Hello guys.

I have experience with Windows networks but want to learn how to set up a Linux-only network. I have two computers with Mandrake 10 Official installed. They are connected using a router but DHCP is turned off and I've assigned static IP's to each computer. I tried using NFS for the network but don't know what the @$#% I'm doing. So, I installed Samba and LinNeighborhood. Each computer can ping the other and in LinNeighborhood, I can see the other computer. But, I can't browse the other machine. I tried to change the machine name on one computer because I was pretty sure that the problem was that they both had the same machine name. I used "hostname" command to change the name. It changed the name but didn't help. Here are some details:

1. I called the second machine "dualbox", so I ran: hostname dualbox.
2. I tried to ping dualbox and the hostname is unkown. Hmm.
3. Did I tell you I didn't know what I was doing? So, don't laugh
4. Computer A (localhost) is 192.168.0.3 and computer B (dualbox) is 192.168.0.4.
5. I figure it's gotta be something with the host name, but I'm not sure.
6. In LinNeighborhood, I can mount the other machine but can't log in and I have the same userid and pwd for both machines.
7. I must be missing a lot or overlooking something very simple.
8. Can anyone help or maybe even lead me to a good Mandrake Networking Howto or something.


Your help is very appreciated. I'll go take some more Ibuprofen now and come check for any replies later.

Sam

To use NFS the machine must be setup to "export" a directory. The other machine connecting to your NFS Server will have to "mount" the exported file system.

Both machines canbe setup as NFS servers if you want to share directories between the two.

On the first PC, while logged in as "root", create a directory called "pc1" then create a text file called "test1" and enter some text into the file.

You then have to create an entry now to export the directory in the /etc/exports file. Do this as a super user from a terminal by typin "su" then password then use the command "vi /etc/exports" and type in the path to the directory you want to export e.g /home/username/pc1 *(rw)

this should give you read/write access to the directory

Refresh the exports database using the command "usr/sbin/exportfs -r"

Then check that RPC services are runningby entering the command "usr/sbin/rpcinfo -p" if the NFS service is listed then the PC is running as an NFS server, if not use the "/etc/rc.d/init.d/nfs start" to get it started. Check the service is running again, if it isn't then recheck that your /etc/exports file is OK...

you can also check that NFS is running on other machine by using the command "/usr/sbin/rpcinfo -p <enter ip address>

To mount the exported file system on the other machine you need to place an entry in the "/etc/fstab" file similar to:

mount <pc1's hostname>: /home/username/pc1 /home/username/pc1_files

you can replace the pc1_files with the name of the directory you have created on PC2 to mount pc1's exported file system...

then use you file manager to browse to the /home/username/pc1_files on PC2 and you should see the "test1" text file you created within the 1st PC's exported directory...

repeat the process for PC2 to export the file system and mount it on PC1...

i've only did this a couple of times on Mandrake 8.1 and 10 but it should work...

Samba is for connectingto Windows Shares so you don't need it if it's a Linux only Network...

1. I called the second machine "dualbox", so I ran: hostname dualbox.
2. I tried to ping dualbox and the hostname is unkown. Hmm.

sorry, didn't notice that, you can mount the system with the ip address also, if you're having hostname problems it may be an error with DNS, but i'm not sure...