I learned there are trouble shooting and diagnosis commands for Vista in the console mode.

On the Vista computer, when I run Net View //192.168.2.101 (the address for the Linux machine)

It comes back with Samba share info, the name of the shared partition, and my comment from the Samba file.

So, if the Vista machine in console mode can do that when I type the "Net view" command -why the frig doesn't the Linux share show up in the "Networking and sharing center"?

SOLVED!

Vista network and Sharing still won't show Linux box as part of network or show it's share -but IT DOESN"T MATTER!!!

I just clicked on Tools:Map a network drive
I chose a drive letter and entered the path to the shared partition: //192.168.2.101/files

AND IT WORKS!!!

That's all I wanted to do was to have a network shared drive on the Linux machine. Don't know why Vista is so screwed up about showing the computer and shared files in the "Network and sharing center" or why it won't map it out.

in conclusion:
It wasn't Samba
It wasn't passwords
It wasn't the firewall

It's just a stupid disconnect inside of Vista. Anyone else is having this problem just go straight to "Map a network drive" and use the IP address.

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