Ubuntu
samba package

I want to sync my (Ubuntu) laptop/files w a WinXP Network Share

Asked by Rashid Ali

I am running a basic Windows Workgroup with:
1. Ubuntu Laptop (running side by side Win7)
2. Ubuntu Laptop (running side by side Win7)
3. Windows Vista laptop
4. Windows XP Desktop that is housing the share drives.

The network is wireless (only used rj45 during setup of Ubuntu machines). The two ubuntu laptops (both laptops but one stays and the other is mobile) - need to sync the documents between them. I figured a central network location would be easier than using a portable drive.

I have mounted the location and it shows in the Network section of the Ubuntu laptops but when I go to use a file syncing prg like (LuckyBackup/Unison/ETC...) I cannot see the folder or access the share.

I used the following guide - http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=288534 - but was never able to get the folder showing up on my desktop (as explained in the guide) and with no scenario to address my problem I am stumped.

Any assistance would be appreciated.

In response to actionparsnip:

I apologize for coming across ignorant (as it relates to Ubuntu), I am a lifelong WIndows user - actually proficient in CLI cause I started with DOS - I just can no longer deal with the instability issues.
Ubuntu's internal operations/programs/etc... are foreign to me so I have no clue what Nautilus is.
If Nautilus is the File Explorer equivalent then yes, I see it under all of the Home folders/bookmarks, etc...

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Chris
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Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#1

Can you mount the share in nautilus?

Revision history for this message
Rashid Ali (rawork) said : 		#2

Thanks for the reply.
I apologize for coming across ignorant (as it relates to Ubuntu), I am a
lifelong WIndows user - actually proficient in CLI cause I started with DOS
- I just can no longer deal with the instability issues.
Ubuntu's internal operations/programs/etc... are foreign to me so I have no
clue what Nautilus is.
If Nautilus is the File Explorer equivalent then yes, I see it under all
of the Home folders/bookmarks, etc...

On Sat, Dec 3, 2011 at 6:20 PM, actionparsnip <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #180836 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/180836
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> actionparsnip requested more information:
> Can you mount the share in nautilus?
>
> --
> To answer this request for more information, you can either reply to
> this email or enter your reply at the following page:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/180836
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#3

Yes nautilus is the file browser, so you can access the files over the LAN ok, do you just want a shortcut to it on the desktop. Is that it?

Revision history for this message
Rashid Ali (rawork) said : 		#4

I want to link it to a rsync type program, I can see it in Nautilus but not
when the program opens up the Nautilus window.

On Sat, Dec 3, 2011 at 6:55 PM, actionparsnip <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #180836 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/180836
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> actionparsnip requested more information:
> Yes nautilus is the file browser, so you can access the files over the
> LAN ok, do you just want a shortcut to it on the desktop. Is that it?
>
> --
> To answer this request for more information, you can either reply to
> this email or enter your reply at the following page:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/180836
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said : 		#5

install an you can rsync the files using ~/.gvfs which is where they are mounted, each mount will have a folder in there.

Revision history for this message
Best Chris (fabricator4) said : 		#6

If you can see the files in Nautilus (Yes, it the file browser that installs with Ubuntu) then the share is already mounted on the LInux system, just not where you expected to be. You can get there with the following in a terminal window.

#Change to the Nautilus mount directory. It's hidden so starts with a '.'
cd /home/username/.gvfs
#Of course change 'username' to your login name

#List the directories here
ls -l
#I used the long directory listing because the directory name probably has spaces in it
#The dir name will probably be something like SharedDir on Other-Computer-Name
#You can change to this shared directory but you will need to escape the spaces in the Linux command line
#this is done with with the '\' character.

cd SharedDir\ on\ Other-Computer-Name
ls

#the ls should have listed all the files on the shared directory on the other machine.
#Note that captilisation in important so you need to use it exactly as it appears.

You should be able to use this dirctory in your backup software to update the shares, however you might want to give it an easier directory to work with.

#You can make another symbolic link in your ~/ directory
#(so you know, ~/ is the same as /home/username but is convention that works for everyone)
ln -s ~/.gvfs/SharedDir\ on\ Other-Computer-Name ~/

#this will make the share also appear in your home directory, eg ~/SharedDir\ on\ Other-Computer-Name

# now you can change the name of the new share to save a heap of typing all the time:

mv ~/SharedDir\ on\ Other-Computer-Name ~/NiceName

#Now, whenever you want to access the share you can just cd to:

cd ~/NiceName
ls

# and etc. Try this new directory with your backup software and see if it works OK.
#If you want a simple command line alternative to sync the folder with your local files have a look at rsync eg:

rsync -av ~/NiceName/ ~/Documents

#will copy everything in the in the NIceName directory that has changed with those in the local Documents directory. It would necessary to sync the other way when finished, or you could have single script that worked both ways which would be just as efficient, since rsync dose not copy anything that has not changed. The switch -a by the way uses rsync in archive mode, where things like timestamps and permissions are not changed, and the -v just means 'verbose' which I like to use because you can see what has been done.

Chris

Revision history for this message
Rashid Ali (rawork) said : 		#7

Thanks again for the reply but I have NO clue what any of that means.

FYI
In the guide I was following it had me add WINS () to the host line in my
nsswitch.conf file, I logged back into Ubuntu and Chromium was ridiculously
slow so I removed it and replaced it with hosts: files dns.
Either way I still was not able to see the previously mounted windows share
(automatically) in Nautilus, I can browse to it but it is not a permanent
mount.

On Sat, Dec 3, 2011 at 7:15 PM, actionparsnip <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Your question #180836 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/180836
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> actionparsnip proposed the following answer:
> install an you can rsync the files using ~/.gvfs which is where they
> are mounted, each mount will have a folder in there.
>
> --
> If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
> know that it is solved:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/180836/+confirm?answer_id=4
>
> If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
> following page to enter your feedback:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/180836
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.
>

Revision history for this message
Rashid Ali (rawork) said : 		#8

Thank all of you for your replies.
After I resolve this issue I would like to read up on the structure/files/folders/dirs and how they relate so I can better understand how this op sys works.

The share I am interested in shows up in Nautilus only AFTER I click (to explore it), previously I thought it mounted each time but that is not the case. After clicking on it the drive will appear below NETWORK and it has an eject image to the right.

So I am thinking that the first thing I need to accomplish is to MOUNT it permanently and move from there. I have tried this guide -
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=288534
and this one
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=255872
But after running sudo mount -a (w no errors) it still does not show up on my desktop or in nautilus (until I click/explore it)

After resolving the (permanent) mount issue I would then like to sync the machines to the share. Sorry if this seems redundant but I trying to learn and do at the same time.

Revision history for this message
Rashid Ali (rawork) said : 		#9

Thanks Chris, that solved my question.

Revision history for this message
Rashid Ali (rawork) said : 		#10

I would also like to thank all of you guys for your input and Chris I really appreciate your post, it served to clear things up for me tremendously. My frustration got the best of me initially but after taking a break and looking at it w fresh eyes I got everything working properly.