A File Share is not a directory or a folder on the IBM i IFS (Integrated File System).

So, what is a File Share?

A File Share is simply a bit of configuration information that is stored on the IBM i IFS and that is used by Windows, Linux, etc, when mapping a NetServer network drive to the IBM i IFS.

This information, for all File Shares, is stored in a single Stream File on the IFS. That Stream File is:

/QIBM/UserData/OS400/Netserver/QAZLSSHR

You can see QAZLSSHR by running the following command on the IBM i Command line, but the information there is not totally readable.

WRKLNK '/QIBM/UserData/OS400/Netserver/QAZLSSHR' then take Option 5 to view.

The supported methods of viewing and working with File Shares and the File Share list are Navigator for i and the GO NETS command line menu.

1) In Navigator for i:

File System=>File Shares

If you would like to see and work with File Shares on the IBM i Emulation Session, you will need to configure the GO NETS Command Line menu. Directions for doing so are on the IBM i NetServer Home Page at:

Manage IBM i NetServer without Navigator - GO NETS

The GO NETS Command Line Menu:

In Navigator for i, you can right click on a Share and select Properties to review and modify the attributes of that share:

A File Share has a name may or may not be the same as the IFS directory (Path name) that it points at. The File Share can be configured to allow either "Read/Write" or "Read only" access.  It can also set a maximum number of users.

Note that there is also a Text Conversion tab. Information about Text Conversion is available in IBM Technote:

N1015165 "Enabling Text Conversion (EBCDIC to ASCII) for All Integrated File System Files Using iSeries Navigator and iSeries NetServer

You can not see a File Share using the WRKLNK command on an emulation or "green screen". The only supported way you can see information about File Shares on the IBM i emulation session is by using the GO NETS Command Line menu .

You can, however, see the directory that the File Share points at (Path name).

For example: 

WRKLNK '/home'
or
WRKLNK '/home/robert'

Summary: Windows cannot map a drive directly to a directory (folder) . Even when that directory exists on another Windows PC, it must first be 'shared' before a drive can be mapped to it. This works the same way when mapping to a directory on the IBM i IFS. The directory must first be shared, by means of creating and storing a File Share, before a Windows PC can map a NetServer drive to that share.