Trouble Gaining Remote Acess to University Computer with VPN

[cartwright76]

I managed to install the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client provided by my university (Ohio State) and successfully connect to the school's server ( vpn.service.ohio-state.edu). However, after I have connected, I cannot figure out how to get into this directory:

\\fc1student.mecheng.ohio-state.edu\student\username

The website (search "ohio state mechanical engineering vpn" in google = top non sponsored link result) says that this address must be entered in Windows Explorer; however, I am using Ubuntu 9.04, so I cannot use Windows Explorer (with the exception of WINE). I tried using the "connect to server" program listed under "Places", but have not had any luck. I also think the computers in the lab I'm trying to connect to are not using Samba. Any ideas on how I might connect to this location? Thanks for the help.

[Irithori]

Please make sure, the vpn is working.
For example by pinging that fileserver

ping fc1student.mecheng.ohio-state.edu

If that works, then you need the smbfs package installed on your ubuntu

apt-get install smbfs

smbfs is the package name from ubuntu 9.10 onwards.
I am not 100% sure about 9.04.
If it is not available, search for samba and paste the output here, and please use the Code tags of the forum to do so.

apt-cache search samba

Once smbfs is installed:

mkdir ~/university
mount -t cifs -o username=<YOUR_LOGIN> //fc1student.mecheng.ohio-state.edu/student/<USERNAME> ~/university

Where:
- ~/university is an arbitrary directoryname, choose whatever you want
- <YOUR_LOGIN> is .. your loginname
- <USERNAME> is your directory on the server under the parent directory /student/ (I assume, /student/ is fixed, and <USERNAME> was given to you.)

That should be it

[cartwright76]

Your advice worked. Thank you so much! Will I have to enter the mount command each time, or is there a way to automate the process besides making an executable script with the [mount ...] command?

[Irithori]

Well, the vpn needs to be established first, so putting the arguments of the mount into /etc/fstab wouldnt work.
(Or only, if you *always* start the vpn together with your PC)

The mount needs to be done everytime.
- Either memorize it,
- or rely on the bash history to keep the line for you ( history|grep mount )
- or write a small script -basically consisting of a shebang and the mount line- and try to let it execute directly after the vpn is established.
Maybe that cisco client can execute scripts (no idea, dont know it)
- or you could write a wrapper, that first starts the vpn and then mounts the CIFS