[Wylug-help] home networking

[Steve King]

On 25 Nov 2002, dawn wrote:

> Hi, I'm trying to network two computers together to share files and to
> share cable internet access... The modem is connected to a machine
> running mainly linux, and the other computer will be running win98. When
> both are running win98 we can see and share files from the other
> computer, but when the main comp is running linux, i can't see the
> windows system and the win system can't c the linux comp...

You need to get samba working. This pretends to be a windows file
server, and so lets you share files on your linux machine so that
windows clients can access them.

>
> Are there any newbie friendly tutorials for setting this up so we can
> share files and internet, linux-win98? Would it be better to get a cheap
> old box and use it as a server/router? A friend is upgrading her comp
> soon so i can easily get one... Would the fact that the comp is slow,
> slow down the cable connection??

The best guide I've seen for getting samba working is in the OReilly
Running Liunx book. The main jist of it is that you need to edit
/etc/samba/smb.conf (sometimes just /etc/smb.conf). You need to have a
global section, and a per share section.

The global section may look something like this:


[global]
  password level = 20
  security = user
  null passwords = yes
  encrypt passwords = yes
  server string = Moe - Steve's server
  log level = 2
  local master = No
  netbios name = MOE
  guest account = SK
  username map = /etc/samba/user.map
  os level = 2
  preferred master = False


and a share section may look something like

[mp3writeable]
  comment = mp3_writeable
  path = /mp3
  read only = No
  force create mode = 0644
  force directory mode = 0777

and could be as simple as

[cd]
  path = /mnt/cdrom

and then start the service
$ service restart smb
works on my mandrake 8.2 box

In the global section I have set encrypted passwords (which are a pain).
If you do use encrypted passwords you have to mess around a little with
the linux side of things, if you don't use encrypted passwords you need
to change one setting in the windows registry.

The per share settings are simple too, the comment is what you see in
explorer, the path is the path to the share on the linux file system,
readonly I'm sure you can guess, as with the create modes.  All of this
is explained very well in the Running Linux book.

As for the seperate router machine, I'd advise that. We have something
like that here (running smoothwall). Depending on your type of internet
connection you can use an old 486 with no hard disk (using freesco).
That is fine if you have a normal external modem, or a cable connection
with an ethernet connection.  I think from what you say that you fit
into that group.  A 486 can handle a home internet connection without
any problems, unless you have a "winmodem" or an adsl usb modem (as I do
:( )

I hope that helps. If you would like more help with samba just mail
back...

Steve