I need help networking my 2 computers

[bob58]

Hello....I have a Gateway 900Mhz laptop running KNOPPIX 3.4 And also my DESKTOP computer, also running KNOPPIX 3.4 I would like to be able to network these 2 computers together to make it easier to transfer files between them. They are both hooked up to cat5 cable going to a Linksys router, which is connected to my cable modem. The router has 4 ports. I want to be able to use the router to network them. I have NO CLUE where to even begin doing this! I tried searching for info on the SAMBA program, but its still GREEK to me! Is it possible to get step by step instructions on how to set up my desktop as the SERVER and the laptop as the CLIENT? Is it possible to access data from them both in both directions????Any help would be appreciated!!! Thanks....bob58

[gruntbuggly]

Samba is for dealing with Windows computers, so it's not what you want.

There are probably loads of ways of transferring files. In my house I have sshd running on each PC and have used sftp to transfer small numbers of files between them from the command line. To run sshd try this as root:

dpkg-reconfigure ssh
/etc/init.d/ssh start

I'm not sure if that's exactly right. Having sshd running (on what you'd call the server) enables you to do all sorts of magic, for example type this into Konqueror on the client:

sftp://hostname/

where hostname is the name of the server.

[Markus]

I agree with using ssh, very simple and secure.
I don't know if knoppix has keys generated but you can do it as root with:
ssh-keygen -t rsa -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_key
ssh-keygen -t rsa -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_rsa_key
ssh-keygen -t rsa -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_dsa_key

And if you use iptables you need lines like:
$IPTABLES -A INPUT -i eth0 -p tcp -m tcp --dport 22 -j ACCEPT
$IPTABLES -A INPUT -i eth0 -p udp -m udp --dport 22 -j ACCEPT

To have it start at boot do: update-rc.d ssh defaults

You can access the remote computer with ssh hostname or ssh -l loginname hostname or ssh IP-number and so on.

Another thingy in konqueror is fish://loginname@hostname

BTW, gruntbuggly was right about starting it for a single session with /etc/init.d/ssh start , and you stop it with stop instead of start at the end.

[bob58]

OK I kinda have the general idea as far as commands....but I sure could use a little further details....OK so I dont need samba...OK....So according to gruntbuggly, I have to run the following as root:

dpkg-reconfigure ssh
/etc/init.d/ssh start

What do I do from there? Am I doing this on BOTH computers or just the one I want to use as the HOST? Do I use this at command line or Konqueror? I am not sure how to access the client computer....My client [laptop] is named "gateway" and my host [desktop] is "home". How do you know if you got a connection between the two? I just dont know what I am looking for as far as a menu or instructions. So according to gruntbuggly, I type on client computer:

sftp://hostname/

is hostname the hostname of the client or server???? Sorry to sound like a moron but this really confuses me.

And in reference to Markus's post....I dont understand what you mentioned about "keys generated" and "iptables". I am COMPLETELY LOST with this stuff!!!!!! OK so my client hostname is "gateway" and myserver hostname is "home" The only thing I have ever done close to this is hook up 2 computers together with a serial cable and a program called "LAPLINK".....these were dos/win computers. If you have time PLEASE explain in a little more detail! Sorry to be difficult!

[Markus]

Well first you might want to change the hostnames to something not so generic as host and gateway. Don't have to of course, you can use the IP when connecting. You can change it in /etc/hostname

Iptables is a firewall in linux for 2.4 and 2.6 kernels, 2.2 had ipchains which is similar.
You can have a look at:
http://www.linuxguruz.com/iptables/
http://rocky.eld.leidenuniv.nl/
http://easyfwgen.morizot.net/gen/
Or you can use a frontend for it such as firestarter, bastille, guarddog.....

RSA and DSA keys are used for the encrypted ssh tunnel and the first time you connect you have to type yes to accept the keys which are then added to ~/.ssh/known_hosts. Although you can try to connect first without generating them to see if they exist on knoppix. If you can't connect, generate them on the server as root with the commands in the earlier post.

Hostname here meant server to which you want to connect, so you can run one box as server on which you have to do all this setuping like:
update-rc.d ssh defaults (which makes ssh server run on bootup if you want this)
/etc/init.d/ssh start (which starts the server until you stop it)

On the client all you need to do is one of these:
ssh -l loginname hostname (if you have a different login, hostname means the one on the server)
ssh hostname (if the login name is the same)
ssh IP-number (if you prefer this instead of hostname)
sftp hostname (use get and put for transferring files, do man sftp)
fish://loginname@hostname (in konqueror, again you can use the IP instead of hostname)
or use sftp with konqueror as gruntbuggly said.

Here's some manuals for openssh: http://www.openssh.org/manual.html

In a nutshell do this on the server: /etc/init.d/ssh start
And this on the client: ssh IP.number.of.server

[user unknown]

Well - iptables is a nice thing if you try to setup a firewall, but it's surely nothing for a beginner.
But you know, we're all in the firewall-hype, and while win-users really need it, we don't like to stay beside without firewall, only because the linux-worms and viruses are that rare!

And if you don't let too much servers run, and configure them right, you should be much more secure than using a windows-net without firewall.

I see two main possibilities to share files in your net: FTP, and NFS.
I'm not very well specialized on this, but I use them from time to time, to exchange files.

NFS is a networking file system, where you may look at remote files as if they where local.
Since you normally wouldn't make the whole filesystem shared, it's not much less work, than using ftp.

To test them, FTP might be more easy.
Start the ftpd 'FTP-Daemon, (=background service) on the DESKTOP:
ftpd
on the other machine, start ftp.

ftp DESKTOP

Protocoll all errors if you have questions, and try the man-pages.
It's really not complicated, but needs some time.

man ftp
man ftpd

If you're bored, read:

man exportfs
man exports
man nfs

and yes - you're welcome.

P.S.: ssh is a great tool, to start the ftpd on demand, and shut ftpd down when ready.

Make small steps in the beginning and in few months, you might want to setup a firewall too.

[bob58]

Hi Markus, thanks for all your help.....I just have a couple more question...quoting below:

In a nutshell do this on the server: /etc/init.d/ssh start
And this on the client: ssh IP.number.of.server

How do I find the IP number on my computer? And I am not too concerned about firewall at this point. I just want to get the 2 computers to talk to each other....So I will type "/etc/init.d/ssh start" on the server at the Konsole.
And "ssh ip number of server" on the client. That should allow both computers to talk to each other and allow me to share / copy files to one another? bob58

[mzilikazi]

As root ifconfig will tell you your i.p. address. If you want to scan your LAN for i.p.'s you could do something like:

nmap 192.168.1.1/24

Now let's say your other box is 192.168.1.101

ssh username@192.168.1.101
<passwd>

voila! you're in!

[bob58]

ok thank you....i will try these suggestions later tonite. hopefully i will be able to connect the two computers. bob58

[Markus]

And "ssh ip number of server" on the client. That should allow both computers to talk to each other and allow me to share / copy files to one another? bob58

Talk to each other, yes. But if you want simple file transfer à la drag-n-drop, use fish in konqueror on the client as in:
fish://loginname@hostname or fish://loginname@ip.nu.mb.er