My experience

[Kjell B.]

R wrote:
> Hello,
-snip-
> My biggest installation problems:  setting up a domain and IP for the
> machine, and configuring Samba so that my laptop could talk to the
> server.  I think networking information should be explained more
> completely online and in the books I mentioned above.  I did a lot of
> trial and error, which proved fatal with Samba, because as it turns
> out Windows XP Home is intentionally crippled when it comes to
> networking
> and using Samba is difficult (if not impossible - I still don't
> understand, and I wasted a week screwing around trying to get it to
> work).  Finally I gave up and just use FTP to move files back and
>   forth. Works fine and at least I understand it, unlike Windows
> "shares."
-snip-

As this is not FreeBSD related, but rather a Samba/Win XP Home issue, I feel
I dare to give a somewhat technical answer.

If you run XP Home, you can always set up Samba as a workgroup server and
file sharing works just fine. I believe it also works if Samba is setup as a
domain server but you won't get domain support. As always, read the
documentation, in this case the Samba documentation. I've set up Samba as a
workgroup server and it went like a breeze once I've read the Samba
documentation. I've had a lot more problems getting domain support to work
with XP Professional, but managed that too in the end.

-- 
Kjell