Linux-specific extended attributes that aren't relevant for your use case.