A confuzzeling question...

[TheMatrix]

If you've seen some of my other recent posts, you might have noticed that I got a new laptop. Now it works great and all, but there's just one thing missing: an optical drive.

Now my dad told me it was possible to use the DVD drive in the-matrix(my PC/mini mainframe), using "Samba"(?) and mounting that as a drive on the laptop.

Which means I need both a RedHat AND Win-NT expert here.

So, how do I set about doing this? Are there easier ways available?

[Commander Thor]

Depending on what your needs are, you'd probably be better off (And it'd probably be easier) just ripping whatever optical media you have as an .iso (Or just downloading it), and then mounting it as a virtual drive using a program such as PowerISO or Daemon Tools.

[AutoPlay]

Get yourself an external USB drive, they are about £40

[TheMatrix]

Depending on what your needs are, you'd probably be better off (And it'd probably be easier) just ripping whatever optical media you have as an .iso
Isn't that illegal?

(Or just downloading it), and then mounting it as a virtual drive using a program such as PowerISO or Daemon Tools.
That costs extra money. Why buy it twice?

Get yourself an external USB drive, they are about £40
That still doesn't solve - I have CD's with Windows-only games on them, so I'd need an optical drive to read them.

[CaptainObvious]

Isn't that illegal?

Nope. I mean, it wouldn't be "illegal" anyways, since copyright infringement is a civil thing, but especially if you're just making copies of CDs you already own, definitely not.

[darkwoon]

That costs extra money. Why buy it twice?
Daemon tools lite cost is zero, and does exactly what you need to.

Else, a Samba Share is just the Windows network file sharing system, so you can, on the desktop machine, right-click on the DVD drive, select properties, and mark is as shared on the network. You can then mount that share on your laptop through My Computer-Connect Network Drive, again in the WIndows Explorer. Not sure it is the best choice, as some copy protection systems are likely not to work through a network share.

That still doesn't solve - I have CD's with Windows-only games on them, so I'd need an optical drive to read them.
I think he suggested a DVD USB drive - a disk drive that connects on an USB plug. My father has one for his laptop.

[TheMatrix]

Nope. I mean, it wouldn't be "illegal" anyways, since copyright infringement is a civil thing, but especially if you're just making copies of CDs you already own, definitely not.
Oh, ok.

Daemon tools lite cost is zero, and does exactly what you need to.
I meant re-buying the software(this time as a download).

Else, a Samba Share is just the Windows network file sharing system, so you can, on the desktop machine, right-click on the DVD drive, select properties, and mark is as shared on the network. You can then mount that share on your laptop through My Computer-Connect Network Drive, again in the WIndows Explorer. Not sure it is the best choice, as some copy protection systems are likely not to work through a network share.
Well, since most of the stuff is from 1998 to 2002, I guess I'll give it a try.
I have to reinstall/fix SuSE first, though. The hostname and /dev/sdb I/O stuff isn't working.
I assume the hostname will be especially important. I'll get my dad to have a look at it later.

I think he suggested a DVD USB drive - a disk drive that connects on an USB plug. My father has one for his laptop.
That would be my last resort.

[Commander Thor]

I meant re-buying the software(this time as a download).

I didn't mean re-buying it.
I meant downloading it.
Even though this is a legal gray-area, I've never heard of anyone getting in trouble for downloading a backup of something they already own, especially if they were incapable of making the backup themselves.

[TheMatrix]

I didn't mean re-buying it.
I meant downloading it.
Even though this is a legal gray-area, I've never heard of anyone getting in trouble for downloading a backup of something they already own, especially if they were incapable of making the backup themselves.
Well, you never know what the copyright industry is going to throw at you this time around.

[CaptainObvious]

Even though this is a legal gray-area, I've never heard of anyone getting in trouble for downloading a backup of something they already own, especially if they were incapable of making the backup themselves.

in fact as far as I know this specific use of downloading is actually explicitly legal in at least some jurisdictions. (including canada, where i am atm.)