Best strategy for a temporal mini network with two boxes

[bodiless]

I have two desktops and one laptop. What I want to do is connect my laptop with desktop_1 over a crossover cable, synchronize my files (i.e. with rsync), then travel, work during travel, arrive at second place, connect laptop with desktop_2 with the same cable, sync to desktop_2, work there and before returning back to place 1 do the same thing all over again in reverse order. I do that occasionally. So far I managed to connect laptop and desktop_1 by assigning static ip addresses at eth0 in the form:

Desktop_1: IP=192.168.0.1; Netmask=255.255.255.0
Laptop: IP=192.168.0.2; Netmask=255.255.255.0

I can ping each other, so the connection seems to work. But that’s all I managed to do so far. I tried to connect with ssh but I couldn’t. I googled around but I got confused. The two closest solutions I found were to use either samba or NSF, so one computer should be file server and the other one client, but which one should be which?. Am I on the right track here or is there a better solution? Another complication is that before using the crossover cable I need to plug out the network cable from the desktops, so I assume that I have to configure eth0 back again to its original state if I want to have internet connection on the desktops after synchronization finishes.

Any help or ideas very much appreciated

[penguin.ch]

Re: Best strategy for a temporal mini network with two boxes

Ad hoc, I'd suggest to

- set the "constant" (laptop) as server, not the "variable(s)" (desktops);
- revert to the Network File System ("penguins only" network assumed).

[askrieger]

Re: Best strategy for a temporal mini network with two boxes

You should be able to get along fine with rsync. Personally, I use sftp. Don't worry, no keys needed. See below. In any interaction, one of the two systems has to be the server and the other the client. I agree with UnicornRider that since the Laptop is involved in all the interactions it should be the server. To use sftp (ssh) install the "openssh-server" package on the laptop, install "openssh-client" on the two desktops. Openssh-client may even be included in the default installation. If you're using static IP addresses, you can designate the IP addresses of the two desktops as "trusted sources". This happens automagically. If you have user accounts on all three machines, the operation is trivial. Just give the konsole command on the laptop "sftp bodiless@192.168.0.1". sftp will ask for your password on desktop 1. Give it. Cd to the appropriate directories on the desktop and "get *". Use "bye" when your finished. At the second desktop, use "put" instead of "get".

[bodiless]

Re: Best strategy for a temporal mini network with two boxes

Thanks for the replies. I think I'll try the NSF with rsync option. I'll post back here if I get stuck somewhere. One more question though, SFTP is for transferring right? Its not for synchronizing, i.e. when a file is deleted on the source directory to be deleted also on the target one.

[askrieger]

Re: Best strategy for a temporal mini network with two boxes

That's correct. Sftp is for copying files from one machine to another. If you delete a file at one location, it will not be deleted at the other, unless you do so manually. That's exactly why I use it for cross-machine backups.