Hello all.

I am a newbie, but I've been meaning to get my feet wet with Linux for a long time, so please bear with me.

I have done an HD install of Knoppix 3.4 onto a machine which I intend to use as a simple SMB share for my parents small (3 XP workstations and a laptop) business. I would like this machine to simply appear in "My Network Places" and allow them to map it as a drive. Basically, they just need a place to dump files to a machine that isn't in the same part of the building, and we didn't want to pay for an OS and I wanted something that wouldn't need to be rebooted.

The network has no WINS server, and IPs are assigned via DHCP on an 8-port cable router/switch. It's just a basic workgroup network, and I'd really like to leave it that way for them if possible. It's been hard enough getting them used to that.

1) I cannot seem to get this (Knoppix) machine to appear in My Network Places. I can access shares on my XP machine from the Linux machine (via Konqueror), but I cannot access the Linux machine from the XP machine, even when typing the \\host\share into the address bar. The machines can ping each other's IPs, however, and the host name of the Linux box does appear on the router config page. The XP box just can't see the Linux box (the Linux box sees the XP box in LinNeighborhood as well). The Linux box accesses the Internet via the router without trouble as well.

Following are my etc/samba/smb.conf file contents (abridged):

[global]
panic action = /usr/share/samba/panic-action %d
printing = cups
printcap name = cups
load printers = yes
guest account = everybody
invalid users = root
security = share
workgroup = WORKGROUP
server string = %h server (Samba %v)
syslog only = no
syslog = 0;
socket options = IPTOS_LOWDELAY TCP_NODELAY SO_SNDBUF=4096 SO_RCVBUF=4096
encrypt passwords = true
passdb backend = smbpasswd guest
wins support = no
wins server =
include =
name resolve order = lmhosts host wins bcast
dns proxy = no
preserve case = yes
short preserve case = yes
unix password sync = false
passwd program = /usr/bin/passwd %u
passwd chat = *Enter\snew\sUNIX\spassword:* %n\n *Retype\snew\sUNIX\spassword:* %n\n .
max log size = 1000
obey pam restrictions = yes
unix charset = iso-8859-15
display charset = iso-8859-15
dos charset = 850

[homes]
comment = Home Directories
browseable = yes
read only = yes
create mask = 0700
directory mask = 0700

[print$]
comment = Printer Drivers
path = /var/lib/samba/printers
browseable = yes
guest ok = no
read only = yes
write list = knoppix

[printers]
printer admin = knoppix
comment = All Printers
browseable = no
path = /tmp
printable = yes
public = no
writable = no
create mode = 0700

[ROOT_SHARE]
path = /root/Share
comment = /root/Share
public = yes
guest ok = yes
writable = no
wide links = no

--Some of these lines I understand, some of them I don't. I realize that to be able to write to the share, I'll need to switch it from read-only, but right now I just want to get the XP box to see the Linux box.


2) I would ideally like to share the root directory (or any directory, really) of a separate hard drive from what Knoppix/Debian is running from, but I have discovered that under normal circumstances one can only share directories in the user's home directory. Surely there is a way around this?


I realize that the setup I'm proposing is not as secure or professional as would normally be desired, but I am the closest thing my parents have to an IT guy, and I live a few hours away. It just has to be set up in such a manner that they never really need to worry about it.

I'd really appreciate your help and insight. I've been Googling for a week, but don't seem to be getting anwhere.

Thanks!