Linux Mint - Windows Network

N/A | 12/5/2019 | Me

[ducttape45]

Thanks for the printer driver website. I'll check that out after I get home from work.

As for the network issue, I just want to be able to click on the network icon and see items like my router, other pcs on the network, the extra hard drive hooked up my router, things like that, that I can now see normally if I'm on my Windows PC.

Basically, I want my Linux to operate as much like Windows as humanly possible without a lot of hassle.

[ducttape45]

You’d make a great teacher!

[Openurmind]

I’m running Mint 18.3, it has Samba included in the core out of the box so 19.2 should also. And that is all I had to do also, I just hot plugged them, they found each other, then I had to make sure they were named correctly and approved each other.

[Openurmind]

Looks like someone has jumped in to give you some personal help through PM, so I won’t bug you there. But the file to desktop is easy... Although there is no option to do so in the right click menu, you just drag and drop, or copy and paste folders or files to the desktop just like win 7.

Drag and drop will remove the file from the folder it was in and add it to the desktop. Reverse to put it back into the folder if you need to. Copy and paste will leave the original in the folder and add a copy of same to the desktop. It has all the same drag and drop, copy and paste functions that Win 7 has.

[Openurmind]

Lol, I have struggled through those technical explanations in articles also, and then after I do figure it out it blows me away how simple it actually was compared to how they were “explaining” it. Sometimes they just explain it much more complicated that it is. :)

[Openurmind]

Drop me a PM anytime. :)

[Openurmind]

Hint about shortcuts to the desktop. Just drag and drop, or copy and paste folders and files to the desktop like win 7. :)

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

One solution I found was to download a copy of the free “VirtualBox” software from Oracle. Then I installed it, created a virtual machine that is run right from the Linux Mint desktop. I installed a Windows (XP) OS on that VM and I can use it to share files, network, everything with my Linux desktop PC, my other Windows PCs and laptops, using the Windows VM instead of the Linux Mint. It might be a way for you to go.

[Pollard]

I’ve been wanting to do this for years but every time I try the Samba thing, I end up giving up. Linux/Ubuntu networking sucks for most of us due to not having a GUI. Gotta type in commands, edit config files etc.

With windows, all you have to do is make sure all computers are using the same name for the network. HOME etc

[Wonder Warthog]

"Also, many routers have file sharing built in , just add usb storage."

Did that. Doesn't work well. Some computers only "see" the USB drive as a "Media Center" and will not open to show as an actual hard drive. And the problem seems to be intermittent. Windows 7 originally saw the drive as a drive, but now only as Media. I found a fix for Windows 10, which remedied the problem and which "seems" to be permanent.

[ducttape45]

I figured out how to put links on my desktop for individual files, and I discovered it by accident.

All I have to do is locate the file, highlight it, then go to "Edit," then "Make Link." Then all I have to do is drag the link to the Desktop and rename it.

[Farcesensitive]

Thanks.

[ducttape45]

I found the webpage for the printer,and I seemed to have gotten it to install, but, it won't printer anything even though it says it sent the job to the printer.

Frustrating

Then I went and tried to set up Samba and went through everything as described in the article.

Sigh

I can't Windows machines from Linux, and I can't see Linux machine from Windows.

Even more frustrating

But hey, at least I figured out how link my files on the desktop. I'm batting 1 for 3 so far.......

[ducttape45]

I hear ya, it's very frustrating. I've tried everything that was suggested to me here to no avail.

I get hung up when I enter the systemctl status smbd command. This is what I see:

smbd.service - Samba SMB Daemon
Loaded: load (/lib/systemcd/system/smbd.service; enabled; vendor present: enabled)
Active: inactive (dead)
Docs: man:smbd(8)
man:samba(7)
man:smb.conf(5)
lines 1-6/6 (END)

It goes no further even though I'm supposed to see a lot more.

I'm about ready to pull my hair out.

[Openurmind]

“I’ve been wanting to do this for years but every time I try the Samba thing, I end up giving up. Linux/Ubuntu networking sucks for most of us due to not having a GUI. Gotta type in commands, edit config files etc.”

Linux Mint 18.3 and above has a “network manager” included and it is all GUI. Just hot plug the ether cable or USB to the other PC or network and it will see it. Add it, fill in the details, and set permissions. All GUI.

[ducttape45]

Thanks for all of the input. I had to install Mint 18.3 before anything worked. A lot of thing didn't worked in 19.2; Samba and the printer being chief amongst the offenders.

When I installed 18.3, I had a network already in place, I could see my Windows network, networked PCs, the extra hard drive plugged into my router, everything. When I installed the printer driver, the thing actually printed!

So I don't know what it is about 19.2 that broke Mint, but I wouldn't recommend ANYONE use it until someone gets the kinks ironed out.

Again, thanks for all the input, and if anyone knows where the regular text editor is (something similar to Notepad), and how I can configure my multiple monitor setup to give me different backgrounds, I'm all ears.

[Pollard]

Hmmm, which version? Mate, cinnamon or Xfce?

I’m running Mint 18.2 KDE edition it didn’t even have Samba installed.

[mrsmith]

bmk

(afte I fix the HW heater, replace the car battery and a few other emergencies will be installing Linux.

[ducttape45]

18.3, Linux Mint Cinammon

[ducttape45]

I know the feeling. Seat belt buckle, rear view mirror, clean out the gutters, mulch the leaves, on and on and on!