FILE BUSINESS

Windows computers use the SMB protocol for sharing files, and Linux has learned to adapt. But what if you don’t want to use SMB? Will Vista adapt to Linux? The answer is yes, but you might have to spend some extra money or bring in extra tools. Despite Microsoft’s promise to improve compatibility with standards other than its own, Windows Vista still falls short. Redmond continues to ignore common protocols such as NFS, SSH, and SFTP, and even SMB-based communications between Linux and Vista are fraught with complications. In this article, we explore some of the options for sharing files in Linux and Vista by focusing on three popular protocols: SMB, NFS, and SSH. You’ll learn what Vista can do out of the box, and we’ll show you how to fill in the gaps.