Tiny Core Linux

Tiny Core Base => TCB Q&A Forum => Topic started by: nick65go on December 04, 2010, 11:18:34 AM

Title: [SOLVED] file transfer by direct network cable between two laptops?
Post by: nick65go on December 04, 2010, 11:18:34 AM
I have two laptops on my desktop, A and B; each booted by Tinycore 3.3, each with a normal NIC network interface card. They both work well; I wish a simple solution to transfer files between them, let say from /testA on laptop A, to /testB on laptop B; Now I am using an USB pen-drive, as an intermediary media; I wish to use just a network cable between them, no hub or router, no security is needed.

Please advise what software (tcz extension) to use on each laptop, and how to configure them, to have at least a unidirectional transfer, from A to B; Is it a complicated solution to have bidirectional transfer simultaneous?

Sorry, if the solution is in the forum, please show me the link;
Thank you very much. Nick

Edit: with two relative recent network cards, a normal cable is enough; then  tftpd service from TC base is a quick solution. Not necessary the best one; Topic is not closed...see Maro solution, like utilising the BusyBox applets of 'nc' and 'tar'
Title: Re: file transfer by direct network cable between two laptops?
Post by: jonathanbrickman0000 on December 04, 2010, 12:01:59 PM
Do you want to transfer individual files on command?  Or whole directories of files, or directory trees?  Do you want real-time automatic synchronization?  Please be very specific.

J.E.B.
Title: Re: file transfer by direct network cable between two laptops?
Post by: nick65go on December 04, 2010, 12:07:44 PM
I want to transfer, from time to time, some files; not all directory, no synchronization; just to avoid USB media;

basically, I use my powerful laptop A for customizations, big screen, big RAM etc; then when all is OK, I will transfer some files from it to laptop B, an Atom CPU;

PS: ONLY if is it simple to use my router, solution is acceptable, but I do not wish traffic between the laptops to goes out in intranet, as my internet connection is limited at max 10GB/month (and the penalty for going over allowance is huge!); unplugging the telephone ADSL conncetion for outside is not good as my bandwidth is reseted to small value;

thanks;
Title: Re: file transfer by direct network cable between two laptops?
Post by: jonathanbrickman0000 on December 04, 2010, 02:11:37 PM
It sounds like what you want is akin to an old-style PC-DOS laplink cable, and frankly, I don't think it exists, it would take quite a lot of work to build it up. 

Do you actually need a no-router/no-network configuration? 

J.E.B.

Title: Re: file transfer by direct network cable between two laptops?
Post by: nick65go on December 04, 2010, 02:26:26 PM
OK, router as central device and two PC solution details, please.
Advice to prevent, on my demand, traffic to go outside world temporary, just to stay INTRAnet;

router  with IP 192.168.1.254
laptop A, with IP 192.168.1.65
laptop B, with IP 192.168.1.66

ping from any laptop is OK, have quick response.
what CLI / GUI commnad to use to exchange files? what about need to have a firewall behind router?
Title: Re: file transfer by direct network cable between two laptops?
Post by: gerald_clark on December 04, 2010, 02:41:01 PM
Your local lan traffic will not go out to the internet, so don't worry about it.
Title: Re: file transfer by direct network cable between two laptops?
Post by: jonathanbrickman0000 on December 04, 2010, 03:24:09 PM
Agreed.  I think the method involving the least steps, is probably OpenSSH.  Gerald, what is the simplest method to set up sshd and keep it running under TC?
Title: Re: file transfer by direct network cable between two laptops?
Post by: curaga on December 04, 2010, 03:24:39 PM
tftp is included in the base. Otherwise you could set up an ftp server, or a smb/nfs share.

I haven't used tftp in a while, but IIRC it was enough to start it on the server (use the services gui), and then on the client

tftp -l myimage.jpg -p 1.2.3.4
Title: Re: file transfer by direct network cable between two laptops?
Post by: jonathanbrickman0000 on December 04, 2010, 03:40:45 PM
Is there a services GUI in TC ????

J.E.B.
Title: Re: file transfer by direct network cable between two laptops?
Post by: nick65go on December 04, 2010, 03:52:39 PM
@curaga
excellent answer!, it works
-on the laptop A, I started the demon from (GUI right click) window manager menu /system tools /services / checked tftpd (green colour!)
- on laptop B, for coping the remote file "/init", I just run in aterm the command: tftp -gr /init 192.168.1.66
done;

thanks
 
Title: Re: file transfer by direct network cable between two laptops?
Post by: tinypoodle on December 05, 2010, 12:36:47 AM
Agreed.  I think the method involving the least steps, is probably OpenSSH.  Gerald, what is the simplest method to set up sshd and keep it running under TC?

A more simple method to set up an ssh server would be dropbear rather than OpenSSH.
Title: Re: file transfer by direct network cable between two laptops?
Post by: jur on December 05, 2010, 05:02:10 PM
How about simple peer-to-peer networking?
Title: Re: file transfer by direct network cable between two laptops?
Post by: maro on December 05, 2010, 08:02:18 PM
How about simple peer-to-peer networking?

Exactly, like utilising the BusyBox applets of 'nc' and 'tar'. I'm shuffling files in and out of systems with ease. There are a few points to note:


For me this slightly awkward workaround is a small price to pay for not needing any other tool to quicly exchange some files. But it's not suitable for a "tighter integration" of two systems where you want permanent access to either systems files and not just on an ad-hoc basis.
Title: Re: file transfer by direct network cable between two laptops?
Post by: nick65go on December 06, 2010, 08:39:45 AM
wow, another good documented solution. I will try it, as it uses busybox already included  in TC base.

Any new idea is welcome, as I try to learn linux networking; I just need the tips & trick to guide me in the right direction, them I will read the specific docs myself.

Maro, thank you very much.
Title: Re: file transfer by direct network cable between two laptops?
Post by: Juanito on December 06, 2010, 08:55:16 AM
on <cough> windows machines, file transfer can be achieved using a firewire cable.

There must surely be a way to do this on linux machines...

http://pthree.org/2008/06/01/firewire-networking-in-linux/ (http://pthree.org/2008/06/01/firewire-networking-in-linux/) maybe?
Title: Re: file transfer by direct network cable between two laptops?
Post by: nick65go on December 06, 2010, 05:04:55 PM
My laptops are DELL insipron 9400 and DELL mini 910.
read from here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet_crossover_cable#Automatic_crossover
i have a blue T568B wired connectors cable for 100BASE-TX

I want to report successful DIRECT connection between two PC, using just an ordinary network cable. (i used my PC to router NIC blue cable for test); Then I checked two times more, with one black cable, then with another white cable, it works ;)
It seems that the if the cable is ordinary new generation 5E then it has ALL 8 internal wire correct linked to plugins, OR both my laptop NIC cards are smart enough to cross connect :)
- the white cable has only pins 1,2,3 and 6 linked, and still works;

Then I use tftp service...