Accessing Windows Workgroup Shares

Accessing shares in a workgroup is very straightforward. In Windows you can browse for other computers in a workgroup using the Network Neighborhood or the My Network Places window (depending on the version of Windows you are using). Figure 6.18 shows the workgroup computers available to a workgroup member computer running Windows XP. Note that there are Windows peers in the workgroup and a Linux peer running Lycoris Desktop (and using Samba as a way to connect to the workgroup).

Figure 6.18. Windows peers can browse the workgroup for member computers.

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To view the shared folders and printers that are provided by a workgroup peer computer, double-click on that computer. You can then access the files in the shared folders or connect to a printer provided by a workgroup member.

Linux computers also provide different methods for browsing the network. Lycoris Desktop uses the Konqueror Network Browser as shown in Figure 6.19. Note that the Lycoris computer (Icarus) is in a Windows workgroup that contains a Windows-based computer named Xena.

Figure 6.19. Linux desktop navigation tools such as the Konqueror Network Browser can be used to access the computers in the Windows workgroup.

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Tip

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The Linux distribution Lycoris Desktop makes file sharing easier than other Linux distributions. You can open a Properties dialog box for a folder using the Konqueror file browsing tool (from the Lycoris desktop). The Properties dialog box provides a Sharing tab that allows you to share the folder (it is similar to how a folder is shared on a Windows computer). Of all the Linux distributions currently available, Lycoris is one of the few that is ready to participate in a Windows workgroup right after it is installed on a computer.




Absolute Beginner's Guide to Networking
Absolute Beginners Guide to Networking (4th Edition)
ISBN: 0789729113
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2002
Pages: 188
Authors: Joe Habraken

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