Hello,

I've a Slackware box on a home network, along with a couple of Windows
machines.

My question is how can I ping or otherwise connect to these Windows
boxes using their Windows names (WINS names these are called I
believe?). I'd like just to 'ping windowsbox' or whatever without
having to specify the full IP address. I know I can edit my /etc/hosts
file and put names in there, but I'd like it to be automatically
detected (The Windows machines detect each others names for example).

Any advice greatfully received :-)

Mothball Joe wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I've a Slackware box on a home network, along with a couple of Windows
> machines.
>
> My question is how can I ping or otherwise connect to these Windows
> boxes using their Windows names (WINS names these are called I
> believe?). I'd like just to 'ping windowsbox' or whatever without
> having to specify the full IP address. I know I can edit my /etc/hosts
> file and put names in there, but I'd like it to be automatically
> detected (The Windows machines detect each others names for example).
>
> Any advice greatfully received :-)
HI!

I don't know if it's that what you mean, but it's possible to run a
DHCP-Server which is allowed to add hosts to a local dns-server (bind
for example). So the dns-database is always up-to-date. You just have to
define that dns-server in /etc/resolve.conf
Just google a little bit around for that - there are several tutorials.

Torsten Stauder wrote:

>
> I don't know if it's that what you mean, but it's possible to run a
> DHCP-Server which is allowed to add hosts to a local dns-server (bind
> for example). So the dns-database is always up-to-date. You just have to
> define that dns-server in /etc/resolve.conf
> Just google a little bit around for that - there are several tutorials.

Hi Torsten, I'm not sure if I need a DHCP server for what I need to
achieve? My router currently acts as one anyway.

All I'd like to do is refer to the Windows machines by their Windows
names (I think this is called WINS), from the slackware box. Would I
need to run DHCP from the slackware box to achieve this?

It's much easier to edit the /etc/hosts file if all you want to do is refer
to your windows box by it's network name. Otherwise you could configure
samba for full blown windows networking support?
There's a samba howto here, not the greatest but it's a start.

http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/SMB-HOWTO.html

That reminds me, I configured samaba on my slackware box but still can't get
windows xp to map a network drive on it. It just won't accept my user/pass.

I even added
encrypt passwords = yes
smb passwd file = /etc/smbpasswd
to the smb.conf and it still doesn't work. If you decide to poke around with
samba and can map a network drive, maybe you can give me some pointers
"Mothball Joe" <nospamplease@aol.com> wrote in message
news:4075ff92$0$6548$cc9e4d1f@news-text.dial.pipex.com...
> Torsten Stauder wrote:
>
> >
> > I don't know if it's that what you mean, but it's possible to run a
> > DHCP-Server which is allowed to add hosts to a local dns-server (bind
> > for example). So the dns-database is always up-to-date. You just have to
> > define that dns-server in /etc/resolve.conf
> > Just google a little bit around for that - there are several tutorials.
>
> Hi Torsten, I'm not sure if I need a DHCP server for what I need to
> achieve? My router currently acts as one anyway.
>
> All I'd like to do is refer to the Windows machines by their Windows
> names (I think this is called WINS), from the slackware box. Would I
> need to run DHCP from the slackware box to achieve this?

On 2004-04-09, Mothball Joe <nospamplease@aol.com> wrote:
> Torsten Stauder wrote:
>
>>
>> I don't know if it's that what you mean, but it's possible to run a
>> DHCP-Server which is allowed to add hosts to a local dns-server (bind
>> for example). So the dns-database is always up-to-date. You just have to
>> define that dns-server in /etc/resolve.conf
>> Just google a little bit around for that - there are several tutorials.
>
> Hi Torsten, I'm not sure if I need a DHCP server for what I need to
> achieve? My router currently acts as one anyway.
>
> All I'd like to do is refer to the Windows machines by their Windows
> names (I think this is called WINS), from the slackware box. Would I
> need to run DHCP from the slackware box to achieve this?

You would most likely need to install and run samba with wins
support=yes in your smb.conf file. Also you could check into lmhost
files for windows which is somewhat like /etc/hosts but crappy cause MS
made changes to a pre-designed system that worked but was to complicated
for them to understand.

--
If a man talks in the woods and there is
no woman to hear him is he still wrong?

"Mothball Joe" <nospamplease@aol.com> escreveu na mensagem
news:4075f272$0$3311$cc9e4d1f@news-text.dial.pipex.com...
> Hello,
>
> I've a Slackware box on a home network, along with a couple of Windows
> machines.
>
> My question is how can I ping or otherwise connect to these Windows
> boxes using their Windows names (WINS names these are called I
> believe?). I'd like just to 'ping windowsbox' or whatever without
> having to specify the full IP address. I know I can edit my /etc/hosts
> file and put names in there, but I'd like it to be automatically
> detected (The Windows machines detect each others names for example).
>
> Any advice greatfully received :-)

Hi.
I've got the same scheme (Slackware as a router and Win machines in local
network).
All you have to do is install DHCP and DNS servers in your router (Slackware
box).
Configure your DHCP server to give clients DNS IP.
So, when you start a windows machine, it ask for an dynamic IP, then, the
DHCP server gives it a new IP as well as the DNS IP.
I've got this scheme and everything works fine and transparently to the
users.

Regards,
Nuno Paquete.

On Fri, 09 Apr 2004 02:42:56 +0100, Mothball Joe wrote:

> All I'd like to do is refer to the Windows machines by their Windows
> names (I think this is called WINS), from the slackware box.

Well, actually it is called NBNS (NetBIOS Name Service) but the MS-Windows
implementation is indeed called WINS (Windows Intranet Name Service).

To have a Linux box resolve name<->adress mappings through that, you need
to be running the "nmbd" and "winbindd" services which are part of Samba.
(Test with: "wbinfo", "nmblookup", and from the Windows machine "nbtstat")

Also you need libnss_winbind.so installed correctly, which for some reason
doesn't seem to be included in Slackware 9.1 (even with the Samba package).
After you have installed that though, you can just edit the line in
/etc/nsswitch.conf to look like this:

hosts: files winbind dns

> Would I need to run DHCP from the slackware box to achieve this?

No.

--
-Menno.

Mothball Joe wrote:

> Torsten Stauder wrote:
>
>>
>> I don't know if it's that what you mean, but it's possible to run a
>> DHCP-Server which is allowed to add hosts to a local dns-server (bind
>> for example). So the dns-database is always up-to-date. You just have
>> to define that dns-server in /etc/resolve.conf
>> Just google a little bit around for that - there are several tutorials.
>
>
> Hi Torsten, I'm not sure if I need a DHCP server for what I need to
> achieve? My router currently acts as one anyway.
>
> All I'd like to do is refer to the Windows machines by their Windows
> names (I think this is called WINS), from the slackware box. Would I
> need to run DHCP from the slackware box to achieve this?
HI!

OK indeed I got you wrong. Maybe what you're looking for (already
mentioned by Scott) is wins support = yes (using samba). My solution
wouldn't solve your problem - it would just automate the
registration-process in /etc/hosts for new clients your network.

Mothball Joe wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I've a Slackware box on a home network, along with a couple of Windows
> machines.
>
> My question is how can I ping or otherwise connect to these Windows
> boxes using their Windows names (WINS names these are called I
> believe?). I'd like just to 'ping windowsbox' or whatever without
> having to specify the full IP address. I know I can edit my /etc/hosts
> file and put names in there, but I'd like it to be automatically
> detected (The Windows machines detect each others names for example).
>
> Any advice greatfully received :-)


Without more info I can only guess but I am willing to bet that your windows
machines are using netbeui over IPX/SPX. Linux uses TCP/IP. It is
possible to have your windows machines use netbuei over tcp/ip. This is
coming from long lost internal memory but I think you go to control panel,
then network, then click on your network adaptor then look at protocols in
the box below. If there is no TCP/IP add that protocol. If IPX/SPX is
there remove it. Then reboot. Make sure that you have tcp/ip installed
before rebooting. I haven't had to touch a windows machine in many years
so this might need some refining but I think it's close.

JM

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In alt.os.linux.slackware, Tyler Potenberg dared to utter,
> That reminds me, I configured samaba on my slackware box but still can't get
> windows xp to map a network drive on it. It just won't accept my user/pass.

If you're using WIndows XP Home it can't authenticate to any server
IIRC. As for Windows XP Pro, you have to give it a registry hack to
connect to a Samba PDC. Google for it.

- --
It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise,
Than for a man to hear the song of fools.
Ecclesiastes 7:5
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