Linux Networking at the home

jmack1010 · Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2005 7:52 pm Post subject: Linux Networking at the home

I have resisted forever posting this topic, hoping I would figure it out; however I am so frustrated and I could really use help of someone more experienced.

My Problem:
I have a Linksys wireless router BEFW11S4 802.11b. Three roommates who I have converted to linux. Three laptops and one desktop, the desktop and two of the laptops are running Gentoo 2004.3 and one of my roommates is running Suse 9.2.

On the Gentoo boxes if I edit the /etc/hosts file to say:
127.0.0.1 themack.home.org themack localhost
192.168.1.101 thewoody.home.org thewoody
192.168.1.102 stealthy.home.org stealthy
# IPV6 versions of localhost and co
::1 ip6-localhost ip6-loopback
fe00::0 ip6-localnet
ff00::0 ip6-mcastprefix
ff02::1 ip6-allnodes
ff02::2 ip6-allrouters
ff02::3 ip6-allhosts

I can ping my roommates computers. However, once everyone reboots the ip addresses change and I have to edit the /etc/hosts file again. I know their is a file that bind ip addresses to mac addresses, but I don't know what it is and we are all using DHCP.

My next problem is even though i can ping other computers, I don't know how to share files. I have tried to setup Samba, but to no avail. I have read several mini Samba howto's but I have not been successful in my network (I must just be missing something). Since none of us are using windows, and only one of my roommates occasionaly uses it, I am not to concerned about networking with Microsoft Computers. So Samba or NFS will solve my solution.

I know that samba is suppose to be easy to setup, and I am using KDE so I thought their frontend would make networking easy, but I am at a loss because I really don't know what I am doing. However, if NFS isn't bad to set up than that would be an awesome solution too.

To break up this post, thank you for anyone that is even just reading my problem and helping me out, I truly appreciate it.

To recap:

i need to know how to bind ip addresses to mac addresses so they stay the same (unless this is unnecessary). And I need a dummy proof guide to setup basic file sharing between the computers on the network with either Samba or NFS. I would post my smb.conf, however, it is in such disarray it truly means nothing anymore.

Thank you so much for your time, if you need any more information, just let me know and I will post it for you!

Joe

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2005 8:05 pm Post subject:

jmack1010,

Since you are all using dhcp, you should not have IP addresses for the local network in /etc/hosts. DHCP should take care of than when you ping the PC name. You cannot ping the IP address safely because it may change.
You can request a particular IP from dhcp too and will have it assigned if its free. A bit like psudo static IPs.

To share files, look into NFS. It helps if the user names and IDs are the same on all the PCs. Be sure to use soft mounts if you try to cross mount NFS filesystems or you can get into the state where each PC is waiting for the other to boot. Samba is only needed to include Windows in the filesharing.

NFS is easy to set up, You need kernel support, an /etc/exports file that defines what is shared and who with and the daemons provided by

jmack1010 · Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2005 10:06 pm Post subject: Thank You

First and foremost thank you for your help!

I am currently at work so I cannot change my setup currently to confirm that I can set it up right. I just have a couple more questions to make sure I have everything understood.

1. When I add my shared directory to /etc/fstab is it
stealthy.home.org:/mnt/home or...
stealthy:/mnt/home
2. What exactly does this do "bg,_netdev,rsize=8192,wsize=8192"
3. in /etc/exports do I just add a username or do I have to add it under under /etc/hosts.allow like:
steathy.home.org or do I have to add more information.
4. Is it possible to see all the computers on your network?
for example can you type in nfs:/ in konqueror or something similar?
5. Finally, (i know the list has become annoying) but is it possible to share a printer under NFS?

Thank you so much again! I appreciate your all your help!

Joe

Headrush · Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2005 10:24 pm Post subject:

NFS = network file system --> no printer sharing.
(Technically you could hack into the spooler directory using a share, that kind of thing, but obviously not what you want.)

Cups has support for printer sharing.
Check out the options in CUPS and you'll be able to add a networked printer as easy as Windows.
(Directions and tools depend on your environment/desktop)

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2005 10:32 pm Post subject:

jmack1010,

The form of the mount command for nfs mounts is

jmack1010 · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 7:51 pm Post subject:

Thank you so much!

I am able to mount my shares on my other computers, but only when I assign the ip address to the computer name in /etc/hosts.

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 8:29 pm Post subject:

jmack1010,

At the time your host broadcasts for an IP address, you may request that it use a particular name for your host. Its an entry in /etc/conf.d/net

If you do that, the dhcp server should manage name resolution for you. You will need a line in /etc/resolv.conf that says