YES, it's easy to use and free. You don't need a specific
linux distribution for this. You can download the software
from samba.org. In fact, Redhat provides samba packages
with its distribution. In this case, Linux takes care of
the connection.
The other alternative is to buy the very expensive UNIX
Tools for MS Windows from Microsoft, which is expensive.
In this case, Windows takes care of the connection.
Hope it helps.