Linux Newb

Well I just assembled a new system out of some spare parts for a test server around the house, I've decided to use Linux on this machine as it is more stable than windows and I've always wanted to learn it.I'm haveing a few troubles, currently i'm trying to connect the machine to my local network. I am able to access the internet and login to my router, but I am unable to find any of the other pcs on my network (all windows machines)I'm also trying to figure out what the local ip address of this new machine is, I know on windows i could goto the cmd prompt and run ipconfig and it would tell me but this is a whole new language to me and cant seem to find the command.thanks

on windows i could goto the cmd prompt and run ipconfig

On Linux (as on other Unix systems) you open a shell command prompt window, and you type :ifconfig -a
It's ifconfig -a on Unix, and ipconfig /all on Windows, looks rather similar, isn't it ?
what do you name "find other Pc's" ?
A PC can telnet to a Linux machine and share it's shared folders. Is this what you want to do ?
If you want to share your Linux filesystems and access them from your PC, you must learn how to activate Samba on your Linux machine and define shared folders and grant access to users.
If you want your Linux to read the Windows machine disks, you will have to install NFS on your windows machines.

On Linux (as on other Unix systems) you open a shell command prompt window, and you type :ifconfig -a
It's ifconfig -a on Unix, and ipconfig /all on Windows, looks rather similar, isn't it ?
what do you name "find other Pc's" ?
A PC can telnet to a Linux machine and share it's shared folders. Is this what you want to do ?
If you want to share your Linux filesystems and access them from your PC, you must learn how to activate Samba on your Linux machine and define shared folders and grant access to users.
If you want your Linux to read the Windows machine disks, you will have to install NFS on your windows machines.

I was hoping for it to work just like networking on my PC's just access it through the explorer, but I guess all I really need is to be able to transfer files from my one pc to the linux box

on my PC's just access it through the explorer

It works like with explorer.On your PC, you start Internet explorer.
As site address, you type yourusername@yourLinuxIpaddress
IE will open a box asking confirmation of your Linux username and your user password, and it wil open a windows very similar to Windows Explorer. You will be able to copy to this window or from this window to your local Windows explorer on your PC hard disk.
And if you configure the samba server on your Linux Machine, your Linux shared folders will be seen from the PC's like other windows shared folders.

It works like with explorer.On your PC, you start Internet explorer.
As site address, you type yourusername@yourLinuxIpaddress
IE will open a box asking confirmation of your Linux username and your user password, and it wil open a windows very similar to Windows Explorer. You will be able to copy to this window or from this window to your local Windows explorer on your PC hard disk.
And if you configure the samba server on your Linux Machine, your Linux shared folders will be seen from the PC's like other windows shared folders.

ok thanks, im switching to a different distro atm because I didnt really like fedora that much plus I had an extremely old version... If I am going to run some servers on this machine which would be better, Debian or ubuntu? or will it not matter since they are basically the same core?

if u're talking about making your Windows machine to see your Linux machine, you must enable and configure Samba.

Samba Project

xboxrulz

if u're talking about making your Windows machine to see your Linux machine, you must enable and configure Samba.

 

Samba Project

 

xboxrulz

 

I would like both my linux machine to see my windows machine and vice versa.... I got samba installed on ubuntu, but I cant get my windows pc to see it in my network, anything I should check?

You need to edit the configuration files. I don't know how to do this because SuSE Linux has a graphical tool to do it for you.

 

KDE should also have a graphical for it too. Just launch kcontrol in your GNOME installation and u'll get to the KDE Control Centre to fix the details.

 

xboxrulz

Edited October 28, 2006 by xboxrulz (see edit history)

I would like both my linux machine to see my windows machine and vice versa.... I got samba installed on ubuntu, but I cant get my windows pc to see it in my network, anything I should check?

 

Check the workgroup option in /etc/samba/smb.conf file. Workgroup names for both machines should be equal.

Also, check that SAMBA is started up as a service.xboxrulz