Samba

[stanman]

Went to the start menu, configuration, packaging, install software and chose Samba, went through the installation process.

Went to configuration, networking, samba configuration and clicked. It acts like it's going to open and then just dissapears.

This is my first attempt at installing software in Linux. What am I doing wrong? It's not quite as easy as double clicking a .exe

I saw on Tech TV that you can use shell apt-get install to do this but I don't know the command.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

[bandwidth_pig]

Hi there! The command line process for apt is quite simple. Open a terminal (if your using KDE, it will be located right down by the K button) and do the following:

1. type su and then the root password.
2. type apt-get update (apt will now update it's sources of where it can download software and get the freshest newest software available in it's sources list).
3. type apt-cache search and then the program name your interested in. I'm starting to get a little rusty on apt as I haven't used it for several months, but I am sure this was the command.
4. Apt will then come back to you with a list of what it finds in relation to your query. Then just type: apt-get install software name (software name being whatever program your trying to install).

And that about sums her up.

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by stanman

Went to configuration, networking, samba configuration and clicked. It acts like it's going to open and then just dissapears.


Have you read any of the Samba documentation before attempting to configure and run? You may need to startup the Samba services (nmbd & smbd) prior to configuring.

[stanman]

It's funny how people forget the reason forums are here... To help people with problems.

It's also funny how people forget what it was like when they first started using a new operating system.

Linux help files are basically written for those who have a clue as to what's going on. But for those who are just starting out, they make no sense.

Remember when?

[dboyer]

It's funny how people forget the reason forums are here... To help people with problems.

you should be nice, mdwatts is one of the most helpful people here... if you had given us an actual problem, i wouldn't be surprised if he would go to google, look up your issue, and come back with an answer you should have been able to find (he does that, you know)...

why he told you to go do some reading, is because you have a very hard "problem" to solve... basically, you give us no real information about a specific problem to go on, and hope we can tell you step by step what to do...

first of all, what distro are you using? if you're running redhat/fedora/mandrake/suse, i don't think they will do apt out of the box... if your running slack, you're SOL if you plan on using packages (i hate them, so i like that), gentoo uses emerge, etc, etc....

I recently played around with mandy box that had samba installed, and i think the rpm packages that it downloaded via drake (i didn't actually do this step, someone else did, so i think thats where samba came from) set up the config stuff all automatically, more or less... we just had to edit /etc/samba/smb.conf to match what we were doing, and start smbd3 and nmbd3 and we were off and running...

[j79zlr]

first of all, what distro are you using? if you're running redhat/fedora/mandrake/suse, i don't think they will do apt out of the box... if your running slack, you're SOL if you plan on using packages (i hate them, so i like that), gentoo uses emerge, etc, etc....

Slackware has swaret, how are you SOL if you are using packages?

Did you even look at samba's site? http://hr.uoregon.edu/davidrl/samba/

[DMR]

stanman,

First- take a deep breath. We really are more than willing to help you; it's just that you didn't give us a lot to go on.

Regardless of what operating system you use, it's always most helpful to give as much information about your particular problem as possible when you post a question in a tech support forum- the people you're requesting help from will be able to give you a solution much more quickly if you do.

Simply knowing what version (distro) of Linux you're running would be a great start, because different versions of Linux have slightly different ways of downloading/installing programs and different installation/package management software for doing so.

Just let us know what distro (including version) of Linux you're running and we'll take it from there...

:)

[bandwidth_pig]

Originally posted by stanman
It's funny how people forget the reason forums are here... To help people with problems.

It's also funny how people forget what it was like when they first started using a new operating system.

Linux help files are basically written for those who have a clue as to what's going on. But for those who are just starting out, they make no sense.

Remember when?

I remember when. But, rather than assume that we all know that you do or don't know how to do something, it would be to your benefit to state that. For example, you had asked how to use apt. I gave you step by step instructions on how to do that. Usually what happens in this situation is:

1. The person goes and tries it. And when they are successful or fail say "Now what?"
2. The person asks a question because they did not understand the information given.

You have done what appears to be none of the above, but were frustrated by the answers you were given. We can't read your mind man. Helping is a give and take situation. You have to give a little information about the problem to get. It's like that with anything.

[stanman]

I apologize for my rant. It's just that every post I've made on this site, someone always says "read the docs".

I am running mandrake 9.2 (KDE)

I did download Samba's latest but I also saw it already listed as installed as I stated in my first post.

It's all very confusing... But I did manage to get my Mandrake box setup through my router (don't ask me how cus I don't know).

Last night on TechTV, they showed how to install software using 'apt-get install', but if I don't know what the executable is, that's not much help. The Samba zip was loaded to the gill with files.

My first goal is to network my Mandrake system with my Windows system. But I'm sure once I learn how to install programs, this will be a much more productive experience.

Original post:
Went to the start menu, configuration, packaging, install software and chose Samba, went through the installation process.

Went to configuration, networking, samba configuration and clicked. It acts like it's going to open and then just dissapears.

This is my first attempt at installing software in Linux

[bandwidth_pig]

Ahhh. Best get used to reading documentation. Not necessarily man pages...those things are brutal no matter how long you have been doing this (although some here enjoy man pages...the extremist man page alchemists of JL). At any rate, thats the beauty of apt-get. You don't have to worry about any exe file. apt-get actually installs it for you. And after it is done, it's easy to find out where the executable file is so you can call it.

For example, you would just type

whereis programname (whatever you installed....samba is a bit more complicated).

It will come back with a path to where the file is. Usually all files that can be executed are stored in /bin or /usr/local/bin or /usr/bin or something similar. So to run the program, you would just do one of two things:

1. Type the name of the program if the path to the executable file is within your path (more on that later).
2. Type in the full path: /usr/local/bin/mozilla for example.

There you go. It's that simple. Now in regards to Samba, I recommend you learn to walk before you try to run, and in all honesty, your trying to run right now. Play with GNU/Linux a bit. Install some software. Thats how you learn. Once you get a bit more comfortable, then take on Samba. But trying to do it right out of the shoot is putting a pretty high expectation on yourself...regardless of what Tech TV has to say.

[bandwidth_pig]

For example....if you like Winamp, you will most likely enjoy XMMS for listening to MP3s. So lets install it. Right now (I assume it's not installed already).
Well, lets check and make sure. Open your terminal. Now, type:

whereis xmms

Did it come back with anything? If so, try typing in xmms into the command line. If nothing happens, lets install it.

apt-get install xmms

It will download it now, install it, and install any other files it needs to run it. Once done, type in:

whereis xmms

or

xmms and see if it runs.

[stanman]

[user@localhost user]$ whereis xmms
xmms:
[user@localhost user]$ apt-get install xmms
bash: apt-get: command not found

[hard candy]

This is probably going to really tick you off, but Mandrake does not use apt-get, it uses a package system called yurmi (or something like that) and rpm's.
I hate to say this but you may have to read the basic documentation for Mandrake, especially on using rpm's, yurgo (I know it starts with a "y") to install packages/programs.
Also, how to set up a basic network, file sharing, and Samba. The configuration of Samba can either be fairly easy or it can be a sun of a witch, take a look at some the other Samba posts here.
"man rpm" is the first step (you'll need to know this stuff later on anyhow. An alternative to Samba which I use quite frequently is a usb key and a cd, copy the files from windows and when you boot up linux, there they are, on my Samba stick and my Samba disk.
Welcome, paperclip/office bob is not present in linux, just all of us popping up from time to time. at least we don't go "boing, boing".

[bandwidth_pig]

Doh! I am not reading threads worth a darn today. Missed the fact he was using Drake.

[stanman]

I also have Fedora and RH9 (not installed).

I only did this Linux thing because I had an old computer sitting, collecting dust (why waste it).

Is there an easier version for newcomers?

[hard candy]

When you say "older computer gathering dust", exactly how old? What are the specifications? All three distros you list use rpm. The very easiest in my experience is Mepis linux if you have a nvidia graphics card. It uses apt-get, but again "man apt-get" is probably required reading.
Since you already have Mandrake , learn about the control center and how to install software. It is very easy once you get the basics down. It is point and click after you learn what to point and what to click. It is eqivalent to learning about the control panel on Windows and what the "add and remove software" icon means.

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by stanman
I apologize for my rant. It's just that every post I've made on this site, someone always says "read the docs".


You don't just install a package such as Samba and expect it to work right away as you actually need to read the documentation to figure out how to configure for your particular network setup.

Search the JL forums (in particular the 'How I did it' forum) to find loads of Samba configuration examples and tips.

[lagdawg]

Mandrake's version of apt-get package management system is actually urpmi, I think yrpmi is Suse but don't hold me to that.
You have to set up urpmi to look for the latest packages from rpm repositories located on ftp sites or it will just try to install the packages from the CD's if they are there. Just search JL for "urpmi" and somewhere there is a post which will give you a step by step guide to setting up urpmi. I used it before but now can't find it.

Edit:
Found it! http://www.urpmi.org/easyurpmi/index.php
This site will help you set up urpmi and it is easy to do.


After that you would just type "uprmi samba" and it will install the latest version of samba, if you don't set up urpmi first it will just try to install samba from the cd which is already the version included in the installation. As far as configuring samba that's a different story and I have yet to try that out for myself. Maybe I'll do that this weekend. Good Luck !