Academic Computing Services
QUICK STUDY #11
March 2001

Sharing PC Files Using RCS (sambasrv)

About Your RCS File Space

Everyone who has an RCS user ID (all Rensselaer students, faculty and staff) is initially provided with 25MB of file space on the RCS UNIX file system. You can use this file space to store and share files without logging in to RCS or knowing how to use UNIX. You have two folders (or directories) in your RCS account that are meant for sharing files with others:

public

This folder is permitted such that anyone can read or copy the files you place there. Others cannot write to your public folder.

public_html

The files in this folder are also permitted so that others can read them; in addition they are accessible via the Web. Placing files in your public_html folder is probably the easiest way to make files available to others.

Accessing RCS File Space (sambasrv)

The RCS server sambasrv can connect your Windows machine to your personal RCS files and to public RCS files and directories, making them appear as additional drives on your computer. To make the connection, either double click on the RCS File and Print Sharing icon (which is on the desktops of Rensselaer laptops and public PCs) or map a network drive to sambasrv, as described below.

Connecting via the RCS icon

• Double-click on the RCS icon on the desktop; a Connect to RCS window will appear.
• Click on one or both of the check boxes that allow you to connect to your RCS home directory and/or to RCS public space. Then click the OK button.

Connecting by mapping a network drive
If you don't have a laptop acquired as part of the Mobile Computing Program, you probably do not have the RCS File and Print Sharing icon on your desktop. In this case, you must map the network drive(s) yourself. Before you follow the mapping instructions below, make sure your computer has an Ethernet card (available at the Campus Computer Store), configure your computer for network access by installing TCP/IP, and update the registry for plain text passwords. If you haven't done these steps, Quick Studies #9 and #12 will give you the information you need.

• Right-click on either the My Computer or the Network Neighborhood icon on the desktop and select the Map Network Drive... option from the sub-menu that appears.

• In the Path: field, type the desired network path; for example, $\backslash\backslash$sambasrv$\backslash$public or $\backslash\backslash$sambasrv$\backslash$userID (replacing userID with your own RCS userID). Make sure the Reconnect at logon box is not selected or checked, and click the OK button. A separate ``Sambasrv'' window will open displaying either your RCS home space or RCS public space, depending on which you selected.

Note: The system may prompt you to enter your RCS password in order to connect to RCS space. If so, enter your RCS password and click the OK button.

Making Your Files Available to Others

You can copy a file from your PC to your RCS space by using drag-and-drop editing. To do this:

• Locate the file on your PC that you want to share.
• In the sambasrv window displaying your RCS home space, open either your public folder or your public_html folder.
• Arrange the program windows so that both your source file (the file on your PC) and your destination (your RCS public or public_html folder) are open and visible. You must be able to see the information you want to drag as well as the location where you want to drop it.
• Select the PC file, and then use the right mouse button to drag it to its new location.

Copying a File from RCS Space

If the File is in RCS public Space
After connecting to RCS public space ( $\backslash\backslash$sambasrv$\backslash$public), you should have a window on your desktop that displays RCS public directories. If you are looking for a file in dept or campus space, for example, just double-click on the appropriate folders until you find the file you are looking for.

If the File is in Another User's RCS public Folder
From RCS public space, you can get to another user's RCS home space if you know both their RCS userID and the two-digit number under which their home space resides. For example, suppose the user doej has his space in the folder labelled ``26''. To get to his RCS home space, start by double-clicking on the Home folder, then double-click 26, and then doej.

If you don't know the other user's home space number, you can still get to their RCS space by mapping a network drive to the other person's userID. Follow the directions on the previous page, but when you type the network path $\backslash\backslash$sambasrv$\backslash$userID, replace userID with the RCS userID of the person whose file you wish to access.

Whichever way you choose, a window should appear on your desktop, displaying that user's RCS directories.$\dagger$ To find a file he is sharing in his public folder, simply double-click on the public icon that appears in the window. Once you have found the file you want, copy it to your PC using the drag-and-drop editing method described in the section above.

If the File is in Another User's RCS public_html Folder
It is also very easy to copy another user's file if it is located in their public_html folder. For example, to find a file called directions that user doej has put in his public_html folder, just open your favorite browser and type in the URL:

http://www.rpi.edu/~doej/directions

(Note that ~doej is shorthand for typing /home/26/doej.) The browser will then automatically go to doej's public_html folder and open the file directions. You can read it on the Web or use the browser's Save As menu option to copy the file to your PC.

$\dagger$Note that if the other person's home space contains a large number of folders, it may take a long time for the display to appear.

About this document ...

Published by Academic Computing Services, RPI, Troy, NY 12180