Connect from Mint 21 to XAMPP on Win 10

[beaner]

My local LAN started out as a Win 10 LAN, running XAMMP on a Windows PC.
Now I would like to access the web server of the Win Server from a Mint PC on the same LAN, but have no clue how to go a bout it.
The information I have found, tells me I need to install SMB/CIFS on the Mint PC and I have done so, but no luck.

I have tried accessing the web server by it local IP address
Some browsers insist on searching for this string and, of course, fail.
One finally, Falcon, tries and returns with the error message

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This site can’t be reached
humcarbide’s server IP address could not be found.
Try:

Checking the connection
Checking the proxy, firewall and DNS configuration
ERR_NAME_NOT_RESOLVED

Even though I had given it the IP address, it did resolve it to the correct name, but still tells me the server could not be found.
I have pinged the address, and it is up and present.

Since this server has worked well for years and is still working, on the Window LAN side, the problem must be some where on my Mint 21 setup.
Any pointers or links will be very much appreciated

[Nobbie]

The information I have found, tells me I need to install SMB/CIFS on the Mint PC and I have done so, but no luck.

Of course because its plain nonsense. You dont need Samba (CIFS) for the http/https protocoll. Samba is the Windows Netware Protocoll for Windows Shares (which have NOTHING to do with a webservice).

I have tried accessing the web server by it local IP address

Thats how it *should* work, enter

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http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx

into your browser on the Mint PC, where xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is the (W)LAN IP of your Windows Xampp PC, i.e. like 192.168.10.20 or similar. Per default, Apache listens to Port 80 and you dont need to specify any Port in the URL. But if you changed Apache to listen to another Port, lets say Port 8080, you MUST specify the portnumber in the URL as well:

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http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:8080

If your browser cannot connect and you get messages like "Server not found", you either provided a wrong IP address, or you have a firewall up and running on your Windows PC (this actually happens quite often), which blocks incoming requests (at least on port 80 or 8080 or whatever you have).

The error message you provided in the code box looks very strange to me, i havent ever seen a similar message. Is it a native browser message (which browser?), or is it from any application? And which URL did you enter in the browser?

P.S.: Could you please explain what is meant by this: "humcarbide’s"?? What is "humcarbide"? I actually think, that you SUCCESSFULLY connected to xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx, but you already have installed a vivid application which probably redirects to "humcarbide" or so. And so this error does NOT mean, you do not reach your Windows Xampp PC, but you are redirected to an unknown server (called "humcarbide"). Can you explain?

[beaner]

Humcarbide is just the host name of the PC with the XAMPP server
All the browsers I have tried seem to insist on using the URL as a search string when I enter http://1920168.1.73 <-> humcarbide

(and don't ask me about the strange name - I only work here )

From the other Win 10 PCs on the LAN, the server is accessible with either the IP or name URL, so I did not expect any firewall interference, except possibly on the Mint PC, but as far as I understand things the FW (using gufw) on the Mint PC is not even enabled and enabling and allowing everything in and out for Home profile changes nothing either way.

[Nobbie]

Still, there is no explanation why "humcarbide" is searched? There is NO WAY that Apache or TCPIP protocoll would redirect an IP (192.168.1.73) to a servername (humcarbide). So i am still pretty sure, that your Mint PC successfully reaches your Windows PC on 192.168.1.73.

And i am still pretty sure, that you have an application running there, which redirects to humcarbide. Finally - why does it run on WIndows Clients, but not on Linux Mint? Because in Windows Net Environments, Windows automatically assigns the name of a member to the IP. Probably, Linux Mint does not automatically resolve Windows PC names to the LAN IP. That is a Windows feature.

All in all, we have a working explanation for the behaviour. We are still missing YOUR explanation, which Apps are running in your environment. Last not least, you say "I only work here", what means, that you ask for free support for a professional company (isnt it?!). We do not provide free support for commercial companies. That exceeds the scope of this forum by far. This forum is meant for the non-professional private Xampp user. We dont get any money for our support.

[beaner]

Meanwhile, I have confirmed for myself that this issue is related to and limited to my WordPress installation.

I can access other pages etc on that server and it really seems WP which somehow causes the issue and in effect seems to initiate a redirection, but I don't know how to stop or fix that - yet.

And, NO I am NOT asking for a professional company; I am simply a hobbyist who wants to move to Linux from the Windoze world and find it very frustrating that some of the most ordinary thing seems to be so convoluted and non-obvious to mere mortals
"I only work here", around here is just a turn of phrase to simply mean that the reason for the naming is lost in the mist of time & history

Edit: FWIW, I have, meanwhile, also forced my LAN to assign a fixed/reserved IP address to the PC with the XAMPP server: 192.168.1.82 but that has not helped in any way I can see.
I have also tried to clear any browser caches between all calls to the server

[beaner]

Edit 2: for anyone who ends up here with the same problem:

Adding a line "192.168.1.82" HumCarbide
to my Mint hosts file seems to have done the trick