Messed up my "network"

[nodough]

My "network" is pretty basic. I've got two machines connected with a crossover cable. With one of them, I connect to the internet with a dialup serial modem. That box also has proftp installed. I'll call that Server and the other, which has no modem, Client.

I used to be able to transfer files back and forth via ftp, using Konqueror. Then I found this: Internet Connection Sharing - Community Ubuntu Documentation https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Internet/ConnectionSharing

Needless to say, I messed it up. Basically, I forgot there's no server in the Client box--which is the one I did all the configurations on. (I was planning to attach the modem to it.) I tried to undo it all, and my boxes can ping each other, but for some reason when I try to connect to the Server I'm getting a "connection refused" message.

Proftp is a running process on the Server, which is Hardy. The Client is using Jaunty, and I've killed (but not uninstalled) Network Manager to no avail. Prior to my screwup, it didn't make any difference; I could connect the boxes just fine.

Thing is, the "connection refused" page pops up so quickly I'm suspecting it's the Client that's the problem--like it's not even looking for the IP address of the Server.

Any suggestions? Maybe if I reinstall iptables? I don't want to mess this up worse than it is.

[oshunluvr]

Are you just using FTP protocal to transfer files??? I'm not familiar with ProFTP and it's settings, but client server connections could be blocked by your hosts files. Look at (all under /etc/) hosts, hosts.allow and hosts.deny. Define your hostnames in hosts and allow your local network in hosts.allow.

IMO linux to linux box file transfers a way easier and faster using NFS rather than FTP.

[GreyGeek]

....
IMO linux to linux box file transfers a way easier and faster using NFS rather than FTP.


+1

With a GUI desktop its setup is more complicated than it used to be but one way is described here (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/NFSv4Howto), or other way here (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/SettingUpNFSHowTo), or you can go directly to the horse's mouth and read about it here (http://nfs.sourceforge.net/nfs-howto/).

I had problems with timeouts during boot up, when the nfs connection was intialized, until I used a combination of "hard", "intr", "rsize" and "wsize", setting the latter two to 8192, similar to this:


foo:/tmp /mnt/foo nfs rw,hard,intr,rsize=8192,wsize=8192 0 0


which is also discussed in the sourceforge howto.

[nodough]

Thanks for your amazingly fast replies.


Are you just using FTP protocal to transfer files?

Yes.


IMO linux to linux box file transfers a way easier and faster using NFS rather than FTP.

All I did, way back when, was install proftp and it worked. I probably had to do a bit of tweaking but nothing as complicated as the instructions on the NFS HowTos. Needless to say, I'm very reluctant to try more installing--especially on the box without a modem.


client server connections could be blocked by your hosts files

The time stamps on host.allow and hosts.deny on both boxes are the originals from the day I installed. /etc/hosts on the Client is also the original--and networking worked before I started screwing around.

Server's /etc/hosts has a time stamp from yesterday, when I was changing the static IP addresses, trying to get this to work. However, here it is:


127.0.0.1 localhost.localdomain localhost
127.0.1.1 Hardybox

# The following lines are desirable for IPv6 capable hosts
::1 ip6-localhost ip6-loopback
fe00::0 ip6-localnet
ff00::0 ip6-mcastprefix
ff02::1 ip6-allnodes
ff02::2 ip6-allrouters
ff02::3 ip6-allhosts
192.168.0.125 Jauntybox

I confess, I followed instructions without having any idea what they meant. But 99% of what I did was on the Jaunty (Client) box. The Jaunty /etc/hosts is virtually identical to the above, except it has no last line for the Hardy box. So I added it--no joy.

But I do think the problems are on the Jaunty/Client box. Here's /etc/network/interfaces from it, also with a time stamp from yesterday:


#The loopback network interface
auto lo
iface lo inet loopback

iface eth0 inet static
address 192.168.0.130
netmask 255.255.255.0
gateway 192.168.0.120

[skunk]

Surely these should be the same address?


192.168.0.125 Jauntybox


address 192.168.0.130

[oshunluvr]

I agree the different IP addresses could be the issue. You need not define each IP of each allowed host specifically. My laptops use dhcp and my desktops are usually fixed IPs so my hosts. looks like:

127.0.0.1 office.smith.net localhost.localdomain localhost
127.0.1.1 office.smith.net office
192.168.1.199 media.smith.net media
192.168.1 hplaptop.smith.net hplaptop
192.168.1 mini.smith.net mini
192.168.1.250 server.smith.net server

You could change it on either end. Also - it appears your ethernet connection does not come up automatically on boot - is that right???

As far as NFS;
Steps:
1)nfs-server, nfs-client, and portmap packages installed
2)host names defined properly and hosts.allow hosts.deny configured
3)/etc/exports configured
4)exported directories and user permissions correct
5)NFS shares mounted on client

Once you've done all this it's fast and flawless. I have a dedicated server so it's configured as NFS-server and my other linux boxes are as clients, but you can configure all of them as server and client and share across all of them if you wish.

[nodough]

Surely these should be the same address?

192.168.0.125 Jauntybox

address 192.168.0.130


Aargh! They are. I had to type in the 2nd /etc/network/interfaces by hand, as I can't transfer them--no floppy drive, no ftp'ing. So it's just a typo. Sorry.

To clarify: Hardy box:192.168.0.130
Jaunty box:192.168.0.125 (unless I mistyped again)

[nodough]

As far as NFS;
Steps:
1)nfs-server, nfs-client, and portmap packages installed
2)host names defined properly and hosts.allow hosts.deny configured
3)/etc/exports configured
4)exported directories and user permissions correct
5)NFS shares mounted on client


You make it sound so easy :-[ But considering I can't even type in an IP address properly (see above) and the extent I messed up in the first place, I'm not very confident in myself. I might give it a try if all else fails.


it appears your ethernet connection does not come up automatically on boot - is that right???

Not on the Hardy box, because that's got the serial modem on it.

For the Jaunty, I haven't actually checked, but I did make sure with ifconfig eth0 up that it looked like what I get on the Hardy box--except for the different IP address. In fact, I check every time with ifconfig because on the Hardy, at least, putting the machine to sleep messes up the eth0.

[oshunluvr]

If you want to try NFS - install the packages I listed and I'll do the configs for you - it's that easy.

The hardest part is getting permissions correct. If you really only want one user to share the files, it's a lot easier. Just make sure both computers are using the same user and groups IDs and numbers.

[nodough]

If you want to try NFS - install the packages I listed and I'll do the configs for you - it's that easy.

That is a hugely kind offer. While this isn't the first time I've borked something, it's the first time I had so much invested in a system I don't want to lose.

Can I think about this for a day or two, and then if I decide to bite the bullet, may I send you a personal message via this forum?

[oshunluvr]

Sure - wouldn't hurt to do a little reading up on it too. If we do dig into it, I'd rather do it in a forum post so others can comment and benefit.

My home network consists of a dedicated server that hold all my media files, home directory backups, hosts my two printers, scanner and fax and has ktorrent server.

I access it from my linux desktop, my linux media computer, my linux laptop, a windows vista laptop, windows 7 laptop, windows xp desktop, and a mac laptop.

[nodough]

Sure - wouldn't hurt to do a little reading up on it too. If we do dig into it, I'd rather do it in a forum post so others can comment and benefit.

Okay. I was thinking the other way: why bog people down with something probably not relevant to them, but maybe not. You certainly know more about it than I do.


My home network consists of a dedicated server that hold all my media files, home directory backups, hosts my two printers, scanner and fax and has ktorrent server.
I access it from my linux desktop, my linux media computer, my linux laptop, a windows vista laptop, windows 7 laptop, windows xp desktop, and a mac laptop.


A man after my own heart ;)

Actually, poking around just now, I discovered that my resolv.conf file is:


# Dynamic resolv.conf(5) file for glibc resolver(3) generated by resolvconf(8)
# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE BY HAND -- YOUR CHANGES WILL BE OVERWRITTEN
nameserver 127.0.0.1

Can that be right? Shouldn't the nameserver be my ISP's DNS numbers? I notice the datestamp on it is the 14th, which is when I began mucking around with this.

If it's wrong, can you tell me how to fix it?

[oshunluvr]

If you're using networkmanager or some other "tool" it will overwrite resolv.conf

Normally I'd say that your resolv.conf is bad, but if you're using a modem and PPP - I'm too inexperienced to comment.

I use no network tools, static IP's and connect through a router to the internet. My network uses unmanaged switches that require no configuration.

[GreyGeek]

Your resolv.conf file should be populated with something like this:

search yourisp.com
nameserver ip1
nameserver ip2


where ip1 and ip2 are your isp DNS IP addresses. I assume you are connecting to this forum via your Windows side.
Since resolv.conf hasn't change you can try this: edit resolv.conf so it shows what I have given above, but modified for your ISP info. Then issue "sudo service networking restart".

If that gets you an internet connection then use Synaptic to reinstall PPPoE and the dhcpd stuff. Then reboot.

[nodough]

If you're using networkmanager or some other "tool" it will overwrite resolv.conf

To my knowledge I'm not, but there was all that configuring I did ...

Before I screwed up, it was a question of sudo ifconfig eth0 up to get the network card working, then sudo ifconfig eth0 down to use my dialup modem to connect to the internet. I was looking for a way to have both the modem and eth0 going at the same time, to share the internet connection.


Normally I'd say that your resolv.conf is bad, but if you're using a modem and PPP - I'm too inexperienced to comment.

I checked the resolv.conf in the Jaunty box, and it has the IP adresses for my ISP.


My network uses unmanaged switches that require no configuration.

unmanaged switches?

[nodough]

Your resolv.conf file should be populated with something like this:

search yourisp.com
nameserver ip1
nameserver ip2

where ip1 and ip2 are your isp DNS IP addresses.


In the Jaunty box (see post above) I have ip1 & ip2, as I'm almost positive I used to have in the Hardy box resolv.conf. But I don't know what you mean by "search yourisp.com"


I assume you are connecting to this forum via your Windows side.

Nope. On the Hardy box.


Since resolv.conf hasn't change

I think it has, because the datestamp is from when I did all that configuring.


If that gets you an internet connection then use Synaptic to reinstall PPPoE and the dhcpd stuff.
I have the working internet connection on the Hardy box. What no longer works is that the Jaunty box can no longer connect to the Hardy box. However, if it's just a question of editing resolv.conf I'll try that--and keep my fingers crossed it doesn't mess up the internet connection.

But I don't understand the line:

# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE BY HAND -- YOUR CHANGES WILL BE OVERWRITTEN

What overwrites it? And if I make the changes by hand, how do I make them permanent?

[oshunluvr]

I don't see why you can't be connected to your modem and ethernet card at the same time. You can't be online and bring up your ethernet card?


But I don't understand the line:

# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE BY HAND -- YOUR CHANGES WILL BE OVERWRITTEN

What overwrites it? And if I make the changes by hand, how do I make them permanent?
Networkmanager and other configuration tools MAY overwrite it if you use them to configure your network. If you're unsure - edit it by hand and then when it's working, make a backup copy in case it happens. They way to make it permanent is to not use those editing tools.


unmanaged switches?
***basically, routers are addressable devices that route your network traffic from one network to another - like from your home network device to the internet through a modem. A switch allows your network devices (ethernet cards) to connect to one another. Most if not all home-type routers include a built-in managed switch.

An addressable device - routers and managed switches - have an IP address and MAC address, have settings that allow you to setup or deny various services, many have built-in firewalls - stuff that that.

Unmanaged switches are not addressable - meaning they don't have a MAC address, don't use an IP address, have no settings at all - no way to control network traffic. Which is perfect for home networks because they require no input from the user - just a good ethernet cable.

I actually have more than one switch one my network because I have devices clustered in more than one area.

[nodough]

I don't see why you can't be connected to your modem and ethernet card at the same time. You can't be online and bring up your ethernet card?

Um, I never tried it in that order. I just did. It works. :-[



But I don't understand the line:

# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE BY HAND -- YOUR CHANGES WILL BE OVERWRITTEN

What overwrites it? And if I make the changes by hand, how do I make them permanent?
Networkmanager and other configuration tools MAY overwrite it if you use them to configure your network.

The only editing tool I ever used is Kate or Kwrite. IIRC, network manager in Hardy is buggy and they say to uninstall it. If I understand you correctly, the file will only be overwritten if I use a gui tool/editor?


If you're unsure - edit it by hand and then when it's working, make a backup copy in case it happens. They way to make it permanent is to not use those editing tools.

I edited resolv.conf by hand, but it didn't seem to make any difference. Do I have to stop networking first? Or log out and in? Or (G-d forbid) reboot?

Sorry to be asking such newbie questions.


***basically, routers are addressable devices ...
OMG, I actually understand this! You write geek very well.

I'm getting a good feeling I'm on my way to solving the problem. Thanks for all the help so far.

[GreyGeek]

......
In the Jaunty box (see post above) I have ip1 & ip2, as I'm almost positive I used to have in the Hardy box resolv.conf. But I don't know what you mean by "search yourisp.com"


My resolv.conf file has "search earthlink.net" as the "search" line because Earthlink.net is my Internet Service Provider (ISP).



[

If that gets you an internet connection then use Synaptic to reinstall PPPoE and the dhcpd stuff.
I have the working internet connection on the Hardy box. What no longer works is that the Jaunty box can no longer connect to the Hardy box. However, if it's just a question of editing resolv.conf I'll try that--and keep my fingers crossed it doesn't mess up the internet connection.

But I don't understand the line:

# DO NOT EDIT THIS FILE BY HAND -- YOUR CHANGES WILL BE OVERWRITTEN

What overwrites it? And if I make the changes by hand, how do I make them permanent?



In a network setup which hasn't been corrupted by manual intervention, when ever your DHCP client requests a lease from your network connection (eth0 or wireless), the ISP supplies an Internet compatible IP address AND a set of Domain Name Service IP addresses which your client uses to AUTOMATICALLY populate the resolv.conf file. IF you have written anything into resolv.conf since your last good link up, it will be erased the next time the DHCP client requests a lease from the DHCPCD (daemon) of your ISP.

When "nameserver 127.0.0.1" or "nameserver 192.168.1.1" appears in your resolv.conf file it is obvious that something is wrong with your setup. To fix it manually and then prevent an override by the dhcpcd you can edit the file as root using kwrite of kate (sudo kwrite /etc/resolv.conf), and the three lines which tell your Internet connection where to look to change domain names into valid IP addresses, save the file, then make the change permanent by doing

sudo chattr +i /etc/resolv.conf

Use "man chattr" in a Konsole to understand what chattr does.

[GreyGeek]

[quote=nodough ]
.....
I edited resolv.conf by hand, but it didn't seem to make any difference. Do I have to stop networking first? Or log out and in? Or (G-d forbid) reboot?

Sorry to be asking such newbie questions.
....
[quote]

Using "sudo service networking restart" in a konsole will restart your networking.

There is no such thing as a dumb question. :) EVERYONE was a newbie sometime in their life. There are dumb answers, however, regardless of how I try to avoid giving them. :'(

[nodough]

My resolv.conf file has "search earthlink.net" as the "search" line because Earthlink.net is my Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Believe it or not, I've been using K/Ubuntu since 5.04, and never seen a line like search [ISP]. Then again, I don't usually screw around with networking :'(


corrupted by manual intervention

I don't know if you intended it, but this made me smile.


... it will be erased the next time the DHCP client requests a lease from the DHCPCD (daemon) of your ISP.

Yup, that's what it did, all right. Now, I know for a fact I've never heard of chattr. And I never had DHCP on this box until I installed it to screw up my networking. And at this point I'm terrified of making things worse. I understand very little of the man page, but the paragraph below is enough to make me need to change my underwear:


A file with the `i' attribute cannot be modified: it cannot be deleted or renamed, no link can be created to this file and no data can be written to the file. Only the superuser or a process possessing the CAP_LINUX_IMMUTABLE capability can set or clear this attribute.

So, before I do permanent and irreparable damage:

a) would it be easier to just uninstall dhcp?

b) how would I undo sudo chattr +i /etc/resolv.conf?


Using "sudo service networking restart" in a konsole will restart your networking.

Oops! In trying to figure things out for myself I used sudo /etc/init.d/networking stop and restart. I hope that was okay. (It seemed to work.)

Thanks for your patience, and the post about newbie questions.

[GreyGeek]

Oops! In trying to figure things out for myself I used sudo /etc/init.d/networking stop and restart. I hope that was okay. (It seemed to work.)


That is the "depreciated" way of restarting the network. I wasn't aware that it was still working, but if it works ...




a) would it be easier to just uninstall dhcp?


If I understand your situation right you sort of between a rock and a hard place. You Jaunty box has no workable Internet connection, so you would be able to only remove software, not add it. You WERE using PPPoE to make a dialup connection, but your dhcp install messed that up and you can't reconnect to the web to do a reinstall of pppoe, pppoeconf and pppstatus. For all the time you've already taken on this problem it might be faster to just boot up your LiveCD and reinstall. But, IF you have a wired connection to the Internet, uninstalling dhcp and dhcpcd, and reinstalling the three I mentioned above would be the fastest thing to do. But, because you were usiing dailup I'd suspect you don't have a wired connection avaiable.



b) how would I undo sudo chattr +i /etc/resolv.conf?


Change the "+i" to "-i"

[nodough]

That is the "depreciated" way of restarting the network.
Or maybe just the Hardy way. Part of my problem may have been issuing commands not relevant to my version.

If I understand your situation right ... Jaunty box has no workable Internet connection,
Sorry for the confusion.The Jaunty box has a "workable" connection, but I don't have a second modem for it. I've got one serial/external modem, currently connected to the Hardy box. Switching it from one box to the other is a PITA, because there's little room to manoevre in my cramped apartment. Eventually, I'll be using the Jaunty as my "production" machine, and the Hardy as a backup. I will attach the external modem to the Jaunty box then. But first, I have to get my /home partition (approx. 58G) onto the Jaunty box, for which I need the FTP.


You WERE using PPPoE to make a dialup connection, but your dhcp install messed that up and you can't reconnect to the web to do a reinstall of pppoe, pppoeconf and pppstatus.


I have no idea what I'm using to connect to the web, except KPPP is the frontend. But I'm connecting on the Hardy box--and I did connect on the Jaunty box when I attached the modem to it. I don't know if it will still work, but that's actually no big deal as I can reinstall Jaunty without losing anything important.

To my knowledge, the only thing that isn't working right now is that the Hardy (server) box is refusing FTP connections from the Jaunty (client) box. What I don't know is why, because the machines are pinging. But that resolv.conf file on the Hardy looks like a good bet.


IF you have a wired connection to the Internet...

That's what I thought I had, but

because you were usiing dailup I'd suspect you don't have a wired connection avaiable.
Geez, all these years I thought "wired" meant anything that wasn't wireless, dialup modems included. No wonder things got bu**ered!


Change the "+i" to "-i"Gosh, that sounds easy. Wonder how I'll manage to mess it up.

I shall try uninstalling dhcp and dhcpcd first. Then if necessary the more drastic stuff. Then, assuming I can still connect to the internet, I'll let you know.

At this point, I'd just like to get my Hardy system back to where it was. If I have to hose the Jaunty, so be it. I shall grit my teeth and carry on regardless.

Thanks again & wish me luck.

[GreyGeek]

Oh, so you can switch an eth cable from your hardy box to the Jaunty one, and it probably gives you an instant Internet connection as well.

Jaunty originally came with KNetworkManger, which has the ability to connect via both a wired (eth cable) and wireless devices. It also came with pppoe, pppoeconf, pppoe-discovery and kppp, to allow for Point-to-Point Protocol Over Ethernet, for DSL type phone connections, and plain old Point-to-Poiint Protocol used for dialups connecting with the classic hayes modem.

KNetworkManger was pretty flaky in Jaunty and Karmic but so far it seems very reilable and easy to use in Lucid.

IF reinstallation becomes you plan you might consider waiting until Kubuntu Lucid goes gold and install it. It is a 3 year support distro.

[oshunluvr]

Quote
because you were usiing dailup I'd suspect you don't have a wired connection avaiable.
Geez, all these years I thought "wired" meant anything that wasn't wireless, dialup modems included.

IMO: Actually - I think technically you're correct. Some many of us are on DSL or Cable hookups, we forget that we're still using a MODEM. The only true "wired" connection to the internet would be a direct connection to the backbone.

We toss the words wired and wireless around in the way we connect to our internet connection. In my house, my "router" from Verizon is actually technically a router, switch, wireless access point and a MODEM. It is "always connected" so I think of it as a "wired" connection. It actually behaves very much like your modem except that the connection is managed by the device's firmware, rather than PPPoE.

I think what GreyGeek meant was an "Always Connected" or "Direct" internet connection, rather than a Manual connection.

If you need info on how to share the internet connection : https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Internet/ConnectionSharing

If your two machines are connected to each other, you should be able to get to the internet with both machines.

Also - there's a file sharing configuration tool available for KDE4 but it's not installed by default. It's called (strangely enough) kdenetwork-filesharing. Install it on both machines along with nfs-common and the dependencies will also be installed.

Then it's simply a matter of selecting the directories you want to share (called "exporting") and mounting them.

You can even have one /home and use it across both machines - but I don't recommend that. In my world - I created a single shared directory on my server called (strangely enough again ;) ) /shared. I then created a subdirectory for music, pictures, videos... you get the idea

[nodough]

Oh, so you can switch an eth cable from your hardy box to the Jaunty one, and it probably gives you an instant Internet connection as well.

I think what's going on is what oshunluvr talks about in his latest post. My equipment is so primitive you're having a hard time getting your head around it :)

Each computer has an ethernet card, but I don't have (read: can't afford) high-speed internet. I know people who live in areas so remote they haven't brought the cables out there yet, so they have to use dialup, too.


KNetworkManger was pretty flaky in Jaunty

Hardy, too. Which is why I never used it.


IF reinstallation becomes you plan you might consider waiting until Kubuntu Lucid goes gold and install it. It is a 3 year support distro.


Actually, that is my plan. The Jaunty box is one I recently purchased (used) because the box I was using as an oversized backup drive died. Since the computer comes with a 30-day warranty, I wanted it up & running ASAP. And I had the Jaunty CD, so what the heck. But long-term, my plan is to install Lucid (Mint, maybe for a change) and use this 8-year-old Hardy box as the backup drive.

[nodough]

Geez, all these years I thought "wired" meant anything that wasn't wireless, dialup modems included.

IMO: Actually - I think technically you're correct.

This is my sense of accomplishment for the day. Thanks.


If you need info on how to share the internet connection : https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Internet/ConnectionSharing

This is the one I used to mess myself up. It would be nice to share the connection while I've got both boxes going--for installing new programs on the Jaunty box. But once the Hardy box becomes my backup drive (see post above) I won't really need it.


Also - there's a file sharing configuration tool available for KDE4
I have to confess, I don't understand what "filesharing" means. I have a fuzzy notion, but no more. However, there's only me here, so there's no one to share any files with.


Then it's simply a matter of selecting the directories you want to share (called "exporting") and mounting them.

Actually, you've just clarified my notion. No, I don't think I'd have any use for it.

I haven't worked up the courage to try all the uninstalling that GreyGeek suggested yet. But I will definitely let you know how it turns out. Just hope I don't have to post from an internet café.

[GreyGeek]

Quote
because you were usiing dailup I'd suspect you don't have a wired connection avaiable.
Geez, all these years I thought "wired" meant anything that wasn't wireless, dialup modems included.

IMO: Actually - I think technically you're correct. Some many of us are on DSL or Cable hookups, we forget that we're still using a MODEM. The only true "wired" connection to the internet would be a direct connection to the backbone.


My general rule, easily violated or forgotten, is that if an IP packet arrives at the back of my computer via a Copper wire then it is a "wired" connection, otherwise it is "wireless". For years a "wired" connection was, to me, a cat 5 ethernet cable coming from some switch or router to the back of my box.



We toss the words wired and wireless around in the way we connect to our internet connection. In my house, my "router" from Verizon is actually technically a router, switch, wireless access point and a MODEM. It is "always connected" so I think of it as a "wired" connection. It actually behaves very much like your modem except that the connection is managed by the device's firmware, rather than PPPoE.

I think what GreyGeek meant was an "Always Connected" or "Direct" internet connection, rather than a Manual connection.


You're reading my mind, oschunluver! ;D



....
If your two machines are connected to each other, you should be able to get to the internet with both machines.
.....


Ten years ago, when I got my first cable Internet connection, they wanted to charge me full rate for each PC connected. My wife and son wanted to connect too, but I didn't think it was right for the cable company to charge me 3X for splitting the single 10mw signal three ways. And, my cable company would dispense only one IP address per modem box.

So, I put a second ethernet card into my desktop, eth1. The cable was hooked to eth0 via DHCP. I set up IPFORWARDING and MASQUERADING, and connected a short piece of cat5 cable from the eth1 card to a Netlink passive router - one in and four out. Cat5 cables connecting the passive router to my wife's and son's PCs completed the network. Except when I stole a lot of the bandwidth downloading a Linux ISO all of us could surf with speeds which felt like each was surfing alone.

The only drawback was that my PC had to be running in order for the other two to have an internet access. Each of the PCs drew between 750 and 1200 watts, depending on what each had on at the time. So, the total power draw was between 2,250 to 3,600 watts per hour! :(

Now, with two or three laptops connecting via a Linksys WRT54GL wireless router connected to the cable modem, our total power consumption is around 200 to 300 watts, or 1/10th as much.

[oshunluvr]

"File Sharing" simply refers to the sharing files between more than one computer.

In the case of a single user with two computers - some of the benefits:
1.All data files can be accessed from both computers meaning you can have one copy of each file, rather than two or more.
1a. This ensures you always are accessing the latest version of any file.
1b. Hard drive space is conserved (no unnecessary duplicate copies).
1c. All files are available all the time (assuming both computers are on).
1d. Hard drive space for data is increased (see #1b) so you have room for more data.
2. Critical data files are easily duplicated on both computers (this negates #'s 1b and 1d somewhat). This includes your /home directory if you wish.
3. Your temporary directory can be hosted on the computer with the largest free hard drive space. Thus creating more room on the smaller hard drive for programs or data.

For example:
You have 40 music CD's and you want to rip them to your computer so you can listen to music while you work. This is about 15gb of data, but it does need to be backed-up because you can always rip them again. These files reside on one computer but are accessible by the other.

You are working on your complicated tax documents. You save the files to one location so that if you happen to be on the other computer, you can still work on them and they are up-to-date. Since these file are critical - you have the computer that is storing them automatically copy any changed file to the other computer every 5 minutes. There is little chance you'll ever lose more than 5 minutes work and the second copy is immediately available on the other computer if the first computer crashes.

Along with all this you have 120gb of movies but both computers have only 65gb available storage. You split the movies across both computers and still are able to watch them from either.

IF you really want to be kool 8) - you set up both computers with the same OS version (not required but avoids problems) and have your /home duplicated on both computers (like the tax file example above). Then you have the exact same settings and desktops no matter which computer you log onto and when you make a desktop change on one desktop it appears on the other.

If one computer has a really minuscule hard drive - you can still install everything you want - just put the file locations on the other computer.

Believe it or not ALL this can be done with only a few edits.

[nodough]

Hi oshunluvr and GreyGeek:

I've read your latest posts. Although I can see the benefits of file sharing, it'll be a while, I think, till I actually try it. Just not enough room to use a 2nd computer on a regular basis.

After all the psyching up I did to do the uninstalls, it turns out I never had dhcp installed in the first place!


sudo apt-get remove dhcp dhcpcd
Reading state information... Done
Package dhcp is not installed, so not removed
Package dhcpcd is not installed, so not removed

There are a lot of dhcp3 files on my drive, though. But they're libraries and the like.

I took a look at /etc/resolvconf/interface-order and discovered that dnsmasq is there. I installed dnsmasq and ipmasq as per instructions on that HowTo.


# interface-order(5)
lo.inet*
lo.dnsmasq
lo.pdnsd
lo.!(pdns|pdns-recursor)
lo
tun*
tap*
eth*
ath*
wlan*
ppp*
*

So now I'm wondering if I can just uninstall dnsmasq and ipmasq. Or will that break something else?

The reason I'm reluctant to do the chattr thing is, it's not SOP. And if I ever have to go back to the Hardy box, or use its files to configure networking on the Jaunty box, I'll forget I ran that command and mess up yet again.

And--oh joy!--I just realized that the HowTo I used was NOT the one oshunluvr suggested. I didn't try it because of the warning. What I probably used was this:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=91370 but I can't be positive, because my wwwoffle cache shows a lot of pages with instructions on how to share internet, and in each case the instructions vary somewhat. :'(

[nodough]

Sigh! Well, I bit the bullet and decided to try sudo chattr +i /etc/resolv.conf

And this is what I got:

sudo chattr +i /etc/resolv.conf
chattr: Inappropriate ioctl for device while reading flags on /etc/resolv.conf


And, of course, my resolv.conf was overwritten once again.

Googling tells me the error message happens often, and that there's a bug in Hardy https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/hdparm/+bug/257840 that for all I know could be part of the problem, although the reporter of the bug is having hard drive problems.

UPDATE:
FWIW, I tried changing resolv.conf to add the correct IP addresses, then tried connecting the boxes again. They didn't connect, although the resolv.conf still had the right addresses. Now that I'm online, it's back to the 127.0..0.1

[GreyGeek]

.....
UPDATE:
FWIW, I tried changing resolv.conf to add the correct IP addresses, then tried connecting the boxes again. They didn't connect, although the resolv.conf still had the right addresses. Now that I'm online, it's back to the 127.0..0.1


I'm confused.

How did you get "online" and with what box? The one with the faulty resolv.conf file? You changed resolv.conf to hold the dns addresses of your ISP, you got online, but after you get online and then look at the contents of resolv.conf it contains only "127.0.0.1"? Yet, somehow, somewhere, a domain name is being converted to an IP address, enabling you to browse the internet normally, without timing out? Something, somewhere else, is doing the domainname --> IP address conversion for your browser. Resolv.conf is not.

You do know that 127.0.0.1 is also called the "loopback" address, abbreviated "lo". When I issue "ifconfig" in a Konsole here is what I get, with "lo" highlighted in bold:



jerry@vgnfw140e:~$ ifconfig
eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
UP BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:0 (0.0 B) TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)
Interrupt:16

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
inet6 addr: ::1/128 Scope:Host
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:146460 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:146460 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:9548989 (9.5 MB) TX bytes:9548989 (9.5 MB)

wlan0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr 00:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
inet addr:192.168.1.101 Bcast:192.168.1.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
inet6 addr: fe80::216:eaff:fe4d:58aa/64 Scope:Link
UP BROADCAST RUNNING MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:198162 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:121402 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:191755023 (191.7 MB) TX bytes:22483176 (22.4 MB)



I've blocked out my HWaddr's with "xx" for security reasons. What does "ifconfig" show on your box (and don't show your HWaddrs)?

"lo" is the "default" address all IP packets are sent to when no other destination can be found. If you type "localhost", or 127.0.0.1, into the URL of FireFox you'll get a "Problem loading page" error. IF you install Apache onto your system it will create a /var/www/... directory structure which will lead localhost to display the Apache message page. (And if you make it world readable and publish your IP address you have your own online presence, IF you replace Apache's index.html page with one of your own desigh.

[nodough]

.....
UPDATE:
FWIW, I tried changing resolv.conf to add the correct IP addresses, then tried connecting the boxes again. They didn't connect, although the resolv.conf still had the right addresses. Now that I'm online, it's back to the 127.0..0.1


I'm confused.

I don't blame you :)


How did you get "online" and with what box? The one with the faulty resolv.conf file?

Sorry I wasn't clear. My brain is quite addled at the moment, from trying to resolve my resolv.conf problem. (Then again, it was probably addled when I began this internet sharing project, hence the mess-up.)

Hardy box:
working dialup serial modem
ethernet card
corrupted resolv.conf


Jaunty box:
no modem
ethernet card
everything working, AFAIK


You changed resolv.conf to hold the dns addresses of your ISP, you got online ...
No, sorry. The corrupted resolv.conf seems to make no difference to getting online with the serial modem. Which makes no sense to me, but I've learned I understand even less of this than I thought.

Here's what I did, step-by-step--all on the Hardy box:
1. Not connected to internet. i.e., hit Disconnect in KPPP.
2. Change resolv.conf to correct DNS
3. sudo ifconfig eth0 up (it had been down)
4. Try to connect to Jaunty box via FTP--didn't work.
5. Looked at resolv.conf to see if anything changed there. It didn't.
6. sudo ifconfig eth0 down (to be able to use dialup modem)
7. get online.
8. Check resolv.conf. It changed back to 127.0.0.1

Which was probably a useless exercise, but made things clearer in my head.


You do know that 127.0.0.1 is also called the "loopback" address ...
Yes. It's one of the few things I understand about this. It's also the DNS of localhost, isn't it?

What does "ifconfig" show on your box (and don't show your HWaddrs)?
From what I can tell, what's below is all as it should be--what it was before I began messing up. Keep in mind that *before* I get online with my dialup modem I have to take eth0 down, so it doesn't show in ifconfig. But I put it up to show you.


eth0 Link encap:Ethernet HWaddr XX:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
inet addr:192.168.0.130 Bcast:192.168.0.255 Mask:255.255.255.0
UP BROADCAST MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:0 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:1000
RX bytes:0 (0.0 B) TX bytes:0 (0.0 B)
Interrupt:17 Base address:0xc800

lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:161844 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:161844 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:85532061 (81.5 MB) TX bytes:85532061 (81.5 MB)

And, with eth0 down a few numbers change, but not the significant ones:


lo Link encap:Local Loopback
inet addr:127.0.0.1 Mask:255.0.0.0
UP LOOPBACK RUNNING MTU:16436 Metric:1
RX packets:162094 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:162094 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:0
RX bytes:85720800 (81.7 MB) TX bytes:85720800 (81.7 MB)

BTW, this is all done when I'm offline. I try to answer the posts offline because it's less harrowing, knowing I'm not tying up my phone. Then I paste my responses into the reply box.

When I'm online, I get ppp0 in ifconfig (I didn't block the ISP's DNS numbers, because they're posted here anyway):


ppp0 Link encap:Point-to-Point Protocol
inet addr:134.117.137.81 P-t-P:134.117.137.5 Mask:255.255.255.255
UP POINTOPOINT RUNNING NOARP MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:215 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:224 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:3
RX bytes:151566 (148.0 KB) TX bytes:24990 (24.4 KB)


IF you replace Apache's index.html page with one of your own desigh.
I've never tried to do Apache--and, if my current messup is any indicator, I doubt I ever will. :'(

[GreyGeek]

OK.

Your Hardy box is connected to a phone company (your ISP) via serial modem connected to your COM1: serial port. Right?

And you are running "sudo ifconfig eth0 up" against your ethernet port? It's been many years since I last used a serial modem but when I did I used Kppp to make the connection, not the "ifconfig" command you used. Do you have your serial modem plugged into your eth0 port? If so, that shouldn't be. You need to set either PAP or CHAP authentication, among other things.

HERE (http://gershwin.ens.fr/vdaniel/Doc-Locale/Outils-Gnu-Linux/Kde/kppp/kppp.html#toc7) is a manual for KPPP, and here (http://developer.kde.org/~kppp/faq.html) is the most recent FAQ to peruse for late changing facts.

[nodough]

GreyGeek, I've probably bogged you down with way more information than you need, and confused things in the process. For that I apologize.

In a nutshell:

1. My serial modem works fine, and connects to my ISP just fine. It's plugged into the serial port, as it should be.

2. The only time I would put up eth0 is to connect my 2 boxes via the crossover cable, so that I can transfer files from one to the other.

3. The boxes can ping each other.

4. I gave you all those ifconfig variants because I have no idea what you need to diagnose why my Hardy box (using proftpd, which is running) is refusing connections from the Jaunty box.

5. We've identified a specific clue: the etc/resolv.conf file is being overwritten.

6. Running sudo chattr +i /etc/resolv.conf returns:

chattr: Inappropriate ioctl for device while reading flags on /etc/resolv.conf
and I have no idea what that means or why it's happening. Yes, I googled it, but what I found all has to do with resolv.conf resetting on boot, and people who use routers. Mine resets as soon as I go online with the serial modem, and I have no router.

7. It's possible that my problems are being caused by the configuring I did after installing dnsmasq, dnsmasq-base and resolvconf. I'd like to try uninstalling those programs, to see if things return to the way they were. But I'm terrified I'll screw up my internet connection if I uninstall them.

I hope this clarifies things for you.

[oshunluvr]

seems to me that if you're only connecting the two boxes and they ping each other AND resolv.conf isn't required by your modem, then why are we messing with it?

If you can ping each box from the other you should be able to enable services like NFS, Samba, ssh and ftp.

[nodough]

seems to me that if you're only connecting the two boxes and they ping each other AND resolv.conf isn't required by your modem, then why are we messing with it?

Because the two boxes won't connect, and resolv.conf is the only thing I've discovered so far that I know for a fact ain't how it was before the screw-up.


If you can ping each box from the other you should be able to enable services like NFS, Samba, ssh and ftp.

All I want is the ftp back.

Whoops! I just took a look at the proftpd.conf file. It changed on the day I was screwing up, but I know I didn't touch it. In fact, I never touched it. You install proftpd and it just works. But here's how the file starts:


ServerType standalone
DefaultServer on
Umask 022
ServerName "0.0.0.0"
ServerIdent on "My FTPD"
ServerAdmin Admin@this.domain.topdomain
IdentLookups off
UseReverseDNS off
Port 21
PassivePorts 49152 65534
#MasqueradeAddress None
TimesGMT off

As I understand it, ServerType should be static, no? Wish the system would make backups when it changes files without telling you.

Some other stuff looks fishy to me. Any ideas?

[GreyGeek]

GreyGeek, I've probably bogged you down with way more information than you need, and confused things in the process. For that I apologize.

In a nutshell:

1. My serial modem works fine, and connects to my ISP just fine. It's plugged into the serial port, as it should be.

2. The only time I would put up eth0 is to connect my 2 boxes via the crossover cable, so that I can transfer files from one to the other.

3. The boxes can ping each other.



O.K. I think I get the picture now. When you fire up your Hardy box you can connect to your ISP via your dial up and Kppp, and resolv.conf is fine. It is when you try to make a connection to your Jaunty box that you break Hardy's resolv.conf and you still don't have ftp connectivity to Jaunty.


Are you trying to set up a dhcp connection to Jaunty via the eth card in Hardy (the dhcpcd daemon running on Jaunty supposedly responding to the dhcp client running on Hardy)? Attempting to do that is what is overwriting your ISP DNS info in resolv.conf with the loopback address of Jaunty, i.e., Jaunty's "DNS". Unfortunately it is also the loopback address of Hardy too, so both boxes terminate their signals in the 127.0.0.1 blackhole.

Manual method:

For Hardy:
sudo ifconfig eth0 192.168.1.2 netmask 255.255.255.0

For Jaunty:
sudo ifconfig eth0 192.168.1.3 netmask 255.255.255.0

Default gateway for both: 192.168.1.1

(don't use 0 or 254 or 255 as the last quad in any address. Those are special.

GUI method:

Install wicd on both Hardy and Jaunty. Open wicd chose STATIC IP addresses for your two eth cards, giving them the settings above. You don't need the dhcp or dhcpcd.

[nodough]

Sorry for the delay in replying. Life got in the way.



O.K. I think I get the picture now. When you fire up your Hardy box you can connect to your ISP via your dial up and Kppp, and resolv.conf is fine. It is when you try to make a connection to your Jaunty box that you break Hardy's resolv.conf and you still don't have ftp connectivity to Jaunty.

Almost :)

Just looked at my resolv.conf again before I went online. It was fine, with the correct nameservers.

So I go online with my modem, and now it says nameserver 127.0.0.1 again.

And don't ask me how it works with nameserver 127.0.0.1, but it's definitely use of the serial modem that's changing it, because I haven't been able to use the ethernet card.


Are you trying to set up a dhcp connection to Jaunty via the eth card in Hardy
At this point, I have no idea what I'm trying to do, except get things back to the way they were :'( To my knowledge, I wasn't using dhcp before.


Manual method:

For Hardy:
sudo ifconfig eth0 192.168.1.2 netmask 255.255.255.0

For Jaunty:
sudo ifconfig eth0 192.168.1.3 netmask 255.255.255.0

Default gateway for both: 192.168.1.1

I set them up through the system settings, but I presume it doesn't make any difference?

Sigh! Hardy is still refusing connections, but they're still pinging.

I went through my bash history and found this:
sudo apt-get install dnsmasq iptables
sudo apt-get install resolvconf
sudo iptables -t nat -L

And within the resolvconf directory there's a file /run/interface/lo.dnsmasq which reads
nameserver 127.0.0.1

Geez, what would happen if I just deleted that? Or better, renamed it. Yes, I know I could try it on my own, but with files changing on me without notice, I'm afraid to try anything anymore.


Install wicd on both Hardy and Jaunty.
Before I do any installing on Hardy, I have to ask:
Is there any way in the world wicd could affect my serial modem? Because if I lose my internet connection, I am in a huge load of trouble.

My other option is to install proftpd on Jaunty and see if that works. It won't fix the problem, but it's a workaround and I can at least transfer files.

Thanks muchly for your patience.

[oshunluvr]

will the ethernet cards connect manually???

startup booth machines, connect to the internet with your modem, then open a terminal on both computers.

Type one of these lines in each one:

ifconfig eth0 192.168.1.2 netmask 255.255.255.0 up
ifconfig eth0 192.168.1.3 netmask 255.255.255.0 up

and then see if you can ping and see your internet connection remains active.

Also - have you checked your route table?

On the computer with the modem - before you dial-up, in a terminal type:

route -n

then connect and do it again, I'm guessing the results are different.

Also - check the file (or whatever ppp uses these days for dialup config) /etc/ppp/ip-up.d or possibly under /etc/default/ppp???

One last idea - look at /etc/dhcp3/dhclient.conf I think it should look something like

prepend domain-name-servers 127.0.0.1;

Sorry I'm all over the place, just trying to give some other places to look - and I haven't used ppp for quite a while.

[nodough]

will the ethernet cards connect manually???

startup booth machines, connect to the internet with your modem, then open a terminal on both computers.

Type one of these lines in each one:

ifconfig eth0 192.168.1.2 netmask 255.255.255.0 up
ifconfig eth0 192.168.1.3 netmask 255.255.255.0 up

and then see if you can ping and see your internet connection remains active.

I wasn't entirely sure how specifically you meant for me to follow this. I didn't reboot the machines, if that's what you intended. Also, I just used sudo ifconfig eth0 up to get the ethernet card going.

However, after that:

1. They ping
2. My internet connection still works.



Also - have you checked your route table?

Not connected to internet: (eth0 was up)

route -n
Kernel IP routing table
Destination Gateway Genmask Flags Metric Ref Use Iface
192.168.0.0 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.0 U 0 0 0 eth0


Connected to internet: (eth0 was down)

route -n
Kernel IP routing table
Destination Gateway Genmask Flags Metric Ref Use Iface
134.117.137.5 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.255 UH 0 0 0 ppp0
0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 U 0 0 0 ppp0

Connected to internet: (eth0 was up)

route -n
Kernel IP routing table
Destination Gateway Genmask Flags Metric Ref Use Iface
134.117.137.3 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.255 UH 0 0 0 ppp0
192.168.0.0 0.0.0.0 255.255.255.0 U 0 0 0 eth0
0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 0.0.0.0 U 0 0 0 ppp0


Also - check the file (or whatever ppp uses these days for dialup config) /etc/ppp/ip-up.d or possibly under /etc/default/ppp???
All looks okay to me. Of course, I never checked these before the mess-up.

One last idea - look at /etc/dhcp3/dhclient.conf I think it should look something like

prepend domain-name-servers 127.0.0.1;

It did originally. Now the name servers are my ISP's DNS numbers. I did that manually, though (I think).


Sorry I'm all over the place, just trying to give some other places to look - and I haven't used ppp for quite a while.
Understood. And much appreciated, because I can't figure out WHAT is going on.

[GreyGeek]

Sorry for the delay in replying. Life got in the way.



O.K. I think I get the picture now. When you fire up your Hardy box you can connect to your ISP via your dial up and Kppp, and resolv.conf is fine. It is when you try to make a connection to your Jaunty box that you break Hardy's resolv.conf and you still don't have ftp connectivity to Jaunty.

Almost :)

Just looked at my resolv.conf again before I went online. It was fine, with the correct nameservers.

So I go online with my modem, and now it says nameserver 127.0.0.1 again.

And don't ask me how it works with nameserver 127.0.0.1, but it's definitely use of the serial modem that's changing it, because I haven't been able to use the ethernet card.


Ah! You explain it yourself, down below.




Are you trying to set up a dhcp connection to Jaunty via the eth card in Hardy
At this point, I have no idea what I'm trying to do, except get things back to the way they were :'( To my knowledge, I wasn't using dhcp before.


Manual method:

For Hardy:
sudo ifconfig eth0 192.168.1.2 netmask 255.255.255.0

For Jaunty:
sudo ifconfig eth0 192.168.1.3 netmask 255.255.255.0

Default gateway for both: 192.168.1.1

I set them up through the system settings, but I presume it doesn't make any difference?


No. Folks who don't like the CLI find the GUI easier.



Sigh! Hardy is still refusing connections, but they're still pinging.

I went through my bash history and found this:
sudo apt-get install dnsmasq iptables
sudo apt-get install resolvconf
sudo iptables -t nat -L

And within the resolvconf directory there's a file /run/interface/lo.dnsmasq which reads
nameserver 127.0.0.1

Geez, what would happen if I just deleted that? Or better, renamed it. Yes, I know I could try it on my own, but with files changing on me without notice, I'm afraid to try anything anymore.


All of those files are preinstalled, at least on my Lucid. You just reinstalled them, possibly overwriting default configuration files. Your last command, "sudo aptables -t net -L" appears to have added to the damage by attempting to set up masquerading. .

Here is a comment in the dnsmasq setup file:


Automatic DNS server configuration with PPP.
Later versions of pppd have an option "usepeerdns" which instructs it to write a file containing the address(es) of the DNS severs in /etc/ppp/resolv.conf. Configure dnsmasq as above with "nameserver 127.0.0.1" in /etc/resolv.conf and run dnsmasq with to option resolv-file=/etc/ppp/resolv.conf.


The ONLY way your FireFox can still be finding domain names when /etc/resolv.conf contains "127.0.0.1" is if your Kppp program created /etc/ppp/resolv.conf, and dnsmasq is using it. Check for the existance of /etc/ppp/resolv.conf and if you find it tell us what it contains.

(K)Ubuntu already has a firewall, ufw, which configures the already installed iptables. the ufw has Its own gui, gufw, which you can install with Synaptic. And its an easy way to turn iptables on or off. I suspect that if you check the "Enable" check box, then immediately uncheck it to turn off the default iptable rules, your should be able to browse with FF.




Install wicd on both Hardy and Jaunty.
Before I do any installing on Hardy, I have to ask:
Is there any way in the world wicd could affect my serial modem? Because if I lose my Internet connection, I am in a huge load of trouble.


While I have dnsmasq & iptables & resolvconf installed, but I have not run or configured any of them. As long as you can connect with Kppp stick with it.



My other option is to install proftpd on Jaunty and see if that works. It won't fix the problem, but it's a workaround and I can at least transfer files.

Thanks muchly for your patience.


Knowing how to back all your changes out, and guiding you via this thread to recover, is probably beyond my patience and OUR abilities. It would be a LOT quicker to use the LiveCD you installed your distro with and reinstall it. Then, just use Kppp to make your connection to the Internet, and install wicd and use it to connect the eth card in hardy with the eth card in jaunty. Don't mess with dnsmasq or iptables configuration files.

[nodough]

Hi GreyGeek:

I think we both reached the same stage of burnout at the same time.



Folks who don't like the CLI find the GUI easier.

Having looked at it in Jaunty, I just got confused.


It would be a LOT quicker to use the LiveCD you installed your distro with and reinstall it.

Ah, but try reinstalling all those programs on dialup ::)

What I did was install proftpd on Jaunty, and the boxes are connecting that way.


All of those files are preinstalled, at least on my Lucid. You just reinstalled them, possibly overwriting default configuration files.

Not on Hardy. However, believe it or not, I think you've just solved the problem. My /etc/network/interfaces file has been rewritten! It's got some lines in it it didn't have before, including one for eth1.

The panic of getting files from a possibly wonky hard drive backed up to the Jaunty box has been mitigated, so I may now play around with that /etc/network/interfaces.

I thank you hugely for your time and patience. I really did learn a lot--especially that I don't know as much as I thought I did (which was precious little).

Thanks, too, to oshunluvr for his contribution.

[oshunluvr]

Yokes - thank goodness we got it fixed! Whew...