How to share network files on a Windows network with Ubuntu

mollydoggy1971 · 11-22-2008, 04:46 AM

I must preface this post with the following: I am a COMPLETE noob when it comes to any flavor of Linux. I just downloaded and installed Ubuntu about two hours ago. So any responses will need to be VERY detailed, step-by-step information. I have no idea how to do ANYTHING within Linux yet.
Ok, on to my problem. I am running Ubuntu on a home network alongside a Windows XP computer. I am using a wired Linksys 4 port router to handle the network. I want to be able to access the files and folders that I already have set as shared on the XP machine (pictures and audio files, mostly). I know I have the Windows XP machine's file sharing set properly on the network because I have a third machine, also running XP, and the network is working there. How do I get the shared files and folders on the XP computer to be recognized and accessible on the Ubuntu machine?
Please remember, I am very new at this, and do not understand how to do almost anything in Linux. I would appreciate very detailed step-by-step instructions, if you have the time and patience to deal with such a noob.

Thanks,
Jeff

acid_kewpie · 11-22-2008, 05:11 AM

Just click Places, Connect to Server, choose Windows Share and enter in the details, if it works to windows it should come up just fine.

camorri · 11-22-2008, 05:19 AM

If all you need is one way sharing, XP to linux, then all you need is Samba client installed on Ubuntu.

That said, you will need to learn how to install any package on Ubuntu. Ubuntu has a package manager, it should be there if this is a default install, ie, you let the installer put there what it liked.

Look for a program called Synaptic package manager. This is the installer. You need to set up online respiratorys first. Once that is done, you have access to updates, and thousands of programs.

Search for samba client, and click on install. Synaptic will do the rest. You should use root permission in order to install and program, in Ubuntu, I think Synaptic will ask you for the root password. You should have set one during install.

If later you decide you need linux to xp file sharing, you will need to install and configure Samba server. The install is the same, but you will need to configure it.

Here is a link to configure it. --> http://www.linuxquestions.org/linux/...amba_is_UP_NOW

To access a windows share, you do it from a client program that supports smb browsing, like Konqueror. Konq is a KDE program, so if this is Gnome desktop, you will have to find a browser in Gnome that supports smb. I know they exist, I can't tell you off hand the name, since it is over two years since I used any flavour of buntu.

acid_kewpie · 11-22-2008, 05:24 AM

No, everything you need IS alrady installed. you do not need to install *ANYTHING* to do this.

tianlijian · 11-22-2008, 07:57 AM

The nautilus already have the ability to access the Windows xp's shared file.
so, the only thing you need to do is open my computer. and type "smb://" in the loation bar. Then you will see the workgroup, which is very similar to xp.

acid_kewpie · 11-22-2008, 10:32 AM

By default, the address bar is not in text mode, so this does not make sense. Please try my advice first, as it is the way that Ubuntu is designed to do this.

mollydoggy1971 · 11-23-2008, 12:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acid_kewpie

By default, the address bar is not in text mode, so this does not make sense. Please try my advice first, as it is the way that Ubuntu is designed to do this.

Not to be picky, but you didn't offer any actual advice. Tianlijian suggested that something called "the nautilus" would do something, but I don't see anything named "the nautilus" anywhere. They also said that I need to open "my computer," which I also do not see anywhere.
I followed camorri's advice of installing the Samba client. I think I did that correctly. They said that I will need to find a browser in Gnome that supports smb, but did not know the name of one offhand. Any suggestions there also? I'm feeling like I'm in way over my head here, and am very reluctant to start doing things blindly without understanding why I'm doing what I'm doing.

Thanks again folks!

SqdnGuns · 11-23-2008, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mollydoggy1971

I am a COMPLETE n00b when it comes to any flavor of Linux. I just downloaded and installed Ubuntu about two hours ago.

Then you should read this before going any further...........

http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Intrepid

acid_kewpie · 11-23-2008, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mollydoggy1971

Not to be picky, but you didn't offer any actual advice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by acid_kewpie

Just click Places, Connect to Server, choose Windows Share and enter in the details, if it works to windows it should come up just fine.

How is that not advice???

Quote:

Originally Posted by mollydoggy1971

Tianlijian suggested that something called "the nautilus" would do something, but I don't see anything named "the nautilus" anywhere.

Exactly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mollydoggy1971

They also said that I need to open "my computer," which I also do not see anywhere.

Exactly.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mollydoggy1971

I followed camorri's advice of installing the Samba client.

I already said you should not do this as you don't need to at all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mollydoggy1971

I think I did that correctly. They said that I will need to find a browser in Gnome that supports smb, but did not know the name of one offhand.

That's because you're not meant to do it this way, you're meant to follow my advice instead.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mollydoggy1971

Any suggestions there also? I'm feeling like I'm in way over my head here, and am very reluctant to start doing things blindly without understanding why I'm doing what I'm doing.

Exactly. You've been given, and tried to follow incorrect advice that is overcomplicated, unncecessary and unexplained for you. And what you do want is already there, fully installed and waiting for you to use in a very obvious and simple way. just follow my advice which i gave at a "click this" level, which anyone can follow.

camorri · 11-23-2008, 06:05 AM

Here is a link for Nautilus. It should be there on a Ubuntu install.

http://projects.gnome.org/nautilus/

It will act as a Samba client.

acid_kewpie · 11-23-2008, 01:21 PM

I really can not believe this. Does no one else on this thread know how to give proper contextual advice? do you not bother reading other peoples posts and ensure that your also actually correct??

DO NOT INSTALL NAUTILUS

If you install Ubuntu and didn't screw around then you ARE already running nautilus, but the point is that you don't need to care. it's not explicitly called nautilus anywhere you need to look and it's just "the file manager bit" in the menus.

Irrelevant geek box:

Quote:

if you want to prove it, open a terminal window (Applications, Accessories, Terminal) and type in "pidof nautilus" and it'll tell you the process ID of the nautilus process running.

Could people please actually offer proper responsible advice? If the OP took all this advice given they would probably end up with either a broken system or no system at all because it was all too hard, and windows just works. well ubuntu 8.10 also "just works", and if you actually tell people to use it in that way rather than starting from OTT basics then they stand a chance of not going away with bad experiences.

ta!

mollydoggy1971 · 11-23-2008, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acid_kewpie

Just click Places, Connect to Server, choose Windows Share and enter in the details, if it works to windows it should come up just fine.

I'm sorry, I missed this bit of advice as I was rwading through the posts. I clicked Places and Connect to Server, and I'm given a box to enter information in. What is the Server name, or rather, where do I find this info? I'm assuming I don't need to fill out the rest of the info, as it says it is optional.

Thanks again for the help...you guys are very helpful!

linuxlover.chaitanya · 11-24-2008, 12:36 AM

The server name is the hostname or the ip address of the windows machine from where you share the folders or/and files.

acid_kewpie · 11-24-2008, 02:29 AM

yeah, IP address is the safest simplest option, but the windows machine name *should* work, I think there's enough gunk running in the background to resolve it.

mollydoggy1971 · 11-25-2008, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by acid_kewpie

yeah, IP address is the safest simplest option, but the windows machine name *should* work, I think there's enough gunk running in the background to resolve it.

When I type in 192.168.1.101 (the other pc's address), it says "Cannot display location "smb://192.168.1.101/" No application is registered as handling this file."

What did I do wrong?

I also typed in "MSHOME" as the server, as that is the name of the network. I get the same box as with the IP.

I also typed in "MAINPC" as the server, as that is the name of the other pc. Once again, same response.