In comp.os.linux Dave Uhring <daveuhring@yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Wed, 18 Jun 2008 23:16:54 -0500, Ivan Marsh wrote:
>
>> Install samba from the installer, make sure the traffic is passing
>> through the firewall, configure the service in the GUI telling it the
>> domain/workgroup you belong to. Open konjurer and click on "Other
>> Networks".
>
> Too many steps. Samba does *not* have to be configured.
>
> Just clicky on the "Network" icon in nautilus, aka "File Browser", in a
> GNOME desktop.
>

Ok, let's get down to brassy little tacks... Fedora 8, IBM T43 laptop,
home network, Windows XP and Windows 98SE.

I have just installed it, and...

NOTHING when clicking that marvelous "Network" icon. Oh, you say, you
have to configure the firewall -- That would be "System"
"Administration" "Firewall". Now, you COULD disable the firewall, or try
to pick from (get this, its a CUSTOMIZED firewall configuration!):

Trusted Services:
DNS
FTP
IMAP over SSL
IPsec
Mail (SMTP)
Multicast DNS
NFS4
Network Printing (IPP)
OpenVPN
POP-3 over SSL
RADIUS
SSH
Samba
Secure WWW (HTTPS)
WWW (HTTP)

So, now the user has to pick.

There is no "Help" available here that is useful in the slightest. Yes
*I* know what to do. Does the original poster? No, he howls. Here. My
advice? Suck it up, it's NOWHERE close to perfect -- not even good!
Using the term "customize" wrt to firewall configuration should
(rightly) scare the piss out of end users.

It should be task based -- if nothing shows up in the browse screen
(and, nothing does), there should be some advice there. Maybe even a
link to the the firewall tool. And that should have enough information
to open up for Samba browsing...

Don't shoot the messenger, here.

My comment was that Windows hassles are EVEN WORSE, from the other
direction. At least I didn't actually PAY for Fedora 8, and I know what
I am doing. NIS/NFS/AUTOMOUNT on XP? Simply missing.