I'm a complete newbie with regard to Linux, and am trying to learn how to set up a rudimentary Linux web server.

I installed Linux 9 on my laptop, which went great. By running Mozilla and typing in 127.0.0.1, I can successfully see a sample web page I created. The laptop is connected to a Win XP desktop. The desktop has two NICs, one connected to DSL and one connected through a hub to the laptop.

The linux laptop has an address of 192.168.0.2 on my network, the desktop has an address of 192.168.0.1. I can ping 192.168.0.2 from the Win XP client. But when I type 192.168.0.2 into the URL line of IE on the Win XP client, I get a "Cannot Find Server" message.

I'd like to be able to see the web pages on my Linux server through my Win XP client. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can do this, or what the problem could be?

I checked the error and access logs on the Linux server/laptop. Neither, strangely, showed any trace of an attempt to connect from the client, as far as I could tell.

Thank you for your help!

did you try http://192.168.0.2/ ?

Yes, in the IE URL line I've tried:

http://192.168.0.2
http://192.168.0.2:80

Neither seem to work.

By the way, I should add that my Win XP desktop has two NICs -- one is connected to a Linksys Router, and the other is connected to the Linux server laptop. I run Winroute Pro on the Win XP desktop, which allows me to share an Internet connection with the Linux server laptop (and that works fine, I can browse the Web with Mozilla.)

I've also changed the ServerName in the httpd.conf file to 192.168.0.2, but that didn't improve anything either.

Please help!

I had a brain fart, do you have a firewall running on the laptop like and iptables script?

There are no firewalls running on the laptop that I am aware of -- does Linux have one up by default when it is installed? And what is the iptables script? I am unaware of what that is.

You said that you have Linux 9. Do you mean Red Hat 9 or Slackware 9?

iptables is a firewall. the iptables script is the script you create to create a ruleset and tell the firewall what traffic to filter. a quick check to see if you have a firewall running is to type 'iptables -L' at the command line to list any rules that might be loaded. you can also run 'iptables -F' to flush the ruleset and open the filters up to all traffic. during the RedHat install, did you get a prompt about whether you wanted to install a firewall? I haven't used RH9, but earlier versions ask this and the default is yes.


an excellent site:
Firewall site

that firewall site thing sucks, iptables is not an option the list. And on top of the that, the site was modified last in 2001.

Even if I run an iptables -F to open up the filters, I still can't have the Linux server's web pages appear in the Win XP client.

iptables -L does, however, seem to reveal some kind of firewall at work -- it's hard for me to say since I can't understand the list. However, if it runs through the rules sequentially, then among the first few lines -- all of which are ACCEPTs -- is a line saying "ACCEPT ALL anywhere anywere." Perhaps this would break down the firewall?

Sorry for the confusion, too. I am using Red Hat Linux 9.

Thank you again. Please bring on the advice! I could really use it.

If you get a long list from your iptables -L, then you have a firewall running. I have not used Red Hat since ver 7.3. But they had a control center type app. In it there is a service icon that will let you start|stop|restart iptables. That is the easy way to stop and start it. Once you find it and stop it, see if you can connect.

Let's say mournblade wants to type in http://mournblade_server/ instead of typing 192.168.0.2

What would I have to do to configure linux to do that?
(Assume same config, same ip's, .... just as mournblade)

Thanks!!