As usual Tom's Mandrake User Online Page has detailed instructions on SAMBA set up http://www.mandrakeuser.org/docs/connect/index.html#ss
However I would suggest setting it up slightly differently to the way Tom suggests which edits the Samba config file. A Linux newbie (like myself) will find the Samba set up utility SWAT more intuitive. SWAT is accessed by typing 'localhost:631' (without the quotes) into your browser URL line. You will then see a number of pages which show all the important Samba parameters (I stress important because there are loads of parameters which you really do not want to know about!) One neat feature of SWAT is that there is a hyperlink on every parameter which if followed takes you to the relevant entry in a Samba manual to explain it to you. Particular things to remember when using SWAT. 1/ You have to declare which directories and printers in your Linux PC you want to 'advertise' as being available for sharing. (There is a special way of declaring the HOME directory of each user) 2/ You have to decide if security will be directory based or user based. (user based is simpler) 3/ In 8.0 SWAT defaults to no encryption on user passwords while windows defaults to encrypted passwords. It ain't gonna work until you change this. (8.1 seems to be OK) 4/ The user names you use in Samba should also be valid user names in your Linux set up (I dont think this is strictly necessary, but it makes life simpler) 5/ V Important***** The passwords Samba uses are NOT the same passwords used by Linux. There is a separate password file. I found SWAT confusing when defining passwords so I found it easier to use the command line samba password command (Note it behaves differently if you are in root or a user) To ease confusion it is an idea to make the Samba passwords the same as the Linux passwords 6/ SWAT also shows you a status screen so you can see if PC's can actually connect. As for a book, there is an O'Reilley book on line you can read (I think there is a link to it from the SWAT welcome page) To be honest though Samba is so complicated I became thoroughly confused trying to read the book. You can get simple sharing with Win95/98 working without resorting to hours of study ( especially if you remember points 3 and 5 above :-) ) Finally you will want to be able to 'browse' your windows network like in network neighbourhood. I found LISa the best tool for this. You will then be able to use konqueror to browse the windows shares (I cannot get this to work in 8.1) Another alternative is Gnomba but that requires you to 'mount' the remote windows shares. Hope that Helps and apologies if I have made some mistakes. Derek On Monday 22 October 2001 5:37 am, Ron Allen wrote: > I need to be able to have two-way file access with Windows machines on the > same network as my Linux box. I also must be able to print from my Linux > box to a printer connected to a Windows machine on the network. > > Someone suggested I look at Samba, but I'm having trouble finding how to > install it. I'm pretty much a total newbie on Linux, so maybe some general > help in this area would be helpful. > > What I have read about Samba so far seems to say that it is used for > sharing files coming in and printers that are attached to the Linux > machine, but I need two-way file sharing and the only printer is connected > to a Windows machine and can not be moved. Will Samba do what I want or do > I need to look elsewhere? > > Setup: two machines running Windows ME and one machine running Mandrake > Linux 8.0 (the Power Pack boxed set if that matters), on a standard > ethernet network connected through a NetGear RT314 router. The printer, a > HP LaserJet 5p, is connected directly to one of the Windows machines and is > shared for all machines on the network to use. All machines are also > connected to the Internet through the router, which is connected to a 3Com > 'tailfin' cable modem on a 768K/128K pipe. The Internet connection works > fine under Linux, so I believe the network is setup and operating correctly > on the Linux machine. > > Thanks for any help, > > Ron
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