I have two computers, one linux (slack 10.2) and one windows (xp sp2), on the same internal network. They are setup so that the windows machine has two partitions (c: and d: ), as does the linux box (/ and /home).

The linux machine is always on. The windows machine is only on when in use.

I would like the windows machine to mount the /home directory of the linux machine, so that an icon automatically appears on the windows desktop, and files can be dropped on this icon to be copied over, and the icon can be double clicked, and the contents of the linux machine can be explored using windows explorer. Hopefully this would be quite similar to mounting a network drive between windows machines.

I would also like the linux machine to mount the windows drive, and create an icon on the desktop when the windows machine comes online. Is this possible?

So the questions :

1. how to share the /home partition to windows?

2. how to get it to mount with an icon on the windows destop when windows is booted (single user mode)?

3. how to share the d: partition to linux?

4. how to get the d: partition to automount on linux, when the windows machine comes online?

Hopefully someone will be able to answer these questions for me, more than one method, if possible would be appreciated.

Thanks,

G.

Wow, this is the first time I've seen someone post in General instead of Linux- General.
(No offense, I just find that amusing)

Samba...

Samba is what you want to use on your linux box to share /home with your windows computer. There are literally tons of info out there on the web about this. I'll find just a few that should suffice.

You need to install Samba but some distros handle it differently. I see that you use Ubuntu, I believe that's a debian relative. Apt-get is what you can use to install samba (client and daemon).

Once it's installed you'll just need to edit a config file in /etc/samba. Also you need to make a username/password using 'smbpasswd' for authentication.

About the documentation, here goes:
http://us3.samba.org/samba/docs/man/...TO-Collection/
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...icle&artid=395
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...icle&artid=443

Just to note, Samba has a LOT of functionality, but for what you need your config should be quite simple.

Goodluck.

yes, i just realised i've posted this in a terrible location!

oops...

Thanks for the info on samba, i'm using slack again now, but i think i can do the windows part no problem. Any idea about the automount under linux to mount the d: partition?

Thanks,

G

Once you create the samba partition on the linux box navigate to it in windows.
When configuring samba you have to set a hostname or something like that, in windows click Start>run and type \\foo. Foo being the hostname you set in the config.

It should bring up a new window and show the share drive. Double click it to access it, it should prompt you to enter a username/password type those in.
Once you have access to the share drive then you'll need to map it.

IIRC, the easiest way is to open Explorer (not Internet Explorer) using Win+E or right click start>explore. Then click tools>map network drive.
You type in the path, being //foo, make it whatever drive letter you choose. Just make sure there's a check next to reconnect at login.
Next create a shortcut on the desktop named whatever and link it to the drive letter of the share drive.

Now the user should have a shortcut on his/her desktop pointing to /home on your linux box.
GL

Note: Now that windows support is being covered, this post may need to stay in General. Oops

Thanks very much. I think i've got the windows side covered. Just the (more diffic ult?) setup of automounting a windows drive under linux that's the problem.

Any ideas?

G

Ahh ok, sorry I heard you backwards.

I've never done it that way, I always host the files on linux.

Google should help, as well as the search funtion here.

http://ubit.buffalo.edu/linux/ublinux4/samba.php
http://www.justlinux.com/nhf/Filesys...rmanently.html
http://wiki.arslinux.com/Mounting_Windows_Shares

The syntax appears to be the same as linux mounting a linux samba share.
I used the following in my /etc/fstab file:
//ip_addr/foo /mnt/point smbfs username=foo,password=foo

Hope it helps.
-Jason

Note: Those links show how to do it from the command prompt, the syntax I showed you was for /etc/fstab, so you don't have to do it each boot. I found that I still have to issue "mount /mnt/point" at each boot. If you put auto after "smbfs" it should automatically mount it. I rarely reboot so it's not too big of an issue for me.

Moved: This thread is more suitable in Linux-Networking and has been moved accordingly to help your thread/question get the exposure it deserves.