It it possible share files/ internet with 2 computers running Mandrake 9.2 with a crossover cable and 2 LAN cards?
Under windows xp they were connected automatically, but in linux i cant get them to see each other after running the network wizard.

Also, can i network a computer with windows xp and one with linux?

What steps should i take to do this?

Thanks.

Not quite sure what your setup is like,
but basically yes.

Sure.

Same as in connecting them using Linux;
Give them individual IP addresses, tell one
that the other is it's gateway, and off you go.


Cheers,
Tink

Yes you can. Just conenct the computers and set IPs like:

Linux:
IP - 192.168.1.1
netmask - 255.255.255.0

Windows:
IP - 192.168.1.2
netmask - 255.255.255.0

FWIW I usually have to 'ifdown eth0' and then 'ifup eth0' after I set the IPs to get the network card talking again after the netconfig wizard.

Um, do i have to go into the terminal to assign their IPs ? what command should i type ? Do i have to do this every time i boot up?

After running the network wizard I looked at configuration/KDE/Information/network interfaces and one computer showed this:

eth0:9 127.255.255.255. 255.0.0.0 Broadcast UP
lo 127.0.0.1 255.0.0.0 Loopback UP

the othe computer just shows:
lo 127.0.0.1 255.0.0.0 Loopback UP

What is that supposed to mean??

By the way, a crossover cable is just a standard network cable thats built so i doesnt need a hub in between, so 2 computers can be linked toguether.

The second computer's ethernet card is not showing up. Is it configured? Is the cable plugged in (I know that's lowbrow, but its usually something silly that stops you the most)?

Right now I have the same setup as you asked about (2nd one). My gateway is Windows XP and the client is Mandrake 9.1 with a crossover cable between (it'll work fine with a hub too, if you plug the crossover into the 'daisychain' so don't throw the cable if you get a hub later). I have it this way, as I am currently on dialup and the internet call manager software isn't available for Linux. It works fine out of the box. Mandrake did it for me. I'm still working on the filesharing (so far using LinNeighborhood to mount the Win32 puter and then browsing it with Konqueror works fairly well, although I'm too lazy to set broader permissions yet).

I bet if you can get that ethernet card recognized, the network'll configure itself.

I restarterd the second computer, now it seems to recognize the ethernet card too. I know they are connected because if i type "ping 192.168.1.2" ill get a reply, but thats it.

I tried using LinNeighborhood and clicking on the add button and entering the ip of other computer and cliking on query, but il get an error after about 5 secs.

How can i search the files on the other computer? i never dealt with configuring networks before so i dont know where to go from here now.

Do i have to use samba to network a windows and a linux computer? i been reading the manual for it and i dont undersant any of it.
Is there any simple way to do this without becoming an IT technician?

http://www.homenethelp.com/
http://www.linuxgazette.com/issue28/journeay.html

Two of the better and more easy to read sources on networking. Its been a while since I had to change my network values. With Mandrake, it usually "just works". I know that looking at man ifconfig and other wonderfully assumptive texts, I was quite lost as well. If others don't lead you to the right place, I will figure it out with you again, as I am possibly gonna need the info in about a week anyways myself. Try man route as well. There are so many neat ways to network and so few good explanations (that are easy to find) of what commands really mean. Perhaps we'll be instrumental in changing that. :-D