how to connect Mint 14 xfce to existing WORKGROUP [SOLVED]

[Linux_usr_n_PA]

My shift from Windows to Linux happened yesterday morning when I installed Mint 14 xfce (32 bit) on one of two hard drives on a six year old Dell (Dimension E510) with a 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 and 1GB of RAM. The other hard drive is running Windows XP Media Center Edition (SP3). This machine is connected wirelessly (workgroup=WORKGROUP) to a Linksys router. The router maintains a wired Ethernet connection to a 2TB Linux file server (WD My Book Live). And I've got three laptops all running Windows 7 and all connected to the same workgroup. The Dell, from Windows XP, and all laptops can see each other and the Linux file server. And the Dell, from Mint 14, is connected to the router and the Internet. But I can't get it to show me the other machines. I don't know whether the Dell (Mint OS) is connected to the other machines - I suspect it is because it's connected to the Internet - or whether I just don't have the Mint desktop configured correctly.

I've spent more than a dozen hours since searching here and elsewhere for how to connect the Mint desktop to WORKGROUP.

When I eventually get to where I want to go will I know it because I can see my Linux file server (the 2TB My Book Live) in File Manager? Currently all I see there is home, Desktop, File System and the 2nd Dell hard drive ("160 GB Volume").

Any help with be greatly appreciated.

Thanks much.

[cwsnyder]

I think you need to read from this thread: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=202605

Samba is the component you don't have installed to do peer-to-peer on a Windows network.

[altair4]

From the Mint14 machine you might want to post the output of the following commands so people here can see how you are set up:

Code: Select all

testparm -s

Code: Select all

smbtree

You also might want to go through the checklist first:

Samba Browsing Checklist: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p ... 46&start=0

[Linux_usr_n_PA]

Thanks cwsnyder. Will do.

altair4, here it is.

Load smb config files from /etc/samba/smb.conf
rlimit_max: increasing rlimit_max (1024) to minimum Windows limit (16384)
Processing section "[printers]"
Processing section "[print$]"
Loaded services file OK.
Server role: ROLE_STANDALONE
[global]
workgroup = MSHOME
server string = %h server (Samba, LinuxMint)
map to guest = Bad User
obey pam restrictions = Yes
pam password change = Yes
passwd program = /usr/bin/passwd %u
passwd chat = *Enter\snew\s*\spassword:* %n\n *Retype\snew\s*\spassword:* %n\n *password\supdated\ssuccessfully* .
unix password sync = Yes
syslog = 0
log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
max log size = 1000
dns proxy = No
usershare allow guests = Yes
panic action = /usr/share/samba/panic-action %d
idmap config * : backend = tdb

[printers]
comment = All Printers
path = /var/spool/samba
create mask = 0700
printable = Yes
print ok = Yes
browseable = No

[print$]
comment = Printer Drivers
path = /var/lib/samba/printers



WORKGROUP
\\MYBOOKLIVE My Book Live Network Storage
\\MYBOOKLIVE\Public Public Share
\\MYBOOKLIVE\Jim
\\MYBOOKLIVE\Susan
\\MYBOOKLIVE\TimeMachineBackup TimeMachineBackup
\\MYBOOKLIVE\SmartWare SmartWare
\\MYBOOKLIVE\IPC$ IPC Service (My Book Live Network Storage)
\\JIM-LAPTOP
\\SUSAN-LAPTOP
\\RUTH-LAPTOP
MSHOME
\\JIM-DELL-DM051 jim-Dell-DM051 server (Samba, LinuxMint)
\\JIM-DELL-DM051\Deskjet-F4100-series HP Deskjet F4100 series
\\JIM-DELL-DM051\print$ Printer Drivers
\\JIM-DELL-DM051\IPC$ IPC Service (jim-Dell-DM051 server (Samba, LinuxMint))

[Linux_usr_n_PA]

cwsnyder,

Step 1 stopped me dead in my tracks.

1. Prerequisites [...] Your Linux box should have an static ip-address.

My router (Linksys wrt54g) is not setup to provide static IP addresses.

So the methodology you suggest won't exactly work for me if it means changing the DHCP server setting to disable.

I guess I could take a deeper dive into the world of network setup. But first I'd like to know, is there absolutely no way to connect a PC running Linux Mint to an existing WORKGROUP when the PC's IP address is not static?

Thanks.

[MartyMint]

cwsnyder,

Step 1 stopped me dead in my tracks.

1. Prerequisites [...] Your Linux box should have an static ip-address.

My router (Linksys wrt54g) is not setup to provide static IP addresses.

So the methodology you suggest won't exactly work for me if it means changing the DHCP server setting to disable.

I guess I could take a deeper dive into the world of network setup. But first I'd like to know, is there absolutely no way to connect a PC running Linux Mint to an existing WORKGROUP when the PC's IP address is not static?

Thanks.

You can assign a static IP address on your machine.

[Linux_usr_n_PA]

Thanks MartyMint. Can you direct me to a step-by-step tutorial?

[altair4]

smbtree shows you from your machines perspective how the samba client sees the network shares. It sees the MYBOOKLIVE host ( along with everyone else ) just fine without requiring static ip address.

If you run the following command from a terminal:

Code: Select all

thunar smb://

Do you not see the same hosts as the ones you see in smbtree? You may see the Workgroup cluster first but if you double click that don't you see the same hosts?

And if you run this command:

Code: Select all

thunar smb://mybooklive 

Do you not see the same shares as smbtree?

BTW, I'm guessing that the Jim, Susan, and Ruth laptops are either Win7 machines, don't have any shared folders, or are blocked by a firewall? Or maybe a combination of the above?

[Linux_usr_n_PA]

altair4,

Thanks so much. thunar smb:// returns a File Manager window showing MSHOME and WORKGROUP. Opening MSHOME shows me my connection to the Dell and its wired printer. Opening WORKGROUP shows me the laptops and the Linux file server (mybooklive).

Final question (for now): Is this the optimal way of getting access to these machines?

Thanks.

----

PS: Got it! From File Manager: Go > Open Location > smb:// > slect WORKGROUP and go...

Thanks again altair4.

[altair4]

You know I never noticed this before

I run Xubuntu 12.04 not Mint so I was going to tell you to just click on the network bookmark on the left side panel of thunar.

I have Mint14 XFCE in a VBox guest on this system. In Mint there is no Network bookmark in thunar. Um ... I don't know if that's a bug or what.

I just did this and it survives a reboot so see if it works for you:

Open a terminal and type:

Code: Select all

thunar network://

Select the little "network" folder icon in the toolbar:

A-Toolbar.png

And drag it to the side panel:

aa-side.png

When you want to see the network shares choose that bookmark.

Surely this must be a bug - I'll have to investigate.

[Linux_usr_n_PA]

Without having to deal with Terminal...

From File Manager: Go > Open Location > network:// > VOILA!!!

Thanks again altair. You've been a great help.

Problem solved!!!

[Linux_usr_n_PA]

Open a terminal and type:

Code: Select all

thunar network://

Select the little "network" folder icon in the toolbar:

A-Toolbar.png

And drag it to the side panel:

aa-side.png

When you want to see the network shares choose that bookmark.

Works like a charm. Thanks again.

[altair4]

There is an alternative and it's something you can use to automount some or all of these samba shares - Gigolo:

Using Gigolo to Mount Remote Samba Shares: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=52144

You can use it as a share browser although it offers no advantages over the "Network" bookmark you now have. But you can set this little baby up to run in the background to have remote shares mount when you boot up so you don't have to go searching for them.