The chances are that Samba is already installed on your system in that case skip this section and fast forward to ‘Grab File Manager’ section: Since I run openSUSE, Arch Linux and Kubuntu on my PCs, in this tutorial I will focus on openSUSE and Ubuntu families ( Arch users can refer to the official wiki). Let’s make our data accessible over the local network, and there is nothing better than setting up a Samba server.There are different ways of installing and configuring Samba on different distributions. Then I use an Android app which works as a remote to access and stream these files to the Chromecast.

I have created a local file server on my Linux box, which allows me to access movies, music and images from any device over the local network. The data remains on my PCs and I can use my Android devices to stream content to Chromecast, without having to get up. I want the control to be in my hands, while I lay on the couch. There are three doors between these two rooms and I don’t want to shuttle in between my living room and office to play movies. What’s desirable? The Chromecast is plugged into the TV in the living room whereas my PCs and hard-drives are in my office. However, nothing is impossible for a Linux user.

Let me be honest, there are some Chrome apps which can play videos stored on your computer, but none offer a desirable solution. There is no _easy_ way to stream content sitting on your smart phone or desktop to Chromecast. Google continues to add new features to Chromecast, except for one much-needed feature: native support for playback of local content. Inexpensive devices like Chromecast can turn any HDMI-enabled TV into a smart TV with immense possibilities to expand its features. After using it for over a year now, I believe there is no longer a market for the so-called ‘smart TV’. Chromecast is one of the most used devices in my household.

Smplayer chromecast