Configuring Linux and WinXP

[silkyJohnson]

I have a Sony VAIO (with XP), I have G3 (with MacOSX), and an old P2 box with Fedora on it. I got the macintosh and VAIO to send files between eachother. Now, my problem is configuring Fedora so that my MAC and VAIO can see its files and write to them, and vice versa. I've tried:

1. Going to Computer > Network > Windows Network > then I get a blank folder. (I know once they see eachother, they'll be here.)
2. Tried turing off the firewall under Security Settings on Fedora
3. Samaba (smb) is running (I made sure of that)
4. I created a folder on my desktop and added it as a share.
5. my Linux box, as well as the others, already have valid IP addresses assigned by my router.
6. I can ping from Fedora to my VAIO, and vice versa, but not my MACINTOSH. I get 'Destination Host Unreachable. BUT I can STILL transfer files.


Can anyone help?
Bare with me, I'm learning :)

-Steve O

[capnlinux]

Are you using a workgroup or a domain in the windows box? Did you add that workgroup or domain into the smb.conf file on the Fedora box?

[silkyJohnson]

I'm using a workgroup. Both my windows box and my linux box are on the samy workgroup 'MYWORKGROUP'. Although, I didn't edit the smb.conf file. What kind of lines would I need to add? One thing you should know is that when I use PuTTY I can connect from windows to linux, but I can NOT connect to my MACINTOSH using PuTTY it says 'Access Denied'. What ports do I need to have open inorder for me to connect? Thanks for your help!

[capnlinux]

At a minimum to view the Windows shares on your Linux box you need to put the following in smb.conf. Follow the other examples in there to add shares on the Linux box to be available to the windows box. Replace <NAMEOFLINUXBOX> with some name you want the windows box to see in Network Neighborhood. Usually the Linux Hostname is used here.

[global]
workgroup = MYWORKGROUP
netbios name = <NAMEOFLINUXBOX>

As to PuTTY, it is using another IP protocol and not SMB to connect between the boxes. It either uses port 21 if using Telnet or port 22 if you check the SSH box and use Secure Shell (definitely preferred). By default Fedora is set up to accept SSH connections. I cannot speak for Macintosh as I don't have access to one. I would guess that it is not set up for ssh as a default. You might try unchecking ssh when you access the Macintosh and see if it accepts Telnet by default. Or you can enable ssh on the Mac.

SSH is much preferred to Telnet as Telnet sends userid/passwords in the clear. SSH encrypts all of this traffic.

SMB or System Message Block is another protocol altogether used by Windows File and Printer Sharing. Samba implements SMB for Linux/Unix.