I'm beginning to think linux actually isn't capable of sharing files and printers with anything.

I've been trying to get my LMDE to share files and be able to retrieve files from the other windows PCs I have on my wireless network. I would also like to chare the printer I have connected to my LMDE install with those same computers.

In short how is this done because I pulling my hair out trying to figure out whats wrong.

As I understand it sharing the printer should be easier than sharing files. Its done by CUPS? Anyway I've enabled sharing in the printing, and in the "server settings" windows ticked "publish shared printers connected to this system". That doesn't work. Windows can't find it.

Samba on the other hand is even worse. Edit the smb.conf??? Nice way of making things complicated!

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers.

Hello,

Have you edited your firewall's settings to reflect the changes for the services needed? Cups needs port 631 open; Let us know if you have ruled your firewall out or not, thanks man.

Josh

Hi,

I also did not want to use samba thinking editing smb.conf was complicated, then I read parts of the pdf files on samba
"Samba-Guide.pdf" (638 pages) and "Samba-HOWTO-Collection.pdf" (964 pages) and I was able to setup a basic samba fileserver (no printer) with username/pw access in about 30 min. Don't be put of by the number of pages in the pdfs.

Read "Samba-Guide.pdf" page ~4 to ~20 there are quite clear howto guides for fileservers and file and print servser.

what you need:
-samba 3 or higer
-you should be able to ping your server (goes without saying)
-you should be able to use cli


I think you need port 137 to 139 tcp & udp open for samba to work. I am using linux (zenwalk 6.4 and 6.0) on my PCs so I cannot say much on the win side of things. One thing for sure I am glad I read "Samba-Guide.pdf" because it is not that complicated as it look.

hope this helps...

Peter