Kodi Community Forum - [AVOIDED - Changed Samba to nfs] Kodi on LibreELEC accessing files on Linux Mint

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

I am trying to set-up Kodi to access a remote hard disk on a 32bit Linux Mint 18.1 Cinnamon computer that uses Samba version 4.3.11-Ubuntu.
Kodi 18.7 Leia runs on a 4Gb Raspberry Pi 4, on top of LibreELEC (official): 9.2.3, both installed via NOOBS and running fine using local USB storage devices.
I have been at this for a few evenings and afternoons now, without success. Several articles, forums and blogs later and I'm still stuck getting this to work.
Please note the output of the smbtree command on LibreELEC, in bold red font below. (This was why I tried to force a protocol below).
Any logs or files you might want to see, just let me know and I'll do what I can.
Thanks for your time and help.

Rembrandt.

PS Apologies for the layout; I am typing this on a 10inch screen, crappy touch pad and no mouse. Aaargh.

I've set-up / done the following:
-I can ping each machine from the other both by IP address and by hostname.

-Linux Mint:
    -useradd libreelec
    -smbpasswd -a libreelec
    -chmod 777 the path to be shared with Kodi
    -Added netbios name of less than 15 chars to /etc/samba/smb.conf
    -Shortened and removed spaces from path of shared folder.
    -ufw disabled for now
    -Added to bottom of /etc/samba/smb.conf:
        [share-1]
        path = /media/png/Disk1/
        valid users = libreelec
        read list = libreelec
        write list = libreelec
        browsable = no

    -Tried forcing protocols to SMB3 in /etc/samba/smb.conf, without success
        server min protocol = SMB3
        server max protocol = SMB3

    -systemctl restart smbd

-samba-tool testparm:
        Press enter to see a dump of your service definitions

        # Global parameters
        [global]
            workgroup = WORKGROUP
            netbios name = FRIDGE
            server string = %h server (Samba, Ubuntu)
            map to guest = Bad User
            obey pam restrictions = Yes
            passdb backend = tdbsam
            pam password change = Yes
            passwd program = /usr/bin/passwd %u
            passwd chat = *Enter\snew\s*\spassword:* %n\n *Retype\snew\s*\spassword:* %n\n *password\supdated\ssuccessfully* .
            unix password sync = Yes
            log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
            max log size = 1000
            usershare allow guests = Yes
            panic action = /usr/share/samba/panic-action %d

        [printers]
            comment = All Printers
            path = /var/spool/samba
            create mask = 0700
            printable = Yes
            browseable = No

        [print$]
            comment = Printer Drivers
            path = /var/lib/samba/printers

        [share-1]
            path = /media/png/Disk1/
            valid users = libreelec
            read list = libreelec
            write list = libreelec
            browseable = No

-On LibreELEC:
    (- samba-tool does not seem to be available)

    -testparm:
        rlimit_max: increasing rlimit_max (1024) to minimum Windows limit (16384)
        Registered MSG_REQ_POOL_USAGE
        Registered MSG_REQ_DMALLOC_MARK and LOG_CHANGED
        Load smb config files from /run/samba/smb.conf
        rlimit_max: increasing rlimit_max (1024) to minimum Windows limit (16384)
        Processing section "[Update]"
        Processing section "[Videos]"
        Processing section "[Music]"
        Processing section "[TV Shows]"
        Processing section "[Recordings]"
        Processing section "[Downloads]"
        Processing section "[Pictures]"
        Processing section "[Emulators]"
        Processing section "[Configfiles]"
        Processing section "[Userdata]"
        Processing section "[Screenshots]"
        Processing section "[Logfiles]"
        Processing section "[Backup]"
        Processing section "[Picons]"
        Processing section "[TOSHIBA EXT]"
        Processing section "[TOSHIBA EXT2]"
        Processing section "[data]"
        Processing section "[root]"
        Loaded services file OK.
        Server role: ROLE_STANDALONE

        Press enter to see a dump of your service definitions

        # Global parameters
        [global]
            deadtime = 30
            enable core files = No
            guest account = root
            load printers = No
            min receivefile size = 16384
            name resolve order = host bcast
            passdb backend = smbpasswd
            printcap name = /dev/null
            security = USER
            server min protocol = SMB2
            server string = LibreELEC
            socket options = TCP_NODELAY IPTOS_LOWDELAY
            username map = /run/samba/samba.map
            fruit:model = Xserve
            idmap config * : backend = tdb
            aio read size = 16384
            aio write size = 16384
            allocation roundup size = 0
            mangled names = no
            smb encrypt = No
            use sendfile = Yes

        [Update]
            path = /storage/.update
            root preexec = mkdir -p /storage/.update

        [Videos]
            path = /storage/videos
            root preexec = mkdir -p /storage/videos

        [Music]
            path = /storage/music
            root preexec = mkdir -p /storage/music

        [TV Shows]
            path = /storage/tvshows
            root preexec = mkdir -p /storage/tvshows

        [Recordings]
            path = /storage/recordings
            root preexec = mkdir -p /storage/recordings

        [Downloads]
            path = /storage/downloads
            root preexec = mkdir -p /storage/downloads

        [Pictures]
            path = /storage/pictures
            root preexec = mkdir -p /storage/pictures

        [Emulators]
            path = /storage/emulators
            root preexec = mkdir -p /storage/emulators

        [Configfiles]
            path = /storage/.config
            root preexec = mkdir -p /storage/.config

        [Userdata]
            path = /storage/.kodi/userdata
            root preexec = mkdir -p /storage/.kodi/userdata

        [Screenshots]
            path = /storage/screenshots
            root preexec = mkdir -p /storage/screenshots

        [Logfiles]
            path = /storage/logfiles
            root preexec = createlog

        [Backup]
            path = /storage/backup
            root preexec = mkdir -p /storage/backup

        [Picons]
            path = /storage/picons
            root preexec = mkdir -p /storage/picons/tvh /storage/picons/vdr

        [data]
            path = /media/data

        [root]
            path = /media/root

    -smbtree:
        WORKGROUP
            \\LOCALHOST             Samba Server Version 4.10.8
        smbXcli_negprot_smb1_done: No compatible protocol selected by server.
            \\LIBREELEC             LibreELEC
        smbXcli_negprot_smb1_done: No compatible protocol selected by server.
            \\FRIDGE                HPM server (Samba, Ubuntu)
                \\FRIDGE\IPC$              IPC Service (HPM server (Samba, Ubuntu))
                \\FRIDGE\print$            Printer Drivers
            \\COMPUTER
        HOME
            \\..... [ stuff about my router ]

-On Kodi:
    Settings/Services/SMB client: (settings level Expert)
        Workgroup           WORKGROUP
        WINS server         0.0.0.0
        Min prot            SMBv2 (both at SMBv3, and min prot at SMBv1 : no success)
        Max prot            SMBv3
        Use legacy security off

       Add network location:

        Protocol        Windows network (SMB)
      Server name     IP address           (of Mint machine that I can ping)
      -Browse
      Shared folder   /media/png/Disk1/    (also tried name of shared folder: share-1)
      Port                                 (greyed-out)
      Username        libreelec            (as setup on Mint)
      Password        password             (as setup for libreelec user, smbpasswd on Mint)

EDIT    There is no /storage/.kodi/.smb/user.conf

After adding the network location on Kodi an error message comes straight up:
    Error
    Error 2: share not available

EDIT adding the network source regardless of availability, error message:
    Remote share
    Couldn't connect to network server