HowTO - home network winXP and Mepis linux

First connect the two computers with a cat5 ethernet "crossover cable" or as in my case connect each computer via cat5 ethernet "straight" cables to a d-link cable router/switch. My router/switch is a d-link 713P. In this setup it is acting like a switch (hub).

Go to Mepis linux box and edit the samba.conf file, found in (/etc/samba), to reflect your workgroup name (in my case "MSHOME"),

insert your computer NETBIOS name (in my case "mepis1"),

and edit the line

"passdb backend=" to "passdb backend=smbpasswd guest".

Then, set up a user account named "guest".

Use the "smbpasswd" command in a root console to add the guest user name to the samba password file using the option for no password.

# "smbpasswd -a guest"

I think that covers everything I did to get it working, but one still has to enter the "guest" user name in that popup dialog box on the winXP box.

On the winXP box select the drive or files to share. In my case I opened windows explorer and right clicked my "C" drive and from the dropdown menu chose "sharing and security" and placed a check in "share this folder on the network", and set the share name to "C". Then you should reboot to make the changes active.

To set up home network (two computers networked - Mepis 11-25-2003 and XPpro). I edited the samba.conf file and set the smbpasswd command (# smbpasswd -a guest) . Now I can ping my XP box with ( # ping 192.168.0.162) but cannot ping with (# ping ATHLON700) the name of the XP box. I have checked the computer name in (control panel- system) and it is ATHLON700 (capitals).

I can ping the Mepis box from the XP box (c:\> ping 192.168.0.149 or ping mepis1) and it works fine. I can even view and copy files on my mepis box from the XP box and I can use the Mepis printer from the XP box. I had to turn the Guardwall Mepis firewall off to do any of the above.

here is my (/etc/samba/samba.conf) file

;*******************section global*****************

[global]

# Do something sensible when Samba crashes: mail the admin a backtrace

panic action = /usr/share/samba/panic-action %d

printing = cups

printcap name = /etc/printcap

load printers = yes

security = user

workgroup = MSHOME

netbios name = mepis1

server string = %h server (Samba %v)

hosts allow = 192.168.0. 192.168.1. 192.168.2. 127.

smb passwd file = /etc/samba/smbpasswd

socket options = IPTOS_LOWDELAY TCP_NODELAY SO_SNDBUF=4096 SO_RCVBUF=4096

encrypt passwords = true

passdb backend = smbpasswd guest

dns proxy = no

max log size = 1000

;*******************section vince*****************

[vince]

comment = /home/vince

path = /home/vince

public = yes

guest ok = yes

writeable = yes

;*******************section homes*****************

[homes]

comment = Home Directories

browseable = yes

writable = yes

;*******************section printers*****************

[printers]

comment = All Printers

path = /tmp

browseable = yes

printable = yes

writable = yes

guest ok = yes

create mode = 0700

print command = lpr -P %p -o raw %s -r

Next you have to mount the samba shares:

1 - Create a directory to mount the share.

At root (#) prompt type "mkdir mnt_ATHLON700C" <enter>

2 - Mount the samba share - in this case in the new directory that you just created.

At root (#) prompt type "smbmount //ATHLON700/C /root/mnt_ATHLON700C" <enter>

now a password reguest will appear - type your Mepis root password and <enter>

password: "your root password" <enter>

3 -Now you should be able to browse your windows box files with your file manager - ie Konqueror.

4 - Now you can browse your Mepis box from winXP windows explorer, my network places. You may see a pop up dialog box requesting a username("guest") and password ("guest") - enter "guest" at each location.

I hope this gets a beginner started, but I still have lots to learn.

Vince LaPorte

vlaporte@charter.net

home_network2.txt