4 Must‑Try Open‑Source Linux Servers for File Sharing, Media, and Audio

Samba

Samba is a free software suite that enables UNIX‑like operating systems to communicate with Microsoft Windows using the SMB/CIFS network protocol. It allows seamless file sharing across Linux and Windows machines on the same local network, making read‑only or read‑write access simple for any user.

Project address: http://samba.org/

Snapdrop

Snapdrop is an open‑source online service that lets users transfer files by opening a web page; it uses peer‑to‑peer WebRTC connections, stores no data on servers, and works on both desktop and mobile browsers (except IE and Safari).

Project address: https://github.com/RobinLinus/snapdrop

VLC

VLC is a free, open‑source, cross‑platform multimedia player and framework capable of playing most media files, DVDs, audio CDs, VCDs, and a wide range of streaming protocols. It can serve local media over HTTP to any device that can receive HTTP streams.

Project address: https://www.videolan.org/index.html

PulseAudio

PulseAudio provides flexible audio handling on Linux, including automatic discovery of network streams. It enables users to play podcasts or conference recordings on a workstation and listen on a phone, simplifying network audio compared to earlier solutions.

Before use, install the PulseAudio preferences package (paprefs) and enable network access to local sound devices in its configuration.

Project address: https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/PulseAudio/