[ale] Networking Linuxboxes

[James Sumners]

There is no need to assign specific IPs to the machines if you intend
to use SAMBA. SAMBA sends out a broadcast packet and all SAMBA servers
on the same subnet will hear it. The only thing that could be a
problem is a firewall on the local machine(s). But, since the OP is
using OpenSUSE, and presumably the YaST configuration tool, that
should be taken care of transparently.

On Tue, May 27, 2008 at 12:54 PM, Thompson Freeman
<tfreeman at intel.digichem.net> wrote:
> On 05/27/2008 11:28:23 AM, Marc Ferguson wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I know this might be a silly question, but how do you
>> network two or more
>> linuxboxes.  I've done google searches on this and for the
>> most part they
>> write about SAMBA and how to network linux within a
>> windows network.
>>
>> My wife, finally installed linux on her machine this
>> weekend - happy day!
>> She's running openSUSE 10.3 and I'm running Fedora 8.  I
>> thought they would
>> automatically see each other, but it looks like there is
>> more to it than I
>> originally thought.  Right now it's a simple peer-to-peer
>> network, I don't
>> know if we'll should do a client-server structure, but
>> I'll listen to any
>> suggestions.  Thanks.
>
> Couple of questions, the answers to which may help you
> track down your best approach. To begin with, how are
> things networked on the physical level? I'd assume that
> your and your ladys machines are simply nodes on a lan
> behind a router/switch to your isp. I'd also assume that
> your individual ip addresses are dynamically assigned by
> that same router. I could be easily wrong about this tho.
> Next question would be what needs sharing between the two
> or more boxes: files, printers, web pages, data base, chat??
>
> The following partial discussion will be vigorously
> corrected by those who know better (and I'm sticking my
> neck out here just so that I can _get_ that correction!)
>
> Asssuming that you have your machines behind a
> firewall/router/switch type box to the internet, you want
> to configure the router to assign each machine the same ip
> address eachtime that machine connects to the network. If
> that router will also provide local dns name service, use
> that as it will simplify administration of the rest of the
> network. Otherwise, you will need to add entries to each
> machine's /etc/hosts file corresponding to each machine.
> Also, you need to make sure that the firewall on each
> machine has a hole poked in it for each service you need to
> access. Obviously, disabling each machine's firewall
> amounts poking _lots_ of holes in the firewall.
>
> As to sharing stuff. I _think_ printer sharing with cups
> should be pretty automatic at this point, but I'm not sure.
> You may have to enable sharing manually when you set up the
> printers.
>
> File sharing could be via nfs (more of a client-server
> style arraingement) or samba, or possibly by a FUSE based
> system like sshfs. Google is your friend here. Personally I
> use nfs regularly, sshfs for fun and giggles, and samba
> historically but not now out of being lazy.
>
> FWIW, assuming you are behind a firewall/router/switch, you
> might want to consider converting to some third party
> firmware to assure yourself the ability to run a local dns
> service, and possibly to host some print spool capability.
>
> Hope this helps some.


-- 
James Sumners
http://james.roomfullofmirrors.com/

"All governments suffer a recurring problem: Power attracts
pathological personalities. It is not that power corrupts but that it
is magnetic to the corruptible. Such people have a tendency to become
drunk on violence, a condition to which they are quickly addicted."

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