EasyWindowsLinuxFileSharingwithaLiveCD

thatsgeeky.com /2011/12/easywindowslinuxfilesharingwithalivecd/
December23,2011
Thispostwaspublished5years,2monthsago.Duetotherapidlyevolvingworldof
technology,someconceptsmaynolongerbeapplicable.
Contents

OptionalInstallation
CreateaNewSambaUser
Changeyourworkgroupandcomputername
ShareaFolder
Linuxside
Windowsside:
Notes

Theintentofthisarticleistoaddressaveryspecificcaseitisnotmeantasabestpracticesguide.

Scenario:
A.Youhaveawindowscomputer(Computer1)withfilesthatareremotelyaccessedfromsecond
windowscomputer(Computer2).B.AccessfromComputer2isviaaprogramthatexpectsthefilesto
beaccessibleunderaspecificcomputernameandsharename.C.Computer1iscurrentlyunableto
bootWindows(buthasnorelevanthardwareproblemsi.e.canstillbootaLiveCD)

ThesolutionIusedwastobootupaLinuxliveCD,andsharethefileschangingthecomputernameto
matchtheoriginal,andgivingtheSambasharethesamename.ItworkedseamlesslyfromtheWindows
end,andisfairlyeasytosetupdidnthavetoinstallathing.

LinuxMintismypreferredLinuxDesktopoperatingsystem,soIusedaLiveCDofLinuxMint12(I
presumeUbuntu11.10wouldbenearlyidentical).ItshouldbenotedthatyoucanuseUNetBootInto
createabootableUSBdriveinsteadofusinganactualCD.

LinuxMint12alreadyhasSambainstalled,soonceitbootsup,thereareonly3tasksneeded:

1.CreateaSambauser
2.ChangeyourWorkgroupnameandComputerName(akatheNetBiosName)

Ifyouusethedefaultworkgroup,anddonotrequireaspecificComputerName,youcan
skipthisstep.

3.Shareafolder

OptionalInstallation
Ifyourspecificscenariodoesnotrequirethecomputernametobesomethingspecific(i.e.Mintwilldo),
youcanavoidusingtheterminalaltogether:

OpenSynaptic
Reloadthepackages(necessaryforsomepackagestobedisplayed)
Marksystem-config-sambaforinstallation,andapply
Asecondoptionalinstallisgnome-network-adminwhichwillletyouchangeyourhostname(whichthe
NetBIOSnameisobtainedfrom)however,Ifinditmoresuccessfulexplicitlysettingthisvalue.

CreateaNewSambaUser
Openaterminalandrun:

sudo smbpasswd -a mint

TheusernameneedstomatchalinuxuserandmintistheusertheliveCDrunsas.Thecommand
promptsforapasswordsetoneofyourchoosing(doesntneedtomatchanything).

(Ifyouinstalledsystemconfigsamba,youcancreateanewuserunderPreferences>SambaUsers)

Changeyourworkgroupandcomputername

gksudo gedit /etc/samba/smb.conf

Underthe[global]section:

Changethelineworkgroup=WORKGROUPtospecifyyourchosenworkgroup.
Addthelinenetbiosname=computername

Ifyoumakechangestosmb.conf,restartsamba:

sudo service smbd restart

Ifyouchangedthenetbiosname,restarttheNetBIOSserver:

sudo service nmbd restart

Thatisitfortheterminalcommands.

(Ifyouinstalledsystemconfigsamba,youcanchangetheworkgroupunderPreferences>Server
Settings)

ShareaFolder

Linuxside

Openthefilemanager(Nautilus)andmountthevolumeofinterest(justclickitontheleftpane)

1.Navigatetothefolderyouwanttoshare

(Ifyouaresharingtheentirevolume,navigateto/mediathevolumeyoumountedshouldbe
listed)

1.Rightclickthedirectory
2.SelectSharingOptions
3.checkSharethisfolder
 4.SettheSharenameofyourchoosing.
5.ClickCreateShare

Thatsallthereistoitafewsteps,afewminutes,andrelativelypainless.

Windowsside:

(Iampresumingherethatyouhadfilesharingsetupbefore)

ClickNetwork(inexplorer)andreload(F5)theview
Yourremotecomputershouldbedisplayed,doubleclickit
Theshareyousetupshouldbedisplayed,doubleclickit
Youshouldbepromptedforyournetworkpasswordentermintfortheusername,andthe
passwordyousetuppreviously

andeverythingshouldbereadytogo

Notes
ApointofmentionifyouarenotpromptedforthepasswordonWindowscheckforentriesunder:

Start > Run > rundll32.exe keymgr.dll, KRShowKeyMgr

Iftherearentany,thentryarestarttoclearthosestoredinmemory.

AsasidenoteIalwaysfinditamazinghowmuchsimplerthingsendupbeingthantheystartout.The
stepsIoriginallyfollowedwereatleasttwiceaslongbutmostweresimplyunnecessary.