Configuring NETBIOS/Samba

[Alexander Dalloz]

Am Mo, den 26.01.2004 schrieb Tom Taylor um 13:59:
> Hi,
> 
> I'm using Fedora Core 1, dual booted with Windows XP, on a small house 
> network (5-6 PCs). The router, a Linksys 4 port is managing DHCP, and 
> we're all on Class C.
> 
> I'm trying to get Fedora to share folders with the Windows machines, as 
> well as just interact via hostnames. If I type 'ping windowsbox', it 
> cannot find the IP in Fedora, whereas it will find it easily in XP. 
> Presumably this is due to some sort of NETBIOS DNS lookup.

No, 'ping windowsbox' will only work if the Linux PC can resolve the
Windows PC over /etc/hosts or querying a DNS server. Obviously you do
not have either, no DNS server running in local net nor a valid entry
for you local PCs in the /etc/hosts file. You can ping the Windows box
itself as it knows his own name.

> I have configured the workgroup in Samba, and the hostname of the 
> machine is 'tom'.

Samba uses NMB for name resolution. So you have to tell one PC, either
the Fedora on or a Windows one - best the one which is always accessible
- to be master browser in your net. There is an option in smb.conf to do
so on samba side. Consult the manual. 

> So, what do I need to configure to allow my fedora box to see my windows 
> machines through DNS? I should also mention that they change IPs 
> regularly, so keeping the whole network static and using /etc/hosts is 
> not an option.

If you want DNS resolution you will have to run an DNS server like bind
with dynamic updates. But you will not need that just for file sharing.
Why do the IPs change?

> I've tried the ol' Google, but to no avail. Maybe I was searching for 
> the wrong thing.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> --
> Tom Taylor

Alexander


-- 
Alexander Dalloz | Enger, Germany | GPG key 1024D/ED695653 1999-07-13
Fedora GNU/Linux Core 1 (Yarrow) on Athlon CPU kernel 2.4.22-1.2149.nptl
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                   [ Γνωθι σ'αυτον - gnothi seauton ]