> I am trying to link two PCs running any of the four combinations of the
> operating systems. I either want to link them or run them as a client
> server. I would like to know how this can be done. What is theoretically
> possible and what is practically possible? can I have a X window running
> Microsoft Windows or DOS and vice versa? As many reports of experience
> as possible welcome.
> Thanks a lot!
> lbliao
comp.dcom.lans.ethernet, comp.windows.x, comp.os.linux.setup, comp.os.linux.misc,
comp.os.linux.x, comp.os.linux.networking, comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.networking
You can get yourself a PLIP / Laplink cable and get the plip packet driver from the
Crynwr packet driver collection and use the linux plip module and you can arrange a
IP connection, point to point between the parallel ports. However, you will probably
find it a great deal easier, and not much more expensive to get a couple of NE2000
compatible ethernet cards and a bit of coaxial cable and go for an ethernet.
In the UK I can pick up second hand NE cards for 5 or 8 pounds each. Setting these up
under linux and Win[(95)|(3.1)] is no problem. You can then use a packet driver to run
various shareware programs (NCSA telnet, Kermit etc) for DOS, or get a winsock for windows
3.1. Win95 will automagically configure the card and if you run Samba on the Linux box
you'll be able to mount file volumes without paying for NFS for Win95.
If you want to run X clients on a windows display - as far as I'm aware you still have to
buy a commercial product. We've got Vista-eXceed with win3.1 and this will happily work
with linux X clients.
A quick note: if you do go for a `home' ethernet - I'd suggest using 192.9.200.x as your
addresses as these are a test domain - and I believe aren't propagated in case you connect
yourself up to a wider lan.
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