View Full Version : A few Ubuntu / Windows questions...
I have a desktop running XP sp3 dual boot with Ubuntu 9.04.
A laptop running Vista
A laptop running Ubuntu 9.04.
The desktop has a printer attached.
How do I go about starting a home network to enable file-sharing between all computers and all operating systems?
I would also like to be able to print from the laptops without having to physically connect them etc.
On my desktop I run Disk keeper for defragging. Since I installed Ubuntu (Used the guided partitioner and allocated 80gigs) I have noticed the xp needs defragging quite often. I am hardly using xp now except for games. How can this be?
how would I go about uninstalling Ubuntu and allocating the entire hard drive to windows again should I wish to?
I am not very au-fais with Linux at the moment and have decided to take the plunge and immerse myself. As such, my tech knowledge is very basic.
All computers connect to the net wirelessly via a Sky BB netgear router with WPA encryption.
Thanks in anticipation.
Re fragmentation: yes, the tendency to fragment is related to the amount of free disk space, so if the Linux installation took space on that disk, I'm not surprised it fragments more.
To get rid of Linux, the main thing would be to claw the disk space back by using the partitoning tool of your choice - or re-installing Windows. You might be able to use the Linux partitioning tool, by pretending to start another Linux installation, but using it in manual mode and telling it to do what you want. If you don't reinstall Windows, you probably have to live with the Linux "boot loader"; you could get rid of it, but you don't have to if it works and loads Windows as it should.
Re file sharing between the systems: the way I would go about it would be to designate the most powerful machine, with the most disk space, as a "server", and have every other "client" machine talk to that. Rather that than have "everyone talking to everyone else", which could get over-complicated. Assuming that's the Windows desktop machine, you can just use standard Windows Sharing. On the Linux machine(s), you'd install "Samba Client" components, and "connect to server -> SMB or Windows" from the menus.
Optional: if your server is a Linux box, you could install the Samba Server, to make it act like a Windows server, though that can get a bit fiddly. An alternative is to install the OpenSSH Server there and OpenSSH clients on the Linux boxes. To do file transfer across SSH, you use the Linux command line, or a more friendly SCP (SSH Copy) program, such as WinSCP (http://winscp.net/) (Windows) and similar ones running under the Ubuntu graphical interface (search the repository).
(Personally, I've gone the other way: I installed the Cygwin (http://pigtail.net/LRP/printsrv/cygwin-sshd.html) OpenSSH Server on the Windows "server" I use, and back up my Linux netbook to that using a program called Unison (http://www.cis.upenn.edu/%7Ebcpierce/unison/). It's solid now, and transparent, but OpenSSH and Unison need a bit of fiddling to work smoothly without entering passwords every time.)
I've got a Linux machine set up as a server on the network, with the Windows desktop and the laptop all sharing files, folders, printers, etc with it and each other.
As bnt says, you need to set up Samba. There are some useful sites around that explain how - Google is your friend.
I gave up on Ubuntu, though. It didn't suit my temper or temperament. I use Fedora, which "just works". The Linux box also has Mandriva, Debian, Mepis, Kubuntu, SuSe and Knoppix on it - but all of those stopped working when the video card popped its clogs and I replaced it with a different brand and model. I have to remove the drivers for the old card and insert the drivers for the new one before the GUI display will work, and that's a right faff. Fedora worked it out for itself, and did it for me.
The Linux GRUB bootloader will start any number of different Linux and/or Windows distributions. It's also easy to edit, and you can make whichever operating system you like the "default" that it will start after a suitable pause.
There is another Linux bootloader (I forget the name - Lilo or some such, I think). I tried it a while ago and couldn't get it to work so I went back to GRUB.
twiggs
6th Aug 2009, 23:53
As the others said, Samba for the home network on the linux machines.
As for removing Ubuntu, reboot into the Ubuntu live CD, then you can use gparted to delete the Ubuntu partitions and resize the windows partition.
If you wish to restore the windows boot loader, boot to the windows disk and press R to repair.
Then type fixmbr
Thanks for the advice chaps.
My desktop did not come with a windows cd though.
Currently googling "Samba".
Thankyou.
Shouldn't be a problem - as noted, the Linux GRUB boot loader, installed when you installed Linux, can boot Windows too. I was just suggesting that if it's already doing that correctly, then you don't need to worry about replacing it with the Windows boot loader from CD. LILO is pretty much defunct now.