Kubuntu file sharing

[rikona]

On Mon, 31 May 2021 12:58:17 +0200
Liam Proven <lproven at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Sun, 30 May 2021 at 09:12, rikona <rikona at sonic.net> wrote:
> >  but Win7 can't
> > see the comp at all.  
> 
> Rikona, you are a veteran here, you know better than this. :-)

Yes, I've been here a long time, I know. Kubuntu reminds me of the old
Mandrake days. :-) I don't know if it makes me a vet or not with
networks. I've always had a lot of trouble with them, probably because
I don't know networking that well. And, I do almost everything in Linux
and have forgotten most of what I used to know in Win. [I'm becoming
more and more familiar with 'Senior Moments' :-) ] Also, the net stuff
in Kub seems rather different from Ubuntu 16 - not sure if it's 'new' or
just different in Kub. I keep a win box just to run SW that needs win,
and basically just use it for that, so have little/no win fiddling to
do. [I know - a lot of excuses. :-) ]

> You need to give us a *lot* more info.

I like to do that, but there's a TON of info associated with the 2 boxes
and the net - wasn't sure what was most helpful.

> What do you mean the Windows box can't see the Kubuntu one? What did
> you try?

Went to Windows Shares in Sys settings [Kubuntu] - only a user & PW box
appears - nothing else. Seemed odd but went with it. Connection
Preferences didn't add anything. Tried to set up a fixed IP
in Connections, but it didn't work. Finally just had the router do it,
which did work. Didn't see anything else in Sys settings that seemed
helpful. Set up some folder/file sharing in Dolphin, thought that might
do it.

Opened an Explorer window in win, clicked Network. ONLY the win box
shows - NO other boxes including a win10 laptop. 
[I did physically move and clean the box, but did essentially nothing
with it. AND, there are other things not working now too, like sound - 
same box, same earphones. Something happened, not sure what it is.]

Opened a Dolphin window in Kubuntu, clicked Network. Win box not in
either 'network' or 'shared files SMB' or anything else.

As a check, I looked with a Mac, **which could see BOTH boxes**, and
their files. At this point it was looking a bit odd. Why could the mac
see BOTH but each one could NOT see the other? That's what I mean about
'not seeing'.

> Here's a fairly definitive method:
> 
> [1] Find the IP address of your Kubuntu box, e.g. 10.1.2.3
> [2] Open a console window on Windows. (Cmd+R, cmd, Enter.). Type:
> 
> ping 10.1.2.3

Ah - very interesting. Just tried it - it works. I almost never do
'address' things in win - didn't think of that. Thanks for the
suggestion.
> 
> [3] Open an Explorer window (Cmd+E)
> [4] Click in the Location bar, or just press Ctrl-L
> [5] Type in:
> 
> \\10.1.2.3\

Yep - that works too.

> [6] This should open a view of all shares. Try a share. Enter your
> Samba credentials for Kubuntu. Remember, Samba credentials are *not
> the same* as Linux credentials. You need to manually sync them, or set
> up some form of sync.

Along the way, an online article suggested disabling homegroups and
installing Samba, which I did [sort of - not yet clear if homegroups is
disabled]. This produced the odd result on the mac of TWO network
entries for the same folder, only one of which worked - this was
beginning to look VERY strange. Why did that happen on the Mac? Anyway,
using Samba login worked here too.

> [7] If you know a direct share path -- you haven't told us -- you can
> try:
> 
> \\10.1.2.3\sharename

And here as well.

> Things to check:
> 
> • Are they in the same IP subnet?

yes

> • Are they in the same named domain? Have you set one up?

didn't set up a domain - worked well before without one, so didn't
think I needed one. I thought I was always using Samba and names, which
seemed to work.

> • If it exists and it's something.local you need to install Avahi --
> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToZeroconf
> • Does name resolution work? If not, use IPs.

Aha - this might be the problem. BUT Mac seems to work with names on
both boxes - why does it work there but not between either box?

Along these lines, as I was checking things, I ran NetBscanner. It did
NOT find a master browser on smb. Is this why names don't work
[although they do on the Mac]? Can I set up Kub to be a smb master? That
box is powered on much more than the win box and will be there if
needed. If Kub master works, will this enable names to work again,
which would be nice to then see other boxes?

> • Are there compatible user credentials? Do you know them? Did you
> sync them on the Linux end?

I've never had to deal with them before - they just got set by the GUI
and worked as I wanted. Just checked the win box - first time ever :-)
- and there is only 1 credential there, for a box that was retired
years ago. :-). Not sure how, yet, to add more that work correctly.
Do I really need to use these?

Most of the above is new to me, but is VERY useful in helping to
understand much of what is going on. THANK YOU!!!!!

For me, the comp is a tool, not a way of life. I remember when a wrench
etc could fix my automobile, which once saved my butt in the desert some
30 miles from ANYTHING. Nowadays, it seems as though I'd need a
keyboard more than a wrench to fix a new car. :-) There's pros and cons
to progress.

Anyway, I really appreciate your help!