I'm learning, so this should be pretty basic.

At this point i've got an XP box and a Mandrake 9 box networked. I've got apache installed and running on the linux box and both machines can see the internet, so no problems there.

I'm trying to figure out:

a) what the prerequisits, commands and syntax are for creating a share on the linux box or setting a folder to be shared using the command line (i think i've already done it but i did it in GUI and who knows if i did it correctly)

b) how to allow the XP box to access said share. At this point i continually get a prompt for username and password on the XP box when trying to access the share on the linux box. I'm positive this has something to do with me adding the machine and or user name that im using on the XP box to the linux box, but despite my attempts with useradd and smbpasswd, i'm still getting the same prompts for L/P as i was before.

answers or links-to-answers would be much appreciated.

Also, this seems like it's a common configuration question, has anyone thought of a "sticky" that lays out common Windows-to-Linux networking issues?

why don't you try samba

sorry i dont dance.

why dont you try being a little bit more specific, or, better yet, a little bit more helpful.

OK, you can stop that now!

Samba is being helpful... if you search with samba as your keyword, you'll come up with loads of information!

Now, when you share something in Windows, it exports it as an SMB filesystem. In order for anything other than Windows to access these, they need to have a 3rd party piece of software installed that can interpret SMB... enter SAMBA. Linux can share stuff over both SMB and NFS (nfs being used primarily to share stuff with other *nix operating systems, although there is, funniliy enough, an nfs client for Windows, but I can't be bothered to search for it since it isn't relevant here), but for the purpose of this thread, SAMBA is what we're interested in.

SAMBA itself is a set of programs to mount (load), unmount (unload) shares from other machines and also to export local directories as SMB shares so that others can access them. However, it isn't the most friendly of things to tackle on its own. I find that the best way is to use something called SWAT or WEBMIN to share stuff with others, and if you want to mount shares from other machines, then I would suggest that you first read up on what mounting and sharing is all about, and then if you want to use the command-line, just mount! If you still want to use a GUI, then use something like Gnomba.

And now... Welcome to LQ, Loteck.

i would advise you to be a bit more friendly seeing as you are the one asking for help.

sorry if i appeared rude, but here's the thing..

at the top of this screen it says "where Linux newbies come for help". I'm a newbie, i've come for help. I asked a very clear and specific question, asking for help with something specific ("what the prerequisits, commands and syntax are for creating a share on the linux box or setting a folder to be shared using the command line").

The first response is unhelpful, all it gives me is the name of a program, and never even pretends to bother to answer my question.

The second response, after telling me to go look somewhere else, is certainly educational, but when it comes to answering my questions, "just mount!" it implores. Mount what? An attack? a goat? What exactly goes into "mounting", and is there anything i should look out for?

The last response is nothing but a mannerism advisory.

It appears there is no real help to be had here. Change the title at the top to "Where linux newbies come to get told to go find it themselves, or look up their question somewhere else."

I'm sure i can find more willing help elsewhere. Thanks for the cordial welcome, which i am apparently outstaying even as i type.

Learning what mounting is should stand you in very good stead regardless of the topic. It is not networking specific thing, it is a filesystem specific thing. Windows exports its shares on a transparent filesystem called SMB. In order to access these from anything other than Windows (read: LINUX), then you'll need to use the SAMBA packages. This packages allows you to mount (access) the shares on the SMB filesystem that has been shared over the network.. Now, I don't think that that is too unclear, do you? And how about this:Now, I can spell it out even further if you like: USE GNOMBA TO ACCESS THE SHARES FROM OTHER MACHINES AND USE EITHER SWAT OR WEBMIN TO SETUP SHARING FROM YOUR MACHINE.

loteck, you're not going to learn anything with that attitude. this site is visited by people who volunteer their help and are not obliged to do so. by asking for help you are asking for a favour. this is not the microsoft helpdesk!

A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a woman below. He descended a bit more and shouted, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."

The woman below replied, "You're in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You're between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude."

"You must be an engineer," said the balloonist. - "I am," replied the woman, "How did you know?"

"Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is, technically correct, but I've no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help at all. If anything, you've delayed my trip."

The woman below responded, "You must be in Management." - "I am," replied the balloonist, "but how did you know?"

"Well," said the woman, "you don't know where you are or where you're going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise, which you've no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but now, somehow, it's my fault."


Somehow, this seemed to be very apt at this juncture.