[Samba] File & Printer Sharing With Windows98

[Bill Diehl]

I have been looking for clear guidance on setting up Samba on 
home network to share files and printers for nearly a year and just 
don't understand how to apply the information.

Here is what I have:

A Linksys router is hardwired to 3 computers and a DSL modem.  
One computer is running Debian Etch v2 with Samba installed.  
The other two computers are running Windows 98SE.  The files 
and printers to be shared are connected to the Debian computer.


Here is what I am trying to duplicate:

The 3 computers running Windows 98SE can share files among 
each other and share the printers on the one computer through the 
router.  I guess this is called a peer-to-peer network.  Now, when I 
boot into Debian on the one computer, I would like for all 3 
computers to still be able to share files and printers.  However, 
when the machine with Debian is booted into Windows98, I would 
for the 3 computers to still be able to share files and printers.

Setting up Windows98SE was pretty much automatic - whatever 
configuration I needed to do was available as screen shots that I 
was able to follow.  I don't fully understand what I did so that file 
and printer sharing worked; I just know that it did.

I've waded through the Samba documentation until my brain was 
cooked, consulted Running Linux and The Linux Cookbook, and 
posted to various forums in attempts to get a simple, clear answer 
for setting up file and printer sharing.

I figured someone must have set up a simple home network like 
this with Linux and Win98 a zillion times and some clear, simple 
help must be available somewhere.

I am running KDE with Debian, which allows access to the Samba 
configuration, and know how to hand edit configuration files.  I just 
am not understanding what I need to do with Samba or the 
Windows 98 machines to get them all talking to each other, when 
the one machine is booted into Debian or Windows98.

Some clear, simple guidance would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Bill