How would I go about networking my computer running Mandriva Free 2006.0 Official? There are two other computers on my network running Windows XP Home Edition. The workgroup name is HOME.

I have absolutely no clue how to do this!

Thank you.

Start with http://wiki.linuxquestions.org/wiki/Samba.

You should check out a package called LinNeighborhood; I'm not a Mandrake/Mandriva user, but I think you install it with 'urpmi LinNeighborhood' (note capitals and American spelling). LinNeighborhood is a clone of the Windows Network Neighborhood utility.

Ozzzy's Mandrake Site has a tutorial on Samba.

thanks ill try that

I tried installing that package and it worked but not in the way that I wanted it to. I would like to know how to smbclient a computer named "joe". When I type "smbclient //joe/" it says "Connection to joe failed". Please help me!

First make sure you have a share point on the Windows host system. Example would be the c:\share folder shared out with share name of share.

If you want to use smbclient to access the share, then you need to include the share name in the command, not just the host name. Example: smbclient //joe/share

Mandriva 2006 comes with smb4k, which is simple point/click way of mounting shares and browsing. Can start smb4k from menu location "internet > file transfer".

Hope this helps.

Also XFce4 comes with Windows shares browsing using Xffm. Also Konqueror can access Windows shares by typing smb://[name]. Nautilus can also access Windows shares using the same way as Konqueror.

The console way:
First use findsmb to find all systems that are sharing files or printers. Next use smbclient -L [name] to list available directories and/or printers on the desire system. Next type smbclient //[name]/[desire_directory]. It will ask you for a password. If it did not set a password on the computers, just hit enter and it will log you in. Use FTP commands to browse, download, and upload files. Type help to get a list of commands.

I have the shares working but how do you install windows printers

Use CUPS. Run CUPS and in your favorite web browser, type http://localhost:631. Then add a printer.

jcbparry - CUPS is where you start. I'm not sure about 2006, but in 2007, CUPS is not installed by default (you may have to install it yourself). In 2007 the CUPS service is not started by default either. You may have to search for it, but to turn it on, go to the >system>configure your computer>system services, or something close to that. You'll probably want to start it on boot, too.
Next, on your windows boxes you want to make sure that the printers are "shared devices". If you haven't done that already, it's under the control panel and/or printers. Click on properties and look for 'share'.
You also want to make sure that any firewall you have going on the windows boxes lets the network printing go through.
Back on the linux box, since you need to provide CUPS with an account name and password, you probably want to set up a very low privlege account on the windows boxes (to only use the printers) with no password. The password, it turns out, is probably sent in the clear and can be scanned. It's bad policy to use the administrator account/password to do that.

Lastly, you probably need to install a driver(s) for the printer(s). For example, hplip is the best driver for most HP printers. You'll have to research that a bit for yours, if you haven't already!
Good luck.

I have used mant versions of mandrake and mandriva and found that the old mandrake connected to windows networks without a problem with little knowhow, but all the Mandriva versions especially 2006 and more so with 2007 that they fail to connect. I have tried all ways and my system running 2007 mandriva does not see the network at all. It uses it for the Internet no problems but they now have nowhere to add in a windows workgroup or a way to find the windows network. For that mater I have 1 other computer running linux on the network and it cannot even find it. They really are messing up the new versions not makeing them better. I hate windows but have to use it as linux is not good enough yet for all things and now worse than ever at networking. It is the most nonuser friendly os. It used to be good what happened?

Archdragonmage

Perhaps you have an unusual network set up? Maybe it would be better to use smbclient instead of nmblookup (the default) to connect.

You probably know this, but I think you want to look at smb4k (if it's installed, it will be under <start>->internet->file transfer.
You'll need to know the windows machine name and workgroup (the machine name in windows is by default a random string generated at installation, or a string assigned by the admin, so you'll need admin privledges to get it. The default workgroup name is usually WORKGROUP).
Working from memory, you'll need the windows box IP on your network too, and account name and password on the windows box.
Then start smb4k and click on the configure smb4k menu item under settings. Click on "Samba" on the left hand side, and under nmblookup, enter in the IP of the windows box. Under "authentication" (again, on the LHS), enter in the account and password of the windows account you want to access. Once you're set up, let is scan for the network and see if it doesn't find it for you. Samba should querry you for the password of your wallet so that it can get the account information. It's pretty straight forward, but to be honest, the only quirky stuff I found was dealing with the ^%#&@^ "wallet" to protect the password, which really has nothing to do with Samba/smb4k.

Oh. Watch out for any firewall you may have running on the windows box. Be sure it's set up to let you in.

Thanks for your reply. I have got connected now but still have no access to the printer on the windows computer.