Bug#626736: general: can't ping windows machine by name

[Jonathan Nieder <jrnieder@gmail.com>]

retitle 626736 debian-reference: please explain how to set up NETBIOS name resolution
reassign 626736 debian-reference 2.46
severity 626736 wishlist
quit

Hi Sergey,

sergey wrote:

> I had the next situation some time ago: several computers with
> Windows and one GNU/Linux system connected to router with DHCP
> server. DHCP server dynamically assign IP addresses to this
> machines.
[...]
> I can't use name of machine because GNU/Linux is not support NETBIOS
> name resolution by default.
>
> IMHO it is great secret for typical user that it can be enabled
> througth nsswith.conf. 

This isn't a bug that affects a large subset of the archive, so
"general" was the wrong package to file it against.

Anyway, if I understand correctly, you are saying that the method
for enabling WINS hostname resolution (using nsswitch.conf) is too
difficult to discover.  I'm reassigning to the Debian reference,
so we can consider explaining it in an appropriate place there.

Help of all kinds (finding where to put this text, rough wording,
proofreading) would of course be very welcome.

Thanks for your interest,
Jonathan