How Do I Network Two Linux Boxes?

[Fergatron]

Hi,

I did a search and really just looked at the first two pages of the results. If there is a thread already on this topic, please post it so I can read it.

My issue is, I'd like to know how to network two linux boxes (at home). My wife runs openSUSE and I run Fedora. We've done google searches, etc, but it mostly comes up with a work-type environment scenerio - or am I just missing something.

We are linux noobs so please explain your suggestions... and thank you for your responses.

[snarkout]

Define network.

[Fergatron]

Really? I have to define "network". I will, but just to rant a bit. It's so frustrating find answers in the linux community - because this wonderful operating system has allowed us to literally DO ANYTHING we want. In Windows/MAC a network was either peer-to-peer or server-client. Even after me saying it's for "home", usually defining a peer-to-peer, I end up getting server-client information.

Sorry about that. Back to the question. We want to do file and printer sharing between each computers. Our setup, so far is:

• Comcast Cable Modem which then plugs into our NETGEAR Wireless-G Router
• The openSUSE box is plugged into the router via an ethernet cable.
• The Fedora box is plugged into the router via an ethernet cable.
• I also have a Fedora laptop connected to the wireless router using WPA-PSK [TKIP] + WPA2-PSK [AES].
• Just to throw you for a loop I also have a Windows laptop, running Windows XP connected to the wireless router as well.

But I could care less about the laptops, right now I just want to get the desktops file/printer sharing. Thanks.

[eddie]

If both machines are on the net or have access to the net then the machines are networked. I would probably ask is file sharing what you really really want to do? http://www.howtoforge.com has some good tutorials on linux. I like to use sshfs to share files. it is easy to set up, relatively secure, and the fastest from what I have seen.

[snarkout]

To respond, it's my advice that you never assume that someone else will know what you mean. "Network" to me means get them on the air, not setup file sharing. Obviously to lots of other people, it means "setup a server." I'm not trying to be an asshole, just trying to make sure people understand your requirements before they start doing braindumps.

In the scenario you've defined samba/cifs would likely be the best and easiest solution to setup since it allows windows boxen to play as well and provides support for printer sharing as well. The actual setup of samba is non-trivial if you do it the way I have always done it, which is by hand. Hopefully someone will step up and give you instructions for setting samba us quickly and easily. I will say that the best "network neighborhood" style of browser I've come across is smb4k (http://smb4k.berlios.de/) - be aware that it's a KDE app, and like many kde apps it has billions of config options.

[LinuxMint-4]

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/ubuntu/i ... on-ubuntu/


http://www.ubuntugeek.com/mount-network ... buntu.html

[Tsuroerusu]

Really? I have to define "network". I will, but just to rant a bit. It's so frustrating find answers in the linux community - because this wonderful operating system has allowed us to literally DO ANYTHING we want. In Windows/MAC a network was either peer-to-peer or server-client. Even after me saying it's for "home", usually defining a peer-to-peer, I end up getting server-client information.

Sorry about that. Back to the question. We want to do file and printer sharing between each computers. Our setup, so far is:

• Comcast Cable Modem which then plugs into our NETGEAR Wireless-G Router
• The openSUSE box is plugged into the router via an ethernet cable.
• The Fedora box is plugged into the router via an ethernet cable.
• I also have a Fedora laptop connected to the wireless router using WPA-PSK [TKIP] + WPA2-PSK [AES].
• Just to throw you for a loop I also have a Windows laptop, running Windows XP connected to the wireless router as well.

But I could care less about the laptops, right now I just want to get the desktops file/printer sharing. Thanks.

Like Snarkout said earlier, your best bet is probably Samba for both file and printer sharing. Both openSUSE and Fedora come with utilities that make this quite simply to set up. In openSUSE, you should use YaST to share the printer, if you wanna connect the printer to your Fedora machine, look for the printer configuration tool in the menus. If you want to share files from the Fedora machine, you need to install system-config-samba, which in the menus will appear as "Samba".

[eddie]

Samba requires adding additional services that are not totally secure and something else to slow down the machine. It also requires you to take more time setting up a second set of permissions. Even with the gui apps, that is still extra work and unnecessary management. Last but not least, you are using technology that could be considered software patent encumbered. We have since dumped all samba and only use sshfs (Even windows machines). Ubuntu (as will other distros) will easily let you connect to sshfs type share either manually or via fstab. I did not like sshfs at first, because I did not realize all the power of it. Now it is a blessing not to have to mess with samba, swat , less security and another Microsoft crutch.

[snarkout]

You know of any good nethood-style file browsers for sshfs? I agree that sshfs is fantastic and use it myself, but the OP made it fairly clear that he's looking for windows style p2p sharing. Also, do you know of any good sshfs printer sharing options?

[Tsuroerusu]

Samba requires adding additional services that are not totally secure

NOTHING is "totally secure", not even OpenSSH. I have installed two security patches in recent months for it. I have gotten used to running SELinux on my machines, and it can keep a good eye on Samba, locking it down further.

and something else to slow down the machine.

This is the classic old "Oh that big, bloated thing will slow down your quad-core machine", which I find utterly ridiculous today with super high-powered machines for very little money. I would agree with you if we were talking about something on the scale of Windows Vista or OpenOffice.org, but come on, Samba isn't gonna take up more than a few megabytes of memory. And in Fergatron's case, I get the feeling he cares a little bit more about compatibility than performance.

It also requires you to take more time setting up a second set of permissions.

Like three seconds? You're exaggerating to an absurd degree.

Even with the gui apps, that is still extra work and unnecessary management.

In a literal sense, I sort of agree. But in a practical sense, I think this argument is completely bogus. First of all, you exaggerate the amount of time and effort it takes to get Samba going, and once it's going you just leave it, doing it's business, ESPECIALLY on a home computer, which is what this is about. We're not talking some corporate clustered file system here.

Last but not least, you are using technology that could be considered software patent encumbered.

LOL!
Sorry, but I have to laugh now. This is just the biggest load of malarky I have heard from anybody but George W. Bush in a long time! First of all, Microsoft has showed absolutely NO evidence of patent infringement in Samba, and in our type of society, guilt has to be proved, not claimed.

We have since dumped all samba and only use sshfs (Even windows machines). Ubuntu (as will other distros) will easily let you connect to sshfs type share either manually or via fstab. I did not like sshfs at first, because I did not realize all the power of it. Now it is a blessing not to have to mess with samba, swat , less security and another Microsoft crutch.

Glad it's working for you!
I'm serious, I'm happy for you that your system is working the way you want it to.

I have some gripes with SSHFS. I like to not have the file modification dates altered just because I move a file to a different location. For example, let's say I have an episode of TLLTS that I downloaded in 2006 (Modification date representing this), if I use SSHFS to move it to another machine, it changes the modification date to the date of the move, which really frustrates me. CIFS being more of an actual network file system (And not just a FUSE module) doesn't do this, and have some other advantages. Also I don't quite think the Samba developers would agree with you about your "Microsoft crutch" comment. There are UNIX extentions for CIFS making it fairly good for connecting UNIX and Linux machines, and allowing for case sensitive filenames and such.

[eddie]

good luck grasshopper.....
Gnome desktop > Places > connect to server > ssh.

[Tsuroerusu]

good luck grasshopper.....

I'm sorry, you must have me confused with somebody else, because I happen to be a human.

[dann]

You know of any good nethood-style file browsers for sshfs? I agree that sshfs is fantastic and use it myself, but the OP made it fairly clear that he's looking for windows style p2p sharing. Also, do you know of any good sshfs printer sharing options?

I do this with konqueror too, all the time. You just connect to a server using sftp and browse it like a local machine.

With samba I have use lineighborhood in the past and have been very please. Although, it's hard not to use the native tools with konqueror or nautilus these days.

[eddie]

I have used samba quite a bit via knoppix to rescue downed windows boxes and image existing machines. The trninty rescue kit (trk) is a tech's best friend also. I also used samba file sharing quite heavily till I was introduced to ssh. I still have the samba client on my laptop for when I go into that other network infrastructure. To each his own when it comes to file sharing. I have so much less hassle now without samba. I still like the novell nos and nds the best in some ways. I used nos 4.x on a cots (computer off the shelf) as my first file server. Mars-nwe was an interesting project also. I use just standard tcpip printing. I have not tried sftp to do printing, but it sounds like another interesting method to add to the tool box.

[hellonorman]

If you are expecting to move large files, as in measured in gigabytes I would recommend samba. They will transfer faster via samba than via ssh.