Author Topic: How to win friends. Microsoft to CIOs: Adopt Windows 8 - or else. (Read 27840 times)

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #25 on:** March 09, 2012, 06:43 AM »

Just installed UBUNTU in a VM - wooo ... both of my printers work, couldn't believe it (OK it took a few tweaks in CUPS but it was pretty easy).

Also installed Mint - can't get the printers to work in there - and the settings in CUPs seem to be missing - strange since Mint is supposed to be based on Ubuntu!

Now for the harder task can I get the scanner to work on my Canon AIW printer?

Strangley I found a link on Canon Australia for a Linux printer driver, Can I install an RPM package in UBUNTU or MINT?

40hz · « **Reply #26 on:** March 09, 2012, 08:34 AM »

Strangley I found a link on Canon Australia for a Linux printer driver, Can I install an RPM package in UBUNTU or MINT?
-Carol Haynes (March 09, 2012, 06:43 AM)

You can using the Alien utility. It's not the recommended way to do things although it usually works correctly in most cases. At least from my experience. YMMV. But I also never tried to use it to load anything very exotic.

The real problem is that each distro handles dependencies differently so there's a risk of dependency conflicts. You can also run into that between major versions of the same distro if you mix and match repositories. (Sort of like trying to use WinXP drivers with Windows 7. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.) All just part of the 'version' game. See below:

Alien converts an RPM package file into a Debian package file or Alien can install an RPM file directly. This is not the recommended way to install software packages in Ubuntu. If at all possible, install packages from Ubuntu's repositories using Add/Remove, apt-get, or the Synaptic Package Manager. Package dependency conflicts may occur when attempting to install RPM packages. The Synaptic Package Manager may be able to fix or remove any broken packages.

See here for details.

I'd suggest having Alien convert the RPM to a Deb package and then install from that rather than using the direct install from RPM option. I'm a firm believer in minimizing variables when going off the reservation for software.

Luck!

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #27 on:** March 09, 2012, 09:40 AM »

Hmmm didn't quite get there - I install x64 and the drivers are x86 so they won't install.

Can't see on Mint how to install drivers at all - the print applet doesn't have any of the options ubuntu has!

Got the scanner working in ubuntu with xane!

Of course I am getting all this working in a VM - how much help it is getting from the printers already installed in the host I am not sure.

J-Mac · « **Reply #28 on:** March 09, 2012, 10:44 AM »

40hz, thank you for all that info!! Sounds like a very good starting point for me to get moving and learn this stuff.

I need to do something because although I used the very first generation Mac (it was Macintosh back then!), as well as its short-lived predecessor, LISA, I hadn't used any Apple equipment since then - unless you want to count the Apple Newton handheld against me! Until I was given an iPad 2 for my birthday two months ago by my dear wife. And though that device truly excels as far as the form of the hardware goes, the OS is extremely frustrating. I haven't jail-broken it yet because as of last month no one had released a method to do that for the iPad 2; only a bastardized 1st gen iPad jailbreaking program that was being reported as really buggy. But based on how iOS handles file organization, keeping it all hidden from the user, I don’t want to think about moving to Apple hardware full-time.

And while Windows 7 has plenty of good features going for it, Microsoft still gives me fits whenever it wants to! (I STILL cannot get a standard, old-fashioned home network to allow file sharing between the damn computers in my house!! Not that PITA HomeGroup crap, but a regular Workgroup-based network.) Don’t know if Linux will get along with me any better but I need to learn it and try it.

Thanks again!

Jim

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #29 on:** March 09, 2012, 10:50 AM »

I STILL cannot get a standard, old-fashioned home network to allow file sharing between the damn computers in my house!!
-J-Mac (March 09, 2012, 10:44 AM)

Can I ask why? I haven't had any particular problems with ordinary file sharing. The only exceptions were with Vista (which had a few bugs and so computers didn't show up under network properly - but you could address them by name) and Windows XP which is the only windows to use the workgroup MSHOME - having changed that to Workgroup everything works fine.

J-Mac · « **Reply #30 on:** March 09, 2012, 11:05 AM »

Computers show up fine. The directories that are shared with "Advanced Sharing" show up on each computer. But apparently the permissions don’t allow any computer to access any shared folders on any other computer. Settings are fine - I have gone over them with every and anybody who has taken a look at them. I have looked at the same settings on other home networks where all is working well. Settings are the same yet access is not there.

As for why? How the hell do I know!!? First time I have ever had a problem with networks! Don’t get me wrong - I have had problems in the past where I had to use all the old tricks like NetBEUI over TCP, etc. but that was in past versions. No one seems to have to do that with Windows 7. I have read a few articles about how the "permissions" in Advanced Sharing - which grants them to "Everyone" - don’t affect the true permissions way down deep in the OS, but I didn't want to start banging around in areas with which I was not that familiar.

Thanks!

Jim

40hz · « **Reply #31 on:** March 09, 2012, 11:15 AM »

40hz, thank you for all that info!! Sounds like a very good starting point for me to get moving and learn this stuff.

Jim
-J-Mac (March 09, 2012, 10:44 AM)

Any time Jim. Glad to have you come along to try "nix" out.

-----------------------------------------------------

Ok...

I'd like to suggest to Mouser we get a child board set up for Gnu/Linux specific threads. I used to be opposed to the idea of setting it off by itself. But there's enough interest now that it probably wouldn't hurt to put it in it's own area where it would be easier to find rather than having it scattered throughout the General Software's main section.

Sound good? Or does anybody want to take a poll or have a discussion about it first? It makes sense to me, but not everybody may agree. So what do the rest of think? Any: Ideas? Opinions? Objections? Questions?

Somebody please start a new thread on it? I'd do it myself, but I've already made up my mind. So maybe it would be better if somebody who is still undecided took up point on this?

Just my 2¢

40hz · « **Reply #32 on:** March 09, 2012, 11:32 AM »

Computers show up fine. The directories that are shared with "Advanced Sharing" show up on each computer. But apparently the permissions don’t allow any computer to access any shared folders on any other computer. Settings are fine - I have gone over them with every and anybody who has taken a look at them. I have looked at the same settings on other home networks where all is working well. Settings are the same yet access is not there.

Thanks!

Jim
-J-Mac (March 09, 2012, 11:05 AM)

You're not crazy. Or stupid. I've run into that a few times in mixed Windows version networks that have Windows 7 machines.

Sometimes the only way to get around it was to create a new network location and set up sharing from scratch. 99% of the time it's the name of the workgroup that's causing problems. Sometimes just deleting what's there and re-keying it into a WinXP box fixes the issue after a reboot

But before you go to that extreme, check out this article by Microsoft and work your way through it.

If you take your time and check everything step-by-step I'm fairly confident you'll find that one missing piece of information or the settings misconfiguration that's causing your problems.

If it doesn't, the next most likely cause is a screwed up Group Policy setting in the <Computer Configuration><Security Settings><Local Policies> section. That's a headache if so - so try the easy suggestions in the Microsoft article first.

If it still doesn't work, c'mon back here and we'll figure it out together.

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #33 on:** March 09, 2012, 11:48 AM »

Are you using the same account names and passwords on every computer? If not that might solve the problem or in Windows 7 turn off password protected sharing.

widgewunner · « **Reply #34 on:** March 09, 2012, 11:52 AM »

Great thread. Thanks 40Hz for the excellent advice and (obviously) well thought out predictions for the future. (Kinda scary, but your logic seems sound to me.)

You can pull my not-required-to-be-connected-to-the-internet Win32XPproSP2 box with MSVC6, Python, PHP and Perl from my cold dead fingers!

With all the disks from my old MSDN subscription, I have everything I need to stay happy, windows-wise for the foreseeable future (as long as my old hardware hangs in there - maybe its time to stock up on some spares...)

40hz · « **Reply #35 on:** March 09, 2012, 02:41 PM »

Great thread. Thanks 40Hz for the excellent advice and (obviously) well thought out predictions for the future. (Kinda scary, but your logic seems sound to me.)
-widgewunner (March 09, 2012, 11:52 AM)

Thanks! But just between you and me? I hope I'm very very wrong!

You can pull my not-required-to-be-connected-to-the-internet Win32XPproSP2 box with MSVC6, Python, PHP and Perl from my cold dead fingers!

With you 100% on that one. Hope they're up for digging two graves if it ever comes to that.

(I have no doubt they are BTW.)

With all the disks from my old MSDN subscription, I have everything I need to stay happy, windows-wise for the foreseeable future (as long as my old hardware hangs in there - maybe its time to stock up on some spares...)

Wow! Hadn't thought of that. Hmm...that might be a smart hedge option.

There's plenty of cheap (and often free for the hauling) PCs still sitting in offices of closed businesses. Many of which have been "abandoned in place." Sometimes a word to building management, or the landlord, is enough to get the back of your van loaded up with stuff they want gone for little or no money. Especially now that you can't just (legally) toss office electronics in dumpsters most places any more.

Then there's always the outrageously inexpensive Raspberry Pi and similar devices...

J-Mac · « **Reply #36 on:** March 09, 2012, 09:03 PM »

Are you using the same account names and passwords on every computer? If not that might solve the problem or in Windows 7 turn off password protected sharing.
-Carol Haynes (March 09, 2012, 11:48 AM)

Carol, I currently have password protected sharing turned off, though I did try it with that on and created identical user accounts on each box, but to no avail - still wouldn’t allow access.

I think 40hz is correct in that I need to scrap it and start over... again. (Fifth or sixth time now).

40hz, all in that Microsoft article has been gone through with a fine tooth comb; my settings are correct. BTW, this is not with mixed versions. The two main machines are Windows 7, one Professional and one Home Premium, and they cannot access each other's files. Oh, and naturally Microsoft's only advice for Windows 7 to Windows 7 isw top use the HomeGroup, which I can't do, mainly because it sucks but also because I need to access more than the pittance you can dump into the HomeGroup's "public" share folders.

Why Microsoft must make networking such a monster is beyond me - other than the fact that they are just being dicks like always. All the permissions, LSA, and other shit they force on us is of no use whatsoever if you are networking your own damn computers! What, I'm protecting me from me? Why not have a setting where if you are using only your own computers in your own network in your own damn home, that setting up the network and sharing is simple like it was five years ago on XP and prior versions. I don’t need all the access control crap for myself. Ahh, why do I bother to complain?

Thanks!

Jim

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #37 on:** March 09, 2012, 09:28 PM »

If you are using Windows 7 Homegroup is dead easy to add to - just right click on the folder and add it to the homegroup. No permissions to worry about.

Alternatively just create new libraries, add them to the homegroup and add your folders to them.

I use it all the time. The only issue I have is occasional my media library disconnects from my Sony TV - then I just restart the media library service and it kicks in again (this may be because I have been messing/experimenting with various additional access points).

J-Mac · « **Reply #38 on:** March 09, 2012, 09:52 PM »

No, I need access to all Carol, and HomeGroup can't do that.

Jim

40hz · « **Reply #39 on:** March 09, 2012, 10:56 PM »

@J-Mac - Have you considered maybe using TeamViewer instead?

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #40 on:** March 10, 2012, 07:40 AM »

When you say "I need access to all" what do you mean?

You can right click on any folder and add it to homegroup library.

Or just create a library and add all the folders you want to share to that library and then right click the library and share it with the home group in RW mode (the only restriction I can see is that you can't add root folders from hard disks but you can build a library of all the folders in the root directory of a drive.).

Now you can access almost any folder and drive you like on that machine from any other homegroup computer.

If you just want to do it drive by drive and ignore Homegroup:

Right click on the drive
choose Share with ... > Advanced sharing
Click Advanced sharing
Tick share this folder then permissions
If it isn't there already add the user 'Everyone' and give them full control.

Now on any computer you should have access to that drive by clicking Explorer and Network.

How to win friends. Microsoft to CIOs: Adopt Windows 8 - or else.

I have an Office PC (called Office-PC and the image above shows the share settings for drive C:) - this is windows 7 64-bit

Here is me accessing that drive on my laptop (windows 7 32 bit):

How to win friends. Microsoft to CIOs: Adopt Windows 8 - or else.

My windows 7 advanced sharing settings are the same on both machines (basically as loose as you can get on the home network - locked down on public). Here are the home network choices I use:

How to win friends. Microsoft to CIOs: Adopt Windows 8 - or else.

J-Mac · « **Reply #41 on:** March 10, 2012, 12:06 PM »

Well, it still isn't working here. And forget the talk about Homegroup - I am completely spent on that and will not use it. There always seems to be something I can't access with it. Look, disability often constrains me to one spot in the house for periods of time, yet I am who has to manage all aspects of all computers at any given time. (Depends on how many of the kids are visiting and connected.) We have four boxes ourselves. I CAN get to them all but it really ain't easy! And it never fails with Homegroup that even though I supposedly have complete access when I need to do something it refuses me access to that directory/file/ or whatever. Don’t want NO HomeGroup 'round here!!

And now this damn network is asking me for User and password info - even though "Password protected sharing" is set to "Off" on all computers! This is straining my brain ....

Jim

J-Mac · « **Reply #42 on:** March 10, 2012, 12:08 PM »

I even set the Public Network settings to the same as Private - I know; just testing it - and it still will not allow file access to/from in either direction. These two are both wired to the router. Good thing I still have a damn healthy head of hair so I can afford all this pulling out of my hair!

Jim

40hz · « **Reply #43 on:** March 10, 2012, 01:01 PM »

@ J-Mac: If you think you've gone crazy now, wait until it all suddenly and magically starts working several hours and reboots later - and for no apparent reason. Or just as suddenly stops working. I've seen both happen at client sites.

I hate peer-to-peer personal networks. I really do.

Carol Haynes · « **Reply #44 on:** March 10, 2012, 05:01 PM »

If you can't get sharing to work try using TeamViewer. If you install it on all computers you can simply access the desktop of any computer from one place. It even lets you transfer files if required (albeit slowly if they are big) and you can even set up a VPN to each computer. For home use it is free - but you do need to install the full package (not just the remote control tool).