Draw the intended file movement
LibreELEC can share folders outward while Kodi can read a share hosted elsewhere. These are opposite directions. Before changing an SMB setting, write down where the file currently lives and which device should read or receive it. This avoids changing the wrong service.
For an original example, copying a personal clip from a laptop into the appliance uses the appliance as a file server. Browsing a film stored on the laptop from Kodi uses the laptop as the server. The word SMB appears in both workflows, but the accounts, paths and settings belong to different ends.
Use the documented server controls for incoming access
LibreELEC’s documentation distinguishes its Settings add-on Samba configuration from Kodi’s SMB client configuration. Inspect the former when another computer needs access to the appliance’s shares. Keep the actual hostname and authorized sharing credentials private.
Use the operating system’s file-sharing connection route, not a browser address field. The LibreELEC guide describes Finder’s Connect to Server on Mac and a network path in Windows Explorer. Use the actual device name or address from your installation rather than assuming it still has a documentation example’s hostname.
Use Kodi’s source route for outgoing media access
If the media remains on another server, configure that authorized source inside Kodi instead. Confirm the server’s share path and the intended read account with its owner. A successful login to LibreELEC’s own shares is not evidence that Kodi can authenticate to the separate media server.
Test one known file and record discovery, login, directory listing and playback as separate results. Keep the original media protected and avoid granting modification rights merely for viewing. A missing share and an unsupported media file are different failure stages.
Verify the intended direction and end state
After a deliberate change, repeat the actual workflow from the device that initiates it. Confirm the sample arrives or opens at the intended destination. Record which server and client participated so later support advice is attached to the correct role.
The expected outcome is a working authorized file-sharing direction with understood credentials. It does not make a local share public, create a media subscription or guarantee that guest access is appropriate on every operating system. Keep server authentication and Kodi source login as separate configuration decisions.
Questions answered
Will changing LibreELEC’s Samba password fix every Kodi SMB source?
No. Its own server and Kodi’s client access to another host are separate roles and configurations.
Sources & further reading
Official references for the subjects discussed. Service terms and device software can change.