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Kubuntu-to-Kubuntu file-sharing migraine - anyone willing to hand-hold?

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    Kubuntu-to-Kubuntu file-sharing migraine - anyone willing to hand-hold?

    I have a small home network with a desktop and a laptop, called cd-desktop and cj-laptop, that I want to share files between. Both are running Natty (the laptop upgraded from 10.10, the desktop a full wipe and reinstall). Currently both are configured with DHCP.

    I've spent the past two days googling and reading -- mostly hoary old how-to guides for moldy old Ubuntus like 6.06 and 8.10. This guide describes Samba, NFS and ZeroConf, none of which I've so far been successful with.

    ZeroConf

    Both machines have zeroconf and avahi installed (avahi-autoipd, -daemon, -utils, libavahi-client3, -common-data, -common3, -core7, python-avahi). But on either machine when I go to Network Settings, there is no Zeroconf Service Discovery option. Service Discovery is there, but it's blank.

    I can run the Avahi Discovery browser on both machines, but I confess I'm not sure what I'm looking at. Each machine only sees itself.

    NFS

    Haven't tried this. Looks too scary for this IT-illiterate.

    Samba

    Initially, following some guide, on my desktop in Dolphin I installed Samba via the Install Samba button in Dolphin (rightclick folder - Properties - Share tab). The desktop now has the following: libsamba-util0, samba ("SMB/CIFS server"), samba-common, samba-common-bin, and smbclient. The laptop has, in addition to those, Samba ("create, modify, delete shares"), python-samba and samba4-common-bin.

    On the desktop, my Public folder is shared and configured with Share with Samba and Allow Guests enabled. Everyone has Read Only access; the admin account has Full Control. On the laptop I have the Public folder shared with Share with Samba and Allow Guests enabled. However no one has any rights. I try to set Everyone to read only, and the admin account to Full access, but after clicking on OK, then returning, those settings don't stick.

    The Public folders on both machines are currently share with Share with Samba and Allow Guests both enabled. Everyone has Read Only access; the admin account on both machines has full control.

    On both machines, in Dolphin, if I go to Network, I can see the Network, Network Services and Samba Shares globes. Network is empty. Network Services is also empty, the breacrumb above reads "zeroconf:". Samba Shares shows "Workgroup". Inside Workgroup each machine only shows itself (the laptop also shows my wife's Vista laptop when it's on).

    Both machines connect to the Internet via a ZyXEL wireless router; the desktop has a wired connection, the laptop is wireless. Both machines are configured via DHCP. The desktop's ip is currently 192.168.1.104; the laptop is 192.168.1.101. The desktop can only ping itself. The laptop can ping itself and my wife's laptop, but not the desktop.

    I've also got an HTC Desire smartphone, and ultimately I'd like to be able to connect it to the desktop through the Internet, but that's another post.

    This is as far as I've gotten. Anyone who can help?

    --Nathanael

    #2
    Re: Kubuntu-to-Kubuntu file-sharing migraine - anyone willing to hand-hold?

    NFS is the best way to go. This guide has helped me set mine up. One thing that helped in the stability of my server was to have one of my computers on a static IP. Assuming your router will allow this, this guide can help you do that.

    Once you follow the guides, post back here and let us know how it's going. it takes a little tweaking but once it's working, NFS is solid!
    Home: Kubuntu 12.04-amd64; Intel i7-860 on Intel DH55PJ; Nvidia 9500GT; 6GB RAM
    Network Slave: Xubuntu 11.10-x86; Intel P4-Prescott on MSI; 2GB RAM; Nvidia FX5200
    Portable: Xubuntu 11.10-amd64; Asus EeePC 1015PEM

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Kubuntu-to-Kubuntu file-sharing migraine - anyone willing to hand-hold?

      Following the guide, portmap failed to start on the laptop, apparently because the nfs server wasn't running. Starting that manually (sudo /etc/init.d/nfs-kernel-server start) allowed me to start portmap. However, sudo exportfs -ar results in "Warning: /home/nathanael does not support NFS export". My home directory on the laptop is encrypted; is that the issue?

      Next, attempting to restart nfs-common resulted in "sudo: /etc/init.d/nfs-common: command not found" on both computers. nfs-common is installed on both.

      Restarting the nfs kernel daemon repeats the "/home/nathanael does not support NFS export" warning on the laptop.

      Attempting to mount the shares manually results in a "mount.nfs: No route to host" error on both machines. Is this related to the fact that neither machine can ping the other?

      --Nathanael

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Kubuntu-to-Kubuntu file-sharing migraine - anyone willing to hand-hold?

        Sorry, I should have issued a disclaimer with that guide. It is a bit outdated as far as the service restart commands go. The best and cleanest way I've found to restart the NFS services is to reboot the machine.

        The encryption on your laptop HDD is going to cause problems and I'm not knowledgeable enough about encryption to instruct you how to register the key with the other machine. From research, this appears to be the reason why you're getting the "...does not support NFS export" error. An easy way to troubleshoot this is to create the share outside of your encrypted home folder. And if this solves the problem (as I suspect it will), is this an option for setup of the NFS server or is it too much of a headache?

        Your mount.nfs error is indicative of a connection problem through your modem. Most routers have an administrative option that allows you to "pass through" without prejudice the IP address of a certain computer. Maybe if you try this with your two machines, we can eliminate the possibility of a router firewall issue? The two machines need to be able to ping each other.

        And maybe (possibly) once you sort out the /etc/exports issue, mount might work. Keep me posted.
        Home: Kubuntu 12.04-amd64; Intel i7-860 on Intel DH55PJ; Nvidia 9500GT; 6GB RAM
        Network Slave: Xubuntu 11.10-x86; Intel P4-Prescott on MSI; 2GB RAM; Nvidia FX5200
        Portable: Xubuntu 11.10-amd64; Asus EeePC 1015PEM

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Kubuntu-to-Kubuntu file-sharing migraine - anyone willing to hand-hold?

          I use another possibility to share files between Kubuntu computers - SSH. After setting in CLI it is possible to use for example Krusader to work with shared files. Computers should have fixed ip addresses to keep sharing simple.
          Kubuntu 16.04 on two computers and Kubuntu 17.04 on DELL Latitude 13

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Kubuntu-to-Kubuntu file-sharing migraine - anyone willing to hand-hold?

            Yes but SSH will be problematic as well without the ping and encryption issue solved.
            Home: Kubuntu 12.04-amd64; Intel i7-860 on Intel DH55PJ; Nvidia 9500GT; 6GB RAM
            Network Slave: Xubuntu 11.10-x86; Intel P4-Prescott on MSI; 2GB RAM; Nvidia FX5200
            Portable: Xubuntu 11.10-amd64; Asus EeePC 1015PEM

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Kubuntu-to-Kubuntu file-sharing migraine - anyone willing to hand-hold?

              Yes but SSH will be problematic
              I see a problem in setting connection, not during operation. For example for preparing backup to a remote computer one needs to:
              - free ssh and ping on firewalls
              - install ssh packages on both computers
              - generate keys on local computer
              Code:
              $ ssh-keygen -t dsa
              - delete file ~/.ssh/known_hosts
              - save file ~/.ssh/id_dsa.pub as file authorized_keys in ~/.ssh folder on remote computer
              - run connection check on local computer
              Code:
              $ ssh -2 -v ko@192.168.2.104
              , type yes on
              Code:
              The authenticity of host '192.168.2.104 (192.168.2.104)' can't be established.
              RSA key fingerprint is b2:75:eb:3a:2f:fc:6e:ee:58:b5:6c:3a:7e:49:f3:cd.
              Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)? yes
              - then one can for example list files on remote computer or run backup command.
              These steps can be done in five minutes.
              For setting new ssh network connection with Krusader one needs to set protocol fish, ip of remote computer, port 22, name of user on remote computer. It is possible to set sharing in Dolphin too.
              Kubuntu 16.04 on two computers and Kubuntu 17.04 on DELL Latitude 13

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Kubuntu-to-Kubuntu file-sharing migraine - anyone willing to hand-hold?

                Well, the encrypted home directory issue I'll leave for now; it's more important to get the laptop seeing the desktop than vice versa. However, until I'll have to push this issue to the back burner until I can resolve the ping issue. I'll be back in a day or two (hopefully).

                --Nathanael

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Kubuntu-to-Kubuntu file-sharing migraine - anyone willing to hand-hold?

                  Originally posted by josefko
                  These steps can be done in five minutes.
                  Yes, SSH is very easy to setup. But, if his laptop can't ping his desktop then SSH is not going to work any better than NFS.

                  Also, it depends on what the Nathanael wants. SSH is good for transferring files but not so good for streaming music, etc.
                  Home: Kubuntu 12.04-amd64; Intel i7-860 on Intel DH55PJ; Nvidia 9500GT; 6GB RAM
                  Network Slave: Xubuntu 11.10-x86; Intel P4-Prescott on MSI; 2GB RAM; Nvidia FX5200
                  Portable: Xubuntu 11.10-amd64; Asus EeePC 1015PEM

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Kubuntu-to-Kubuntu file-sharing migraine - anyone willing to hand-hold?

                    I use NFS and think it's fairly easy to set up - and I don't have portmap installed on either machine but as stated earlier the encryption thing is gonna hang you up a little bit

                    sudo apt-get install nfs-common nfs-kernel-server

                    Then after that you just add or edit /etc/exports - I export my home directory and /etc to my local subnet like this -

                    # /etc/exports: the access control list for filesystems which may be exported
                    # to NFS clients. See exports(5).
                    #
                    # Example for NFSv2 and NFSv3:
                    # /srv/homes hostname1(rw,sync) hostname2(ro,sync)
                    #
                    # Example for NFSv4:
                    # /srv/nfs4 gss/krb5i(rw,sync,fsid=0,crossmnt)
                    # /srv/nfs4/homes gss/krb5i(rw,sync)

                    /home/wizard 192.168.1.0/255.255.255.0(rw,sync,no_subtree_check)
                    /etc 192.168.1.0/255.255.255.0(rw,sync,no_subtree_check)

                    Then you create mount points on the client machine - I use /mnt/wizard and /mnt/etc

                    and I mount the shares with a simple shell script that looks like this -

                    #!/bin/sh

                    sudo mount 192.168.1.101:/home/wizard /mnt/wizard

                    sudo mount 192.168.1.101:/etc /mnt/etc

                    That's pretty much all there is to it




                    we see things not as they are, but as we are.
                    -- anais nin

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Kubuntu-to-Kubuntu file-sharing migraine - anyone willing to hand-hold?

                      i use nfs for sharing w/ my *nix boxes, its very easy to set up . in addition to wizards advice above you can also mount your nfs stuff using your /etc/fstab file inplace of needing to run a script to do it for you.

                      on my desktop(connected via wire) the shares auto mount , below you can see the line i add for that.
                      Originally posted by /etc/fstab (auto mount)
                      192.168.0.100:/media/archive/archive /media/archive nfs rw,hard,intr 0 0
                      <server's ip : path to share> <path to mount point> <type> <options>0 0
                      this will mount the share to the mount point when you boot your machine.

                      on ms.sith's laptop (shes connects thru wifi) we don't automount but still use the /etc/fstab to control the nfs share, that line looks like this

                      Originally posted by /etc/fstab (manual mount)
                      192.168.0.100:/media/archive/archive /media/backup nfs rw,noauto 0 0
                      if you want to mount the volume you simply open dolphin and you click on it from the places section , to unmount right click and "eject" you might even see it in your device manager depending on how you have set that up.

                      for each share you just add a line to your /etc/fstab and for each client want you can do this. for us it works great (and a noticeable speed boost over using samba to share)
                      Mark Your Solved Issues [SOLVED]
                      (top of thread: thread tools)

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                        #12
                        Re: Kubuntu-to-Kubuntu file-sharing migraine - anyone willing to hand-hold?

                        Originally posted by rfakhrai
                        [it depends on what the Nathanael wants. SSH is good for transferring files but not so good for streaming music, etc.
                        Well, ultimately I'd had visions of being able access the desktop from work or while out roaming with my cellphone. Part of that vision included streaming music to the phone, where downloading the MP3s would be impractical.

                        But for starters, I'd just like to get the home network working; so far no go :-(

                        --Nathanael

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Kubuntu-to-Kubuntu file-sharing migraine - anyone willing to hand-hold?

                          Thanks for posting your vision... it makes a difference. This is a very non-geek suggestion but it might make more sense just to buy a small NAS. The seagate NAS I just bought provides some service for accessing your files from "anywhere". This gives your computers just a little more "protection" IMHO. FWIW the seagate seems to run linux.

                          For simple file sharing between linux boxes I'm sure there is a right-click option in dolphin? I'd expect it to work out of the box (so to speak).

                          If on the other hand you are doing this as a kind of challenge... well I'll leave that to others but I don't think NFS is going to be your best option. Not many phones support NFS. And my experience with NFS is that is copes very badly with shares going off-line. This thread may be useful for media sharing http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=459691

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: Kubuntu-to-Kubuntu file-sharing migraine - anyone willing to hand-hold?

                            Yes, andre_orwell has a very good point in this case. I suppose it would have been more helpful if I had first asked what your vision was before throwing out a solution

                            I had forgotten about NAS and now I see that it's gotten a lot more affordable over the years. NAS and remote phone access are not my specialty. So if NAS is an idea worth considering to you, I'd recommend pursuing it. It wouldn't matter, then, that your computers can't "talk"
                            Home: Kubuntu 12.04-amd64; Intel i7-860 on Intel DH55PJ; Nvidia 9500GT; 6GB RAM
                            Network Slave: Xubuntu 11.10-x86; Intel P4-Prescott on MSI; 2GB RAM; Nvidia FX5200
                            Portable: Xubuntu 11.10-amd64; Asus EeePC 1015PEM

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: Kubuntu-to-Kubuntu file-sharing migraine - anyone willing to hand-hold?

                              Hey, no offense or rudeness intended, but I can't see how adding a third component to the equation solves the OP's problem, and Nathanael, if you're really seeking help, you need to respond with real information rather than what you envision.

                              Start by responding the Wizard's and Sithlord's posts. If you aren't willing to attempt what they suggest, fine - but at least acknowledge the posts.

                              Despite your attempts so far, NFS is far easier to setup and maintain and way more reliable than Samba, not to mention more functional. For example, you can't stream over a Samba share. A few correct settings on your fstab mounts and NFS will not cause any problems.

                              Let us know how you want to go forward so that we can offer you some help.

                              Please Read Me

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