LiteNAS

Turn any Docker-capable machine into your own simple home file server. LiteNAS lets you share folders over your local network using SMB/Samba and manage your server through a lightweight web interface.

Instead of installing a complete NAS operating system just to share a few drives or folders, you can run LiteNAS alongside the rest of your services and keep your setup under your control.

LiteNAS keeps things focused on what you actually need: file sharing, a small web configuration panel, and Docker-based deployment.

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• Login panel

• Configuration panel

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Features

• Docker-based deployment
• Persistent storage
• Multi-user support
• Multiple shares
• Web configuration panel
• Lightweight

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Requirements

• Docker
• Docker Compose
• Python 3.9+
• OpenSSL
• Internet connection for initial setup

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Installation

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/aasiop/LiteNAS.git

Enter repository:

cd LiteNAS

Run the setup script. It will interactively ask for the server name, host directory and website administrator credentials, then generate the .env and smb.conf files automatically.

sh setup.sh

Start the container:

docker compose up -d

Verify that the container is running:

docker ps

After starting the container, open the web configuration panel to configure users and shares.

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Security

• Do not expose port 8000 directly to the Internet.
• Do not expose SMB/445 to the Internet.
• Use the web panel only inside a trusted network or behind a properly configured reverse proxy/VPN.
• Use strong administrator credentials.

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Configuration

To enter NAS share configuration, type:

http://localhost:8000/

Or on another machine in the same network:

http://SERVER_IP:8000/

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Accessing the Shares

Windows

Open File Explorer and enter:

\\SERVER_IP\SHARE_NAME

Example:

\\192.168.1.50\home-nas

Then enter the configured user credentials

Linux

Open your file manager and connect to:

smb://SERVER_IP/SHARE_NAME

or mount it manually:

sudo mount -t cifs //SERVER_IP/SHARE_NAME /mnt/SHARE_NAME

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Debug

If Windows cannot find the shared folder, try:

net use * /delete

Warning: This will disconnect all active SMB network connections.

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If port 8000 is already in use, you can change the web panel port:

in web_server.py port 8000 (last line):

app.run(host='0.0.0.0', port=8000, debug=False)

in Dockerfile replace 8000 with new port number (do not change 445!):

EXPOSE 445 8000

in compose.yaml replace port 8000:8000 with new port numer (do not change 445:445!):

ports:
  - "445:445"
  - "8000:8000"

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If you encounter any problems with .env file configuration see example:

SERVER_NAME=home-nas
HOST_PATH=/mnt/storage

USER_ID=1000
GROUP_ID=1000

SECRET_KEY=REPLACE_ME_generate_with_secrets
ADMIN_USER=admin
ADMIN_PASSWORD_HASH=REPLACE_ME_generate_with_werkzeug

Variable	Description
SERVER_NAME	Docker container name
HOST_PATH	Directory on the host to share
USER_ID	Linux user ID
GROUP_ID	Linux group ID
SECRET_KEY	Random string for session management
ADMIN_USER	Login name of admin user
ADMIN_PASSWORD_HASH	Password hash

Use these commands for:

• secret key:

python3 -c "import secrets; print(secrets.token_hex(32))"

• admin password:

python3 -c "from werkzeug.security import generate_password_hash as g; print(g('your password'))"

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.