Windows XP Simple File Sharing and Linux - Who can help a n00b?

[Chaos Descending]

Hello! Any help with the following problem would be greatly appreciated.

I have recently installed SUSE Linux 10 on my Compaq laptop. I want to access my files on my existing Windows PCs.

My main PC is a Windows XP Home system which is setup to share the My Documents folder with the other computers on my home network. My network currently includes my PC as well as my wife's Windows XP Media Center Edition PC, but hopefully will soon consist of my laptop as well.

We are connected to the Internet via Cable Modem.
The Cable Modem is connected to a Netgear Wireless-N Router. My Main PC is connected to the Router via LAN Cable. My wife's computer and the Linux laptop are connected via Wireless-G with WPA-PSK.

I have been led to believe that I am supposed to somehow use Samba Client to access the Windows XP computers from my laptop, but I do not know how to do this.

I have tried to look up some reference material to help me but a lot of the terminology is confusing.

Once again, thank you for any help you can provide.

[Dapper Dan]

I found configuring Samba to be confusing. A friend suggested I install and run Webmin to get thigs running. I did, and now have Samba working correctly. You might want to look it over and see if it will help you...

Link

[Chaos Descending]

I found configuring Samba to be confusing. A friend suggested I install and run Webmin to get thigs running. I did, and now have Samba working correctly. You might want to look it over and see if it will help you...

Link

I can't even install it. I downloaded the RPM and when I tried to install it from the command line, Konsole returned a message saying that it wasn't a valid RPM.

EDIT: Nevermind... I have it installed now. But... so what? This doesn't look any less confusing than Samba.

[joewee]

Setting up VerySecure FTP [http://susewiki.org/index.php?title=...erySecure_FTP]
From SUSE Wiki
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Type: Howto, Application-Specific (vsFTP)

Tested Versions: 10.0, 10.1

Written By: z0man

TFTP(Trivial FTP) is a basic option with no secruity. vsftp(Very Secrue FTP) is far more secure

Providing you have setup your network IP on the server, there are four steps in order to get vsftp to work.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 Installation
* 2 Configuration
* 3 Adjusting SUSE Firewall
* 4 Testing

[edit]
Installation

Using "Yast Software Management" search for and install "vsftp"

There are two ways to start up VSFTP, we can use xinetd services to start it or standalone server(where you configure it in your boot up scripts). Xinetd is more secure so lets get that enabled if you have not done so. In YAST visit System->Network Services->Network Services(xinetd). Click "Toggle (Enable)"

Once enabled, a list will be visible and you should find near the top "vsftpd". The line will probably read something like (Use left and right arrows/horizontal scroll bar)

│ --- │ftp │stream│ tcp │No │root │/usr/sbin/vsftpd....

Make sure that row is highlighted and then "toggle Status" to ON
[edit]
Configuration

Now we have to configure vsftpd to open for users on Linux. Edit /etc/vsftpd.conf. This is read when vsftpd is started, lines with # at the beginning are ignored as most deamons are. Important note, the more you uncomment the less secure it is.

Look for the following lines and uncomment:

write_enable=YES
local_umask=022
local_enable=YES

Comment out(If you don't like anonymous users just coming in looking around freely)

#anonymous_enable=YES

Change Listen line to

Listen=NO

Changing "Listen" to no allows xinetd to start up the service rather setting up a boot script for /usr/sbin/vsftpd
[edit]
Adjusting SUSE Firewall

If you're running this you need to adjust this. In EXTERNAL ZONE you will need to ALLOW a couple of ports on TCP/UDP. In Yast visit

Secruity & Users -> Firewall

TAB or click on "Allow Services" then select "Advanced", add the following ports

TCP Ports
20 21
UDP Ports
20 21

Then click OK. Then click NEXT to see the Summary for SuSeFirewall changes and accept. 21 and 20 are standard ports for FTP communication and they need to be enabled on both UDP and TCP.
[edit]
Testing

Restart SuSeFirewall and vsftp with the following commands

# rcnetwork restart
# rcxinetd restart

Use your desired FTP client software to connect to your Server IP on port 21 and enjoy On Linux I'd type

$ ftp 192.168.0.2

Then use a username on the

[Chaos Descending]

Setting up VerySecure FTP

Did nothing for me.

How hard can this be?

Apparently Linux is not for me. Back to Windows XP I go!

Thanks anyway for everyone that tried. Unfortunately Linux is just not quite ready to be a Desktop PC OS. Too hard!

[Juan Pablo]

Too hard!

You are assuming friendly is what you are used to, that's simply not true

Linux is NOT Windows

Read this please http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW1.htm http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm
and this
http://www.psychocats.net/essays/linuxdesktopmyth

[Chaos Descending]

You are assuming friendly is what you are used to, that's simply not true

Linux is NOT Windows

Read this please http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW1.htm http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm
and this
http://www.psychocats.net/essays/linuxdesktopmyth

Thank you for supplying those link and patiently NOT flaming me.

It makes a very good point indeed. I guess I DO have a lot to unlearn.

[mahlerfan]

Using linux is different from using windows in the this important way--

In linux to have a rewarding experience you have to read documentation before you do something. But then you discover that it's more powerful and configurable than the windows method usually ends up giving you only one way to skin a cat, but you don't have to read up on how to do it before hand.

Here is a cool argument on why it's worth the effort--

http://www.over-yonder.net/~fullermd...rfriendly1.php

[Chaos Descending]

Hmmmm I found some things that claim that it's not possible for Windows XP Home to share with any non-Windows box. Is this true? Will the SAMBA client only work with Windows XP Professional?

[Juan Pablo]

All the work is done by the linux box, the windows computers don't even know that they're connecting to a different OS, they identify the other computer as windows nt.

I remember YaST have a nice configuration util for Samba with all the bells and whistles including a GUI