Netatalk, Free and Open Source File Server
Netatalk is a Free and Open Source file server that uses the AFP protocol. The Netatalk software runs on a UNIX-like operating system (such as Linux, *BSD or macOS) and allows any computer with an AFP client to easily connect with each other and share files on a local network or over the Internet.
The Netatalk file server software is light-weight, performant, and portable. Conforming to the Apple Filing Protocol specification, any macOS, Mac OS X, or Classic Mac OS system can connect to a Netatalk file server out of the box.
Since its launch in 1990, Netatalk has been leveraged by universities, enterprises, and home users for collaboration and remote data backup on Macs. With Netatalk, any UNIX-like host is able to integrate seamlessly with networked macOS systems, act as centralized file storage, and provide data backup services.
Getting Started
There are three ways to get started with Netatalk: Install a pre-built binary package, deploy a container image, or build the software yourself from source code. Knowledge of basic system administration is required, including installing packages, editing configuration files, and starting/stopping system services.
📦 Install a pre-built package for your distribution
Use your operating system’s package manager to install the latest available netatalk package. This is the recommended option for most users.
See Repology for a list of known packages.
🐳 Deploy a container image
The project publishes images on Docker Hub that can be deployed with a container runtime such as docker or podman.
Refer to the container documentation for details on how to configure the container.
🛠️ Build from source
You want to build from source when neither of the previous options are feasible, or when you want to do a hardened Netatalk deployment with only a subset of features enabled.
See the getting started guide for instructions how to prepare the build environment, and read more about dependencoes in the Netatalk manual.
How to Use
By default, Netatalk shares the home directory of each authorized user, with secure authentication methods compatible with macOS, Mac OS X, Mac OS 9 and Mac OS 8.
If you need a different setup, you have to configure the host system before starting Netatalk. Netatalk has a dizzying amount of options which can be daunting initially. The Configuration chapter and afp.conf page in the Netatalk manual are good places to start.
Once Netatalk is up and running, use your AFP client to connect to the file server. This can be the macOS built-in client or 3rd party clients such as afpfs-ng.
Latest News
Netatalk 4.4.0 is available
4th of January 2025
The Netatalk development team is proud to announce the first release of the Netatalk 4.4 release series.
In this release, we introduce sophisticated directory cache optimization which drastically reduces file system I/O by properly using the pre-existing caching architecture.
Early adopters are encouraged to test the new release and report any issues to the Netatalk development team.
For a summary of news and a detailed list of changes see the Release Notes.
Netatalk 4.3.2 is available
7th of September 2025
The Netatalk development team is proud to announce the latest release of the Netatalk 4.3 release series.
A critical bug preventing authentication with an AD domain via PAM has been fixed.
All users of previous Netatalk versions are encouraged to upgrade to 4.3.2.
For a summary of news and a detailed list of changes see the Release Notes.
Netatalk 4.3.1 is available
29th of August 2025
The Netatalk development team is proud to announce the latest release of the Netatalk 4.3 release series.
The afp_lantest utility has been given a major overhaul, and is now capable of thoroughly testing caching in the AFP server.
All users of previous Netatalk versions are encouraged to upgrade to 4.3.1.
For a summary of news and a detailed list of changes see the Release Notes.
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