MEPIS Community Forum

smb4k works with linux and connects to NAS IF your NAS device supports samba/netbios shares. it is not a router management tool

Thanks for the info regarding smb4k. What is the best way to connect to other computers or hardware using ip addresses? I try typing the ip in a browser but it does not work. For example today, I was trying to connect to a Mac in the office that was not listed under the samba workgroup. I know the machine's IP but cannot use it to locate that machine.

Thanks,

Michel

the mac would need to be running samba and be configured similarly to the other machines in order for it to show up in your samba browse list.

your pcs won't respond to web requests unless they are running some web process.

take a look at http://www.samba.org/samba/docs/using_samba/appf.html. this should help you with getting your mac smb enabled...

I will do that, but I guess what I was trying to get to all along is whether or not Linux allows the search for and connection with other computers (Macs or otherwise) in the same way Windows does.

Thanks,

Michel

It does through samba or ssh

You can choose to establish file shares on a Mac using AFP (Apple File Protocol) for other Macs

or SMB (Server Message Block) for Windows or Linux clients running SAMBA seeking to access shares on a Mac

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.7/en/mh14107.html

architecturally, you can either use a common protocol, like samba, to enable each machine to connect and interact with each other, OR you can setup a small server that is capable of serving files using different protocols that each client OS understands.

to be honest though, you're likely to end up settling on a given set of protocols, and it's likely going to be samba anyway because most open source server solutions don't handle the apple specific protocols - at least not well.

We have five Apple machines linked to the main server using Window Server. I am the only one using Mepis. The protocol used is SMB and I can see some of the machines but we need to get the Mac support guys from time to time as we sometimes stop seeing one of them. The issue is not the Mac connections but rather being able to browse the network in a simple way.

Thanks to all.

Michel

one solution then might be to run active directory and an add on product for mac/linux called Likewise http://www.likewise.com/

this product enables organizations to use microsoft active directory to manage their infrastructure, but allow non-microsoft OSs to partake. there is a commuity edition of this solution, too.

OK I found away around my problem.

As a summary: I am using Mepis at work with a mix of Macs and Windows machines connected via a Microsoft Server. I managed to see all the Macs except for one. I made sure the Macs had the same configurations and OS versions but I still could not connect via Dolphin / network / Samba Shares / workgroup.

I was trying to find a way to connect directly to the Mac using it's IP and I found it. I used Konkeror and entered \\192.168.123.24 it connected to the Mac showing that it was connected to smb://192.168.123.24.

I went to Dolphin and in Network / Samba Shares/ Workgroup I right clicked on the blue folder with "smb:" next to it and I chose "Edit". I pasted smb://192.168.123.24 and pressed enter and I was connected. I added the Mac to "Places" and now I can easily access it through Dolphin.

I managed to fix the problem but i still don't know why the problem was there in the first place and how to really fix it. I think entering the info on how to access a computer with Dolphin using smb://PIN number should be added to the manual or Wiki (I don't know where).

Thanks,

Michel