using zeroconf/avahi/whatever to attach computers

[Michael R. Head]

On Fri, 2007-09-28 at 12:45 -0700, Matt Price wrote:
> hi folks,
> 
> i'm installing ubuntu on a new laptop (well, a friend's old laptop)
> andwant to sync a bunch of stuff from my old laptop to this one.  Both
> will be running gutsy.  I know there was a lot of talk a release or so
> ago about zeroconf and avahi, and how they would make it really easy to
> share information from one machine to another.  
> 
> What I want is one ofhte following:
> 
> 1) cat a cat5 cable, plug it into the ethernet jack on one computer,
> plug the other end into the other computer, and have the two computers
> instantlyrecognize each other and allow or negotiate some kind of file
> sharing.

This may work, but you'll definitely need a crossover cable (a regular
CAT5 patch cable won't cut it) or a hub between the two.

> 2) do something similar wirelessly -- that is, make a tiny ad hoc
> network

This should be possible, but it'll be slow (vs. wired ethernet)

> 3) failing those, connet both laptops through the wireless router in my
> home network, have the computers reognize and navigate to each other,
> and allow sharing to go on that way.

This should work, too.

> if those fail, i can just figure out the ip addresses and ssh in, i
> guess, but i'd like to do it more elegantly if poss.  thanks,

I routinely access the machines on my network using nautilus, nfs, and
ssh whenever I like, but I don't bother using auto-IPs, I just let
avahi/mdns work using my DHCP-acquired addresses. 

It works fine as long as the machines are on the same network segment
(or you set up something to forward multicast packets between segments).

> Matt
> 
> 
> 
-- 
Michael R. Head <burner at suppressingfire.org>
http://picasaweb.google.com/demiri.head.wedding