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Linux in a family network?

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  • Linux in a family network?

    We have 3 computers in our home connected via a switching hub. We can see each others files and transfer pictures, etc from computer to computer in Windows XP. However when we boot into out Linux Mandrake 9.0 I was wondering how we "see" each other? We all have static IP addresses. and as long as my computer is running Windows XP for the DirecWay 2-way satellite dish internet connection, my wife and daughter can get on the interent when in Linux on their computers.

    Now.. how do they see each other? How would we send files and pictures to each other. surely Linux does not have the same "share" concept as with Windows.

  • #2
    Its a length procedure, and I still cant even get it working. Im using Red Hat 9.0 so It may be different, but i doubt it.

    You have to edit the /etc/exports file to allow the users the mount the file system. Syntax as follows:

    dir comp_name (parameters)

    So like this:

    / comp2 (sync, uid 0-99)

    Im not sure whether that is correct but it should give you a place to start. In the shell, use man exports to get more info. After editing /etc/exports, you are advised to run the exportfs command. After that, it should just be a matter of using the mount command to mount the file system. Again, if you dont know how to use it, man mount will tell ya.

    I'm still learning Linux, so any linux gurus wanna step up and correct me on anything? Either way, this should give ya a starting point.

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    • #3
      I'm a linux newb...but doesn't Samba have something to do with file/print sharing?

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      • #4
        look for a program called smb browser on the linux box that will enable you to view files on windows shares. you may have to give it a username & poassword it can use to access resources on your network but it should work fine..

        if you need to share stuff from your linux box to your windows machines you'll need to setup samba on the linux box and the windows machines will then see the linux box' resources as if it were another windows box.

        http:/www.samba.org for more detailed info..

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        • #5
          Are you wanting to share files between Windows-Linux, or Linux-Linux?

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          • #6
            Actually from Linux to Linux. or Vernon to Pamela or Vernon to Sammy.

            Would be nice to be able to see the windows files on her machine when she is running windows and I am running LInux. I can see the windows files on my own computer in the mount directory going deep. I've actualy used this feature to choose the wallpaper for my Linux background from the pictures I had stored in my Windows files. works pretty nicely within this computer.

            But, lets say I want to see the file, sunflower.jpg on Pam's Linux machine when we are both running, or booted into Linux at the same time. She is one address (IP) and I am another. Shouldn't I just be able to use file manager and move backward from my C to see network folders, and so on? You can see this stuff using Windows "My Network Places".

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            • #7
              To go linux to linux your gonna have to use the NFS server GUI to edit the exports file on the server. (In red hat, its in system tools > network settings in the red hat menu) Then just mount the directory from the client. The mount command works like so:

              mount comp_name:dir mounting_dir

              So if computer1 is sharing /tmp it would look as follows:

              mount computer1:/tmp /mnt/computer1

              Note you may need to substitute the first computer1 with the IP Address.

              Also make sure you have the NFS and the NFSLock services running on all machines on the network.

              The problem I was having was only the firewall, so if it cant connect, check out your firewall.

              Lastly, as you probably know, mounting is not permanent so it will need to be mounted each time you boot to linux. Im sure there is a GUI out there to do the mounting and make it auto-mount on boot, so it may be usefull to look.

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              • #8
                Have a look at LinNeighborhood.
                p-two.net

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                • #9
                  it sounds like to me it is not a mounting problem as much as it is a samba config problem. Login as root and have a look at smb.conf it is usually located in /etc/samba. Make sure the workgroup in smb.conf matches the desired workgroup for the rest of the network. The workgroup and netbios name is located towards the top of the file, and the shares are at the end of the file. You can setup shares in this file as follows:

                  [Name of Share]
                  path = /home/example " can be any directory
                  comment = comment about the share
                  public = yes or no
                  writable = yes or no
                  wide links = yes or no
                  users = list of users that can use share bob,admin,root,etc...
                  groups = same as user but for a whole group


                  hope this helps you

                  If you cannot find a graphical SMB client like LinNeighborhood or SMB Browser that you like you can always do a smb://name_of_server/name_of_share at the command line in linux.

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                  • #10
                    Also would be nice if the others could share my printer connected to my computer. We can on windows. It shows up as a shared network printer in windows.. when we are all on windows, but when we are all in Linux it's a private as it gets. No one talks to each other or shares anything.

                    It's times like this that I realize why I don't migrate all over to Linux instead of Windows. May be the reason that keeps the "general" public at bay with Linux. Nice systems, fair price, but so darned difficult to get things to work right. Windows is bad enought, but it's a walk in the park compared to Linux.:rolleyes2

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                    • #11
                      For windows to linux file and print you need to set up samba and cups, for linux to linux you need nfs and cups.

                      I don't have any windows boxes on my network but I do have an NFS server (also serving my printer and flatbed scanner over the network). The /home directory on the server is mounted at boot on my main workstation with the following entry in /etc/fstab,
                      [code:1:ccced4e6c4]
                      aptiva:/home /mnt/aptiva nfs users,rw 0 0
                      [/code:1:ccced4e6c4]
                      This is the /etc/exports entry on the server, directory to be shared is /home, shared with 192.168.0.2(options)
                      [code:1:ccced4e6c4]
                      /home 192.168.0.2(rw,no_root_squash)
                      [/code:1:ccced4e6c4]
                      This is my /etc/hosts,
                      [code:1:ccced4e6c4]
                      127.0.0.1 localhost
                      192.168.0.1 aptiva
                      192.168.0.2 grendel
                      [/code:1:ccced4e6c4]
                      The printer is shared with cups and the scanner is shared with sand.
                      Like most things linux it looks quite daunting when you first approach it, but once you've worked out how it goes together you can setup a fully functional (and secure) home network in 1/2 an hour with only a text editor.
                      p-two.net

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