When managing a Linux server running Samba (particularly Debian Squeeze in this case), you might encounter stubborn .fuse_hidden* files that regenerate instantly when deleted. These files typically appear when Windows clients access Samba shares and encounter file locking issues.

The .fuse_hiddenXXXXXX files are created by FUSE (Filesystem in Userspace) when a file is being accessed but needs to appear deleted to other processes. This often occurs when:

• Windows clients hold file handles open
• Samba's oplocks (opportunistic locking) are active
• File operations are interrupted

Here are several approaches to resolve this issue:

1. Force Unmount and Clean

First identify the mounted share:

# mount | grep samba
//192.168.1.100/share on /mnt/share type cifs (rw,relatime)

Then force unmount:

# umount -l /mnt/share

Now you can safely delete the directory:

# rm -rf /mnt/share/problem_directory

2. Disable Oplocks in Samba Config

Edit your smb.conf:

# nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

Add these parameters to your share definition:

[problem_share]
   oplocks = no
   level2 oplocks = no
   kernel oplocks = no

Restart Samba:

# service smbd restart

3. Use lsof to Find Processes

Identify processes holding files open:

# lsof | grep fuse_hidden
# lsof /path/to/problem_directory

Kill the offending processes (if safe to do so):

# kill -9 PID

4. Alternative Deletion Method

Try moving the directory first:

# mv problem_directory problem_directory.old
# rm -rf problem_directory.old

• Regularly audit open file handles with lsof
• Consider implementing proper file locking protocols
• Monitor Samba logs for oplock conflicts
• Educate Windows users about proper file closing

Enable verbose logging in smb.conf:

[global]
   log level = 3
   debug hires timestamp = yes

Check Samba logs after reproduction:

# tail -f /var/log/samba/log.smbd

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When working with Samba shares on Linux servers, you might encounter stubborn .fuse_hidden* files that reappear after deletion. These files typically appear when:

• A Windows client fails to properly close a file handle
• Network interruptions occur during file operations
• Permission conflicts exist between Samba and local filesystem

The .fuse_hidden000XXXXX files are created by FUSE (Filesystem in Userspace) when a process maintains an open file handle. Each hex number represents a unique file identifier. Simply deleting these files won't work because:

# This fails because the process still holds the file descriptor
rm -f .fuse_hidden000bd8c100000185

Method 1: Terminate the Owning Process

First identify the process holding the file handle:

lsof +D /path/to/problem/directory | grep fuse

Then gracefully terminate it:

kill -15 PID  # Send SIGTERM
# If unresponsive:
kill -9 PID   # Send SIGKILL

Method 2: Force Unmount and Remount

For persistent cases, unmount the share:

umount -l /mnt/share  # Lazy unmount
# Then remount:
mount -a

Method 3: Samba-Specific Commands

Use Samba's diagnostic tools:

smbstatus -L  # List locked files
smbcontrol smbd close-share SHARENAME  # Force close

Add these to your /etc/samba/smb.conf:

[global]
kernel oplocks = no
oplocks = no
strict locking = yes

For recurring issues, create a cleanup script:

#!/bin/bash
SHARE_PATH="/path/to/share"

# Find and kill processes holding fuse files
lsof +D "$SHARE_PATH" | grep 'fuse' | awk '{print $2}' | xargs kill -9

# Remove hidden files
find "$SHARE_PATH" -name '.fuse_hidden*' -exec rm -f {} +