I want to network 2 pcs which are running debian 3.1. I dont know how to add the second pc on to my first pc(which i want to make it like a server). I have connected them through crossover cable.

How to set the IP address of second pc properly? So that I can ping from my first pc?

Set the first pc as 192.168.2.25and the second as 192.168.2.50/255.255.255.0.

You can pick any IP as long as it's on the same class C subnet. But dude, crossover is kinda ghetto.

I dont know how to add the IP address on my second pc! On my first pc when i type /etc/ifconfig this is wat i get:
----------------------
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:0F:B5:8D:89:B1
inet addr:192.168.0.2 Bcast:192.168.0.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
UP BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:6 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:0 (0.0 b) TX bytes:2052 (2.0 KiB)
Interrupt:18 Base address:0x2000

eth1 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:20:ED:1E:4B:64
inet addr:192.168.1.100 Bcast:192.168.1.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:4761 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:5108 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:2657433 (2.5 MiB) TX bytes:712386 (695.6 KiB)
Interrupt:21 Base address:0x9c00

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:119353 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:119353 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:22164182 (21.1 MiB) TX bytes:22164182 (21.1 MiB)
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My first pc has 2 network cards one is for the ADSL connection and other I installed it to connect to the second pc using crossover cable.

When i type in "ifup -a" in second pci get a message "doesnt have all the varibales for inet/eth0 cannot bring eth0 up"

Can you please tell me what I i have to add in /etc/network/interfaces to make my second pc communiacte with the first?

This is what i have in /etc/network/interfaces in my first pc:
----------------
auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp
name Ethernet LAN card


auto eth1
iface eth1 inet dhcp
name Ethernet LAN card
----------------
For some reason what happened is my eth0 and eth1 are swapped! What I meant is before i installed my second network card, my first network card used to be "eth0" after installing the second one the new one became "eth0" and the first one the primary one which i used for adsl became "eth1" !

I think i have stuffed it up in /etc/network/interfaces

Can any one please help me out!!!! I am struggling for the past 7 hours in networking these 2 pcs. I have just started learning linux. Quick help me greately regarded

I have responded to your like request in the Debian forum, but;

You have eth0 requesting a dhcp connection from the second system. In order for this to happen you need to have a dhcp server running on the second system. In this particular situation where you only have a small number of pc's then you will find static addressing much easier to work with. I have covered this in the Debian forum so won't repeat it here.