Hi all,

I have three computers, 1 x laptop, 1 x desktop 32 bit and 1 x desktop 64 bit. Various OS's spread among them (Windows 7 / XP and Linux), but all have in common Debian Squeeze, which is the most used on all. I have a wireless router that two of the computers use wirelessly and the third is connected to the router with a cable.

I want to make a home network so that all three can access each other through Debian. I am a basically noob at this sort of thing. Please point me in the right direction for doing this.

Thanks in advance.

Well, when you create a working network within a single subnet, there is no need to route all traffic through one machine. If you simply want them to be able to connect to each other as peer-to-peer, you will need to configure Samba on your Debian machine to enable communication with the Windows boxes.

The two Windows boxes should be able to network with each other using the built-in Windows networking. The work will come in getting Samba to work.

The best help I found when I set up a mixed Windows/Linux network was Samba by Example. The examples move from very simple to very complex. It's been a few years, but I think I found an "example" that answered my needs before page 20.

The About dot com Linux site is a reference that is written with new users in mind: Here's their section on networking.

http://linux.about.com/library/bl/op...ewbie4.5.1.htm

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Crikey, I did not realize it would be that complicated or long winded! Setting up the router for internet access was easy by comparison.

To recap, I only want the network to interconnect the three computers through Debian, on the wireless router. Anyway, I will dive into it over the next few days. It looks like it needs time, and that is a precious commodity for me.

Thanks, just the same!

All the best.

Look around in your Debian menus. There might be a file sharing item. If so, that would make it a lot easier. I have both Gnome and KDE on my computer and applications from both of them show up in my gnome menu.

And remember, it's only complicated the first time. (grin)

Once I got a Samba configuration that I liked, I made copies of the smb.conf file in mucho different locations and have been basically recycling and tweaking the same file for the last four years.

Here's the bit that defines my shared directory:

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Hi,

after reading your first post twice I did not really understand what you want to achieve. What do you mean with "... through Debian ..."?

As an example, I have a homenetwork with 3 computers (with various operating-systems) one (connected wired to the router) is the server. The only configuration I did was giving the server a static IP and inserting an entry in the /etc/hosts file on every other Machine/operating-system (because my router which is the DNS-server cannot handle hostnames of Linux-machines).

If you want to access the (Linux-)Server from a Windowscomputer you'll have to configure for Samba as frankbell wrote.

Hope that helps.

Markus

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Thank you both for the answers. I think I was reading too much into the process and, most importantly, not taking the necessary, figurative step back to look at the situation in macro. I am not at home right now, but I believe that, thanks to your posts, I have twigged and possess a better idea what to go after when I do get back.

Thanks!

Finally got some time to look into this issue and solved it very quickly this way;

1. installed openssh-server and openssh-client on two computers that I wanted to test this on.
2. opened connect to server in the places menu, and set up this way;
a. Service type SSH.
b. IP of the computer I wanted to access.
c. Port 22
d. Name of a folder I wanted to access on the other computer.
e. Name of the computer I wanted to access.

It asked for my log in password (for the computer I was accessing), and bingo, mounted the other computer's folder on my desktop. This was exactly what I wanted and got me started on this theme nice and gently, no hassle. How about that?

I make this post;

A. To declare the thread solved, and;
B. If anyone knows any pitfalls, security risks, or anything else associated with using openssh, please advise me.

Thanks all!

This is indeed networking. I guess when people say "networking," listeners tend to leap to file sharing and browsable folders.

You can get a program called PuTTY for your Windows computer. It will make it ssh-capable.

Openssh is quite secure; its traffic is encrypted.

Edit: With the qualification that no security is perfect. I used to work in the physical security industry (card access control). The premise of security is to make breaking in so inconvenient that the bad guy goes down the street to find an easier crib to crack.

Thanks, that was a nice bonus! It gave me a terminal screen from Windows partition on my laptop to my Debian desktop. Strange, using Linux commands in the Windows console! Full access to my folders on Debian. Typing "who" in the terminal of the Debian computer shows the IP of my laptop, confirming a successful log in. Great! Firing on all cylinders, now.

Just one question remains, and I am in two minds about posting another thread, as this one is solved, but here goes anyway (apologies if it is not the done thing).

I have a fourth old "relic" with Ubuntu and XP on the hard drive. This fourth computer has no wireless capability, but does have an ethernet socket. I would like to connect it directly to my desktop with a cross over cable to access the files on that one, too. Is it as simple as just hooking them together? I ask before I try.

Thanks again!

EDIT: Solved! Never mind.