Not understanding how to share files with Windows

[PhoenixKsE]

Hello linux friends,

I am having trouble sharing files from my linux box to my girlfiend's windows 7 box. Here's bascially what I WANT to do:

She likes to use her windows machine, I'm trying to learn linux. I have movies and TV shows on my backup hard drive (connected to my linux box) which I can watch on my linux box. She wants to be able to access and stream them from her windows box (like we were able to do in windows using sharing and/or homegroup) while I'm on linux.

Problem is... I have NO IDEA how to set this up. I tried sharing the video folder on my linux box, and I can see the shared folder from her windows box, but it asks for a username and password, and nothing I've tried is working.

Can someone explain (in plain english) what I have to do? I tried searching for solutions but I simply don't understand what it is I'm supposed to do to allow her windows box to stream files located on my linux box.

Excuse overuse of 'box'... it was easier than typing out 'computer' or 'machine' every time... and I didn't want to cause any confusion on what I'm trying to do.

::::Edit::::

Not sure what I did, but now her computer won't even open my PC from the networking page in windows. It can see it (my linux box), but when I try to access it I get an error saying access denied, even though I still have the video folder on my linux box shared. I'm very close to giving up on this entirely.... it is just too hard to figure out. And here I thought I was pretty good with computers. I guess I'm just pretty good with WINDOWS computers. ugh.

[bender1077]

You're best option is Samba file sharing in LM12.

You'll want to read up on how to configure samba for your desktop, but the main packages you will need are:

- samba
- samba-common
- system-config-samba (optional if you want a GUI front-end)

That will give you plenty to get started. Once you looked into those, come back with any questions on the configuration.

[usbtux]

take a look at viewtopic.php?f=90&t=101317&p=577056#p577056 this might help

[altair4]

I tried sharing the video folder on my linux box, and I can see the shared folder from her windows box, but it asks for a username and password, and nothing I've tried is working.

It appears you have created a samba share but you didn't tell us how - there are two methods. So please post the output of the following commands so we can see how you are set up:

Code: Select all

testparm -s

Code: Select all

net usershare info --long

[PhoenixKsE]

I ended up deleting my install. It was pretty broken because of the way I'm used to troubleshooting (trying things people have attempted in forums, seeing if that fixes the issue or at least helps me understand it better), and I keep forgetting that linux isn't anything like windows, and I can't just easily backtrack to get everything the same. In fact, I tried installing the package 'samba4' (because the terminal said I should when I tried to open samba through the terminal, thinking that might work), and when that didn't seem to do what I was trying to do so I removed it (using apt-get), but the removal said it was going to be freeing up LESS space than the install did, which means some files would not have been uninstalled, and I had no idea where I would have found them to get back to where I was before I started the process.

More importantly than getting samba up and running now is trying to understand linux better in general -- trying to get a handle on how it actually works, and also asking whether or not there is something along the lines of a system restore -- something I could set before I start tinkering around with apt-get so that if I do something wrong I can go back and try something else.

I always do this... I try to dive in too far, my head gets stuck underwater, and I have to get out and try the dive again. Yay metaphors for a scared windows user trying to move to linux!

I shall let everyone know when I get things back up and running, though I have no idea when that might be, as I need to shift things around in order to get it reinstalled (I had a dual-boot setup with windows, but when I formatted the linux hard drive I decided to make it just a backup hard drive and moved a bunch of stuff from my windows hard drive to it). In the meantime I'll be checking this thread now and again and giving updates.

If anyone knows of the system restore thing I was talking about and could help me with that, it would certainly get things back up and running. At least now I know how to make a stable install and get it updated without worrying that I'm going to break it -- but I'm starting to get deeper into it and wish I had my own linux guru to show me bit by bit (and explain what the commands and things they show me actually do), then I wouldn't be so scared to tinker. I've already had to reinstall about 10 times because I don't know about any system restore or whatever.

[DrHu]

She wants to be able to access and stream them from her windows box (like we were able to do in windows using sharing and/or homegroup) while I'm on linux.

That is likely to slow down your responsiveness on Linux

The only reason Samba is needed is because windows uses CIFS/SMF protocol for sharing data and Samba is a kludge: though a pretty good one for sharing with windows OS
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIFS
http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/SMB%2fCIFS

NFS was/is a standard native sharing method for UNIX/Linux: windows does supporty that, however many people think that Samba is a better choice

Might just be better advertising or more prevalence in the OSS market
--and possibly a lack of information about NFS

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324089

UNIX uses the Network File System (NFS) protocol to share files and folders on the network. You can use the Server for NFS component in Windows Services for UNIX to share Windows file system resources to UNIX and Linux clients by using NFS, which includes full support for NFS v3. You can use Server for NFS to make interoperability and migration in a mixed environment easier. If you are using Windows, you can use either Windows Explorer or the Windows Nfsshare.exe command-line utility to share files to UNIX clients.

NFS streaming..
http://xbmcstuff.bossanova808.net/2011/ ... using.html

http://www.networkedmediatank.com/showt ... p?tid=5905
http://www.gossamer-threads.com/lists/mythtv/dev/172488

[altair4]

In fact, I tried installing the package 'samba4' (because the terminal said I should when I tried to open samba through the terminal, thinking that might work),

I simply do not understand why that error message about samba4 comes up in the terminal. Somebody somewhere didn't get the memo about what samba4 is. From synaptic it's clearly labeled "alpha" and from the description:

These packages contain snapshot versions of Samba 4, the next-generation
version of Samba. These should be considered _experimental_, and should
not be used in production.

Also "samba" is a server service not something that's invoked from the terminal and besides the correct version is installed by default in Mint. A better error message would have been: "command samba not found"

If you're going at this again with a reinstall I would recommend starting with a method that will look and feel a lot like how one creates shares in WinXP:

Simple File Sharing in Mint: viewtopic.php?f=42&t=23169

If you run into problems:

Samba Browsing Problems Checklist: viewtopic.php?f=42&t=88146&start=0

And if you still have problems then posting the output of some informational or diagnostic commands will help us determine the cause:

Code: Select all

testparm -s
net usershare info --long
smbtree