Win10 Home / Linux LAN - anyone got one going?

Since migrating to Linux on my 'main' computer I don't use my Win10 laptop much, but sometimes I'd like to be able to transfer files between the two without the hassle of physically transferring with a USB stick. AFAIK there's no way of enabling NFS in Win10 Home - but it must surely be possible to mount Win10 drives remotely? Or not?

I'd be interested to hear of any strategies others have used.

Robin.

Google Drive, or similar cloud storage?

Hi Robin,

You may need the Pro version to get NFS to work, have a look here, so Samba or cloud storage might be your best options. If you want to try Samba have a look here. I just use cloud storage myself.

Thor

Hi Robin;

I have not responded yet; I sometimes have to use Win XP and Win10. This will not help, I expect, but:

1) WinXP, I run on linux on virtualbox, for my weekly timesheet submittal;

2) Win10 - the machine it's on is dual-boot; (actually, quad-boot) and if Win10 is shutdown properly, you can just mount the disc on Linux.

Possible thoughts for you?

John.

Thanks for suggestions. This problem reared its head in particular when I changed my Android phone for an iPhone. The iPhone looks good, but won't talk to Linux despite my best efforts. Win10 will mount the phone's filespace iff I use an Apple-supplied cable (took me a while to figure that out - I assumed that aftermarket cables would be functionally identical.)

I've paid Apple 79p to get 50GB of cloud storage - so far all that's happened is that 3 pics (of hundreds) from my phone have appeared in my iCloud without my bidding. I don't understand how this works.

I've had bad experiences with Samba in the past, but maybe things have improved - I'll have a look. In the meantime, it looks like Win10 Home still supports FTP. Mmm - mget *.jpg might be all I need...

Robin.

For a robust 'standard' system Samba is the way to go - a so an so to up but reliable and secure. Another quality solution is to use a NAS drive independently set up on your network that both systems can access.

For a 'quick and dirty' solution set up a simple webserver on your Linux box - Apache but no PHP or MySQL needed and connect to that from your Win10 Laptop.

This is one of those jobs that ranges from dead easy to hells bells! Much depends on the version of Windows and the version of Linux you are using, and which transport you choose to use.

Linux is good at open standards-based file sharing, while Microsoft prefer their own methods. In general, it's easier to go with Microsoft's built-in file sharing mechanism (SMB) and let Linux do the conversion.

In Windows the first step is to 'Share' the file or folder. This has been simplified in Windows 10 and it can be done from the File Explorer. Permissions may be an issue; a user is not allowed to share files belonging to other users.

'Sharing' a file in Windows causes a process to advertise its availability over the network. Other Windows machines listen for (and make) advertisements and they pop up as a Network Drive in the File Explorer panel.

Linux talks Microsoft SMB using a package called Samba. It may not be necessary to install it. The need to talk to other computers on a network is so common it may already be operational. (Depends on the Linux Version and possibly what boxes where ticked at installation.)

On my Ubuntu machine, the equivalent of File Explorer lists SMB drives under 'Other Locations'

In addition to Windows SMB it also detects APF (Apple's file sharing protocol).

Once network folders are visible you can access files in the usual way.

Is it really that simple? Of course not! File sharing gets complicated very quickly, for example if you need to control sharing between groups of computers. Configuration on either Linux or Windows is equally complicated. If it doesn't work straight off, wrap a wet towel round your head, take two paracetamol, and read the manuals!

Dave

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 18/08/2018 10:09:39

I would be tempted to setup a Samba server on the Linux box and mount a share from that under Windows. Or go 'old school' and use ftp, with Linux as the server. Windows 10 has a built in ftp GUI client. Obscure, but it is there.

If there are funds available (from £125), the suggestion above to add a NAS is a good one, One thing I would say is if you do buy a small/basic NAS, you may soon find other users for it and wish you had bought a bigger one. Rather like lathes and mills.

Why bother trying to get your superior OS to try to talk with Windoze? You could bring your laptop back to useful life by installing Linux on it, so that it becomes a dual-boot device (or, of course dump Windoze altogether). The installed Linux should be able to mount the existing Windoze partition(s). Then you have the simpler task of getting two linux boxes to talk to each other, and two computers running a superior OS!

Thanks - it seems that Samba (which is bundled with my Ubuntu 16.04 Linux distro) is the way to go.I can do the Unix side OK, I'll struggle with the Windows stuff though. Windows has always been a bit of a mystery to me but I'll get there. A wet towel, a bottle of Talisker and paracetamol will sort it I'm sure.

NAS would be great, but there are more pressing calls on my purse at the mo.

Thanks again for the advice, Robin.

I decided to set this up as a test. Conveniently, also Ubuntu 16.04 LTS. It was simpler than expected.

1) Right-click on the Ubuntu folder you want to share, then 'Local Network Share'
2) Check 'Share this folder' and give the share a name
3) If Samba is not already installed, you will be given the oppourtunity to install it, do so, then repeat from step 1
4) Set the user rights you want
5) Now set your samba password with the command 'sudo smbpasswd -a <username>'

You can of course edit smb.conf manually if your prefer.

Windows 10 seems to have lost the ablity to browse workgroups, so you will need to access the share by IP address. For that reason, best to give Linux a static IP address.
E.g. \\192.168.1.83\sharename

That's it.

Thanks very much for trying that experiment and reporting Alan. Did as you suggested at the Unix end, then Explorer->This PC->Computer->Map Network Drive at the Win10 end, and BINGO! It just works! At least if the Linux /share directory is owned by me - I haven't yet figured out how to map eg /home/robin/share, where home is owned by root (W10 says it can see the Linux box, but can't find /home), but at least I now have a toehold and can try stuff.

Thanks again for your clear and concise instructions,

Robin

Edited By Robin Graham on 19/08/2018 22:07:20

Edited By Robin Graham on 19/08/2018 22:07:41

Glad you and Alan got it to work because I hit a problem doing the same thing. My Ubuntu 18.04.1LTS and Windows10 laptop can both 'see' shares advertised by the other. Unfortunately, neither connects properly to the other due to an internal authentication or permissions problem. (I think.)

Unhelpful error messages in the logs have me baffled. There's a hint that Ubuntu and Windows are communicating with IPv6 rather than IPv4, in which case the problem may be that NetBIOS over TCP only works over IPv4. Might explain why the passwords are initially accepted and then the session fails internally.

Ubuntu and Windows both connect to a NAS without problems.

Not too worried because I can transfer files with ftp. Still, getting SMB to work is another challenge I can waste time on...

Dave

In the course of trawling t'nterweb about this stuff I came across much wailing and gnashing of teeth about Canonical's decision to change the way Ubuntu handles networking from 17.10 on. I for one would be interested to know if - no, how, (I have confidence!) you get Samba going with Win10 / 18.04.

Robin

Thanks Robin, that's really useful to know. My internet search didn't pick up that Canonical might be at fault!

Dave

I'll put Ubuntu 18.04 on the list of things to look at next weekend.

Regarding IPv6. If you think it might be causing confusion, just turn it off, preferably at the client end. I like IPv6, but there can be some 'funnies' with software layered on top of it.

A little progress. My Windows 10 Home laptop can read a Public directory & files on Ubuntu (i.e the share works when a login isn't required), but not the other way round. May not have configured Windows correctly and didn't have time to investigate further.

Dave

Good news, or bad depending on your point of view. I tried my Ubuntu 16.04 instructions on 18.04 LTS. They worked, using a login, not anonymous. I'm reasonably sure our different results are down to the choice of Ubuntu/Linux/Samba accounts and permissions rather than anything at the Windows end. More investigation required.

I've just got Astronomy Linux working on an old laptop. It uses Ubuntu 16.04.

I won't go through the details but it was a long , traumatic haul and I could not have done it without someone handholding me through the parts where Ubuntu help was just sending me in circles. It seems impossible to install wireless card drivers without an internet connection, had to find an ethernet cable in the end!

Not hugely impressed at this point.

Neil