Chapter N3. Integrating Linux with MS-Windows
 
Goals for this chapter: rpm packages covered in this chapter: 
  • samba
  

"If you want to travel around the world and be invited to speak at a lot
of different places, just write a Unix operating system."
-- Linus Torvalds

Integration of Linux and Windows via TCP/IP

This chapter wants to introduce all the possibilities between a Linux box ( a system where is installed Linux ) and a MS Window Networked system. An MS Networked Window system is a system where is installed a MS Window Operating System like: MS Window 3.X, Window for Workgroup, 95, 98, NT, ME or 2000.

A MS Windows network Protocol is one of the following:

Basically, from Window for Workgroup days, the most used protocol is NetBEUI (NetBIOS Extended User Interface). This protocol was the first protocol designed by IBM for its Lan Manager server.

Now, how Linux or UNIX integrate theses system with Linux ?

There two basic modes to integrate a Linux box with MS Window:

From the Shared mode we have different solutions. However the most accepted is the project: SAMBA, that is available under OpenSource.

Before to SAMBA also was possible to integrate MS Windows with UNIX system. The first product in the serie was PC/NFS. Then become available PC/FTP from FTP Software. In those days also Netmanage release similar products. Some years ago, Netmanage buy FTP Software Inc, and get its product offering under a new name.

From the X-Integration-Mode companies like NCD and other release PC--Xware and XVision to run X Window system on or inside MS Windows. These products are called the

The integration between MS Window and UNIX was not elementary as newbies may suppose. For example in 1994, hundred of companies offers a TCP/IP version for MS Windows.

SAMBA solve almost all problems because they start from the beginning anlaysizing and offering also software to be installed in the MS Window machine to complete the integration.
 

Sharing MS-Windows devices with a Linux box

In this section we will introduce the available characteristics for MSWindow-Linux integration. Here we cover only the concepts and "what-is-possible-to-do". The next Chapter is completely dedicated to these Services.

For to "share" MS-Windows devices we understand sharing:

MS Windows Operating System are an evolved from the D.O.S (Disk Operating System). The DOS assign letters from A to B, to and from C to Z to Hard Disk and Network disks. Novell also assign letters to shared Disks visible from the Novell Server and the MS Window OS, basically a client.

Therefore, disks haves a letter and printers generally haves the Hardware's name, that is the name of the vendor including its model. However only the "Machine Name" is important for SAMBA jobs.

The following information is a valid example for a MS Windows 2000 system:

Samba offers a complete set of programs and Utilities to complete any task.

For example, we can check if our Window machine is up running the command:

[root@ftosx1 root]# nmblookup FUTURE-6NWYKXME
querying FUTURE-6NWYKXME on 192.168.1.255
192.168.1.60 FUTURE-6NWYKXME<00>

We can also try to mount or access that system:

[root@ftosx1 root]# smbclient //FUTURE-6NWYKXME/Administrator
added interface ip=192.168.1.93 bcast=192.168.1.255 nmask=255.255.255.0
Got a positive name query response from 192.168.1.60 ( 192.168.1.60 )
Password:
session setup failed: ERRDOS - ERRnoaccess (Access denied.)
[root@ftosx1 root]#

The SAMBA Utilities are the following:

[root@ftosx1 root]# rpm -ql samba | grep bin
/usr/bin/mksmbpasswd.sh
/usr/bin/smbadduser
/usr/bin/smbstatus
/usr/sbin/nmbd
/usr/sbin/smbd
/usr/share/doc/samba-2.2.1a/docs/htmldocs/winbind.html
[root@ftosx1 root]#

Basically using SAMBA is possible to:

How to use X-Window programs on MS Windows

In this section we will introduce the second possible integration between MS Windows Systems and a Linux box. This integration is called: "X-Integration-Mode".

In this mode, we use in full both the graphical interface on MS Windows, and the graphical interface on the Linux/Unix box, X Window System that is requeried for this type of integration.

As described before in the 90, different products was available: PC X Ware, X Vision and others.

After the Linux re-birth, basically the Netmanage and the X Win Pro, became the most used. We cover here the X Win Pro demo.

After to download the WinaXe demo and install it, we will get the following folder.

 
Using these tools is possible to transform the MS Window display in a X Window Client, and therefore receive "any" X Window application, like Netscape for Linux, StarOffice, etc.

The procedure to activate this is the following:

After this we will get the following screen:

Try the interactive cram ...

Click to enhance.

We launch the "konqueror" for the demo. Any other program that supports the XLib will run.

There are also a set of tools called: MKS-Toolkit. These Utilities are UNIX utilities for DOS/Windows users.

The product DESQview/X

One of the most magic products ever made was DESQview/X, actually not available.

Released by Quaterdeck (acquired by Symantec Inc different years ago), DESQview/X was a DOS programs that supports also MS Windows and therefore any MS Windows programs.

DESQview/X was the perfect choice to run MS Windows applications on a  X Window System.

The procedure is as follows:

After the DOS installation was necessary to optimize the DOS RAM used, otherwise DESQview/X will not work.

After the DESQview/X installation is possible to install inmmediately MS Windows (only 3.X, basically 3.1 was supported). After MS Windows, any MS Windows program may be installed. Personally, I install Lotus 123 for Windows and MS Word 6.0, in those days.

Once, all these software based on DOS and MS Windows 3.1 are installed, if we move to the X Window Enviroment, in the network, you can get the entire DESQview/X inside your X Screen.

And therefore, from those days is possible to use any MS Windows application on any X Windows Station, running X Window.

We present here one of the latest DESQview/X Advertising that appears on UNIXWorld.

 

This was a Quaterdeck Advertising that appears on UNIXWorld Dec 1993.


Exercises

  1. Visit Samba.org and WinPro.com
Tests
  1. Is possible to integrate MS Windows systems with Linux ?
  2. Is possible to print from a Linux box on the printer connected to a MS Window system ?
  3. Is possible to mount a MS Windows volume on Linux ?
  4. Is possible to visualize a Linux box on a MS Windows System ?
  5. Is possible to mount a MS Window system and at the same time a Mac folder ?
  6. Is available SAMBA for the Mac OS X, the latest UNIX based system ?
  7. Is possible to run X Window System on a MS Windows ?
  8. Is possible to run X Window System on the Mac OS X ?
  9. What is NetBEUI ?
  10. Is available TCP/IP on MS Windows ? From what date ?
  11. List three MS Windows Network Protocols.
  12. LIst three products to run X Windows on MS Windows. You can list old ones and new ones.
  13. What are the modes to integrate MS Windows with Linux ?
  14. What are the concepts introduced in this chapter ?
  15. What means D.O.S. ?
  16. What did the product called DESQview/X ? Where was installed ?
  17. Suppose that a system where is installed MS Windows 2000 and Linux (double boot) is running Linux. Is possible to copy files from/to the Windows 2000 disk and remote Linux system ?
  18. Is possible to mount a VFAT Windows 2000 filesystem on Linux ?
  19. Is possible to write files on a NTFS Windows 2000 Filesystem from Linux ?
  20. Is possible to mount a NTFS Windows 2000 filesystem on Linux ? What is the better choice to adopt if you use frequently this approach ?


Read the answers to the exercises.

Check the Interactive Exam Cram Networking: Try the interactive cram ...

Internet Resources for this Chapter.