A local wireless network for sharing files (linux desktop+linux laptop+mac laptop)
 

I'm sorry - I'm an absolute beginner to networks (I've only just got the web!) THis is the situation:

1 linux mandrake 10.2 desktop connected by ethernet to a linksys wireless router. (256meg/160gig/950Mhz)

1 linux mandrake 10.2 laptop with working wireless card connecting via B to wireless router.

1 iBook OSX 10.4 soon to arrive.

I would like ot be able to keep our houses CDs and DVDs encoded on the desktop and then pull them down onto the laptops to listen/watch at our leisure.

That and to store work and files - for editing. And to set my programs running on the desktop (i.e. be able to ssh in). However I don't know if this is even possible.

Can anyone point me towards any good places to learn? Or have any ideas?

SAMBA might seem like a strange choice as you don't have any windows computers in your network. But I'm sure it would work.

You would need to set up at least one share on your desktop, and use a client to connect from the other computers. You might want to look at the samba website if you choose to use samba.