I use Samba to share a filesystem on my Mandrake 9.1 box to the Windows computers on my home network.
Try browsing to
http://localhost:901 and log in as root to administer Samba and to view documentation.
In Globas, I set the netbios name and workgroup name and "hosts allow" to "192.168.1.", which is the set of addresses behind my firewall.
In Shares, create a share with the name you want to be broadcast. I set "readonly" to "no", and "guest ok" to "yes".
Here's some of my settings, which I see under the "View" button. My share is called "e"; it's near the bottom of this file:
# Samba config file created using SWAT
# from localhost (127.0.0.1)
# Date: 2003/07/30 14:27:29
# Global parameters
[global]
netbios name = MYCOMPUTERNAMEHERE
server string = Samba Server %v
encrypt passwords = Yes
map to guest = Bad User
log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
max log size = 50
socket options = TCP_NODELAY SO_RCVBUF=8192 SO_SNDBUF=8192
printcap name = cups
dns proxy = No
printer admin = @adm
hosts allow = 192.168.1.
printing = cups
[homes]
comment = Home Directories
read only = No
browseable = No
[printers]
comment = All Printers
path = /var/spool/samba
create mask = 0700
guest ok = Yes
printable = Yes
print command = lpr-cups -P %p -o raw %s -r # using client side printer drivers.
browseable = No
[print$]
path = /var/lib/samba/printers
write list = @adm root
guest ok = Yes
[pdf-generator]
comment = PDF Generator (only valid users)
path = /var/tmp
guest ok = Yes
printable = Yes
print command = /usr/share/samba/scripts/print-pdf %s ~%u //%L/%u %m %I "%J" &
[Printer]
comment = HP DESKJET 960C
path = /var/spool/samba
read only = No
create mask = 0700
guest ok = Yes
printable = Yes
print command = lpr-cups -P %p -o raw %s -r # using client side printer drivers.
printer name = Printer
oplocks = No
[e]
path = /mnt/win_e
read only = No
guest ok = Yes
Other commands you may find useful:
smbclient, nmblookup, smbmount, smbumount