Coming from Windows Server, if I move (cut+paste) files within the same disk, it's instant. If it's between different disks, it'll read and write all the files.

I can't seem to figure out how to do this on unraid. The built-in file manager through the browser (when you explore the share) doesn't seem to work. Built-in midnight commander also doesn't seem to work. They always read and write when moving between shares on the same disk.

Even when I move between the disk; ex. /mnt/disk1/share-a => /mnt/disk1/share-b.

It doesn't make sense to have to do that on the same disk.

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Think I might've found my answer here: https://forums.unraid.net/topic/176113-moving-files-on-same-disk/

I'm using ZFS pools, apparently shares are individual datasets and they always have to copy.

Need to figure out a better way to manage files, maybe put them all in 1 dataset and organize from there so it's instant.

Update: This doesn't work as shares can't be assigned to subfolders / subdatasets. Well that's annoying.

Edited February 23Feb 23 by veganbtw

8 hours ago, veganbtw said:

: This doesn't work as shares can't be assigned to subfolders / subdatasets. Well that's annoying.

Not True! See here for a plugin to do exactly that:

https://forums.unraid.net/topic/195826-plugin-custom-smb-shares/

4 hours ago, Frank1940 said:

Not True! See here for a plugin to do exactly that:

https://forums.unraid.net/topic/195826-plugin-custom-smb-shares/

It's basic stuff like this that should be built-in already which questions the design decisions of Limetech and whether or not there's a bunch of idiots behind the scenes.

Stuff like Tmux should already be there. Unassigned devices plugin; why does this need to be installed separately? So many fundamentals missing that need to be manually added later is just dumb design.

I won't argue with your logic but let me point out that most of the plugins in the current APP store have been developed by Unraid users working on their own time and then offered to the community for free. Imagine if paid developers were doing all of this work how that would impact on the cost of a license! There have been plugins that have moved from being Plugins to being a part of the core Unraid release. Two that come to mind are the UPS module and the File Manager.

Plus, let me point out that a feature like Custom Share SMB plugin has a very limited usage group. I showed how to do it from the command line back in April of 2023 and have had only five 'likes'. The Plugin was first posted up in December of 2025 and, while if has not yet made it into the APP store, it has gotten even fewer likes.

Well, the problem there is not knowing that plugin even exists, the terrible search, and outdated information / documentation. I didn't know about that plugin until you pointed it out.

Keyword searching for "unraid subfolder sharing" brings up this reddit thread which links to an old unraid forum topic: https://www.reddit.com/r/unRAID/comments/ztwhmd/creating_smb_shares_for_subfolders/

Hard to like something you don't even know exists.

At the very least they could get someone to maintain the official documentation: https://docs.unraid.net/ Oh, did you want to share a subfolder? Nope, can't be done. Here's a link to a plugin.

Having to navigate through a bunch of old videos and forum posts to find new / recent information is just straight up bs. If this was free, sure, that's understandable.

I mean, they could open up the docs to be edited by users and that might make it better, almost like a wiki.

Anyway, just ranting a bit here that'll never get read by Limetech. Thanks for indulging me.

I've already started migrating back to Windows Server because it just works™ and I don't need plugins to do basic things like sharing a subfolder. I'm too old to be paying companies for the privilege to beta test for them.