"goarilla" <kevin.paulus@skynet.remove-this.be> wrote in message
news:4850bcac$0$2789$ba620e4c@news.skynet.be...
> On Thu, 12 Jun 2008 01:14:19 -0400, jim wrote:
>
>> "caver1" <caver1@inthemud.org> wrote in message
>> news:48508a2d$0$4262$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>>> jim wrote:
>>>> "caver1" <caver1@inthemud.org> wrote in message
>>>> news:485084a4$0$4250$4c368faf@roadrunner.com...
>>>>> jim wrote:
>>>>>> I have been chatting with people about my frustration with getting
>>>>>> simple stuff to work "out-of-the-box" with Linux.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Things like simply plugging into a network and being able to browse
>>>>>> XP folders on a peer to peer XP network (that means no server and no
>>>>>> authentication needed) that are not password protected. Still don't
>>>>>> have an answer to that one....
>>>>>>
>>>>>> But, yesterday, I ran into a shining example of one reason that FOSS
>>>>>> will never work for small business (which is MUST to be able to
>>>>>> legitimately challenge Microsoft's monopoly).
>>>>>>
>>>>>> While I was testing some software in a Linux environment, I came
>>>>>> across an area in which it would not work as advertised by the
>>>>>> authors. I raised some polite concern (really...I was polite) about
>>>>>> the problem in a user forum specific to this software, only to be
>>>>>> told politely to rtfm.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I re-rtfm. The problem persisted, so I raised my concerns again.
>>>>>> Again I was told to rtfm. Again I re-rtfm and returned with the
>>>>>> same questions that were unanswered by the manual.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> This time I was politely informed where I could reach the authors of
>>>>>> the software. I went there and we went through the whole rtfm,
>>>>>> re-rtfm loop another 2 or three times until they finally asked to
>>>>>> see my data. I sent them my data files.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> In about an hour, they confirmed that there was a problem. Great!
>>>>>> Now they'll jump right on it - because everyone wants their code to
>>>>>> work like they say it will, right?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Well, not really. I offered to help where I could (sacrificing a
>>>>>> goat, providing beer or money) but was told that the only help
>>>>>> needed was to fix the code. Unfortunately for me, I don't know C
>>>>>> coding - so I am SOL.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Small businesses (which are 90+% of all businesses) are called
>>>>>> "small businesses" because they are small. This generally means no
>>>>>> in-house programmers. So, small businesses are at the mercy of the
>>>>>> coders that provide the software that they run on.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> In this instance, I am at the mercy of these coders.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> As nice as they are, this "I'll get to it when I can" attitude is
>>>>>> just not acceptable to small businesses. They lose market share.
>>>>>> They lose customers and they lose money when software doesn't work
>>>>>> as advertised in tfm.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> This is why FOSS just doesn't work for the majority of businesses
>>>>>> (which are small businesses).
>>>>>>
>>>>>> While I move on to look for proprietary sources to replace the
>>>>>> broken open sourced software, I am again reminded that the FOSS
>>>>>> movement still "just doesn't get it" where small business is
>>>>>> concerned.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If it doesn't affect your earning a living or some other important
>>>>>> aspect of your life, FOSS may be just fine. But, if its important,
>>>>>> its important enough to pay to have it done right and supported.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> jim
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Why don't you preach to you're believers. After all you really don't
>>>>> want the truth.
>>>>> I have no problem with Linux cooperating with MS. But try to get MS
>>>>> to cooperate with Linux that's another story.I really think you need
>>>>> to talk to Dennis, Hadron, and Jeff Glatt. I do have my own "small
>>>>> business" and have had for 30 years. Go some where where someone
>>>>> wants to listen to you. caver1
>>>>
>>>> I'm willing to listen and I have tried everything I have been told to
>>>> try.
>>>>
>>>> Do YOU have the answer to getting a clean install of Linux to connect
>>>> to XP shares (that are not passworded) on a peer to peer XP network?
>>>>
>>>> I'm listening.....
>>>>
>>>> jim
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Why don't you ask MS why they won't cooperate with Linux. The only
>>> times I had problems was with MS sharing with Linux not Linux sharing
>>> with MS. I have always found it easier to share between Linux machines
>>> than between MS machines. Connect a MS machine to a Linux network and
>>> Linux lets MS see the network. Connect a Linux machine to a MS network
>>> and you have to work to get the MS network to let the Linux machine in.
>>> So is it Linux or MS?
>>> Go preach to your own believers. :Q
>>> caver1
>>> caver1
>>
>> You could have just said that you didn't know.
>>
>> jim
>
> smbclient -L host (list shares)
> nmblookup -SM--workgroup <YOUR-WORKGROUP> (list master browser)
> mount -t smbfs -o user="usernam",password="password" \\host\share /mnt/
> point (mounts windows share if you can mount it as cifs)

OK, let's try this again....and this time pay attention......

There are # of XP machines all connected to one router. This is called a
peer to peer network. There is no server.

The XP machines share folders that ARE NOT PASSWORD PROTECTED.

The Linux user does not know the names of all PCs on the p2p network, nor
does he know the names of all of the shares.

An XP installation can detect all PCs and shares and display them, and
access them via Windows Explorer with no input from the user as to machine
names or folder names or share names. It is as easy as pluging into the
network and opening explorer and network neighborhood.

Show me how to make a Linux box do THAT out of the box.

jim