A default installation of SuSE Linux 9.2 will install a firewall that will block all incoming attempts to connect to the computer; this is a “good thing”. However the Microsoft method of sharing files between computers depends on a lack of security in order to function, and consequently it will only work when security is relaxed; this is a “bad thing”. In fact it is a very bad thing.
However, many companies are willing to compromise security in order to continue with the familiar file sharing arrangements and, in such a case, it is desirable for the Linux based computer to be able to access the resources shared by other computers on the local area network. There are two matters that must be attended to for this to happen: First it is necessary to reconfigure the firewall and, second, it is necessary to browse the shared resources.
Configuring the firewall:
Start the YaST configuration software and, starting from the main menu, choose:
security
firewall
You will need to use expert mode and add the following port definitions to the UDP section:
137:139 1024:65535
Then complete the reconfiguration and allow the firewall to restart.
The default SuSE 9.2 installation will include the Konqueror web browser. This versatile software also acts rather like the Windows “Explorer” program and allows the user to browse through folders and open files. The Konqueror web browser has a few extensions to the normal scheme of specifying URLs. In addition to the usual http:// or ftp://, Konqueror also allows you to enter a URL in the form smb:// in order to access resources shared using the smb protocol.
If you enter smb:// in the url box of Konqueror it will scan the local network and present you with a list of computers that are offering shared resources. These can then be browsed in the usual way.