What isn't working? 

1. Can you select Ethernet in the Appletalk control panels?
2. Can you enable file sharing on at least one machine (control panel)?
3. Can you see the machine that has file sharing enabled in the chooser
of the other machine?
4. Can you enable file sharing on the hard drive of the machine with
file sharing enabled? (Select the drive, then go under the File menu,
look for sharing or Get Info, depending on OS)
5. Can you set up the sharing setup on the shared drive to allow guest access?

That is what you must do. 

Also, you may have to startup the machines at the same time so they each
"see" a good ethernet connection. That is one reason why a hub is good,
because it always provides a good ethernet connection when its power is
on. This issue is not as important with modern machines.

Finally, are you sure it's a crossover cable? You don't sound too
ethernet-savvy (no judgement here, just an observation)

PB

Bowerbird@... wrote:
> 
> i've just bought a second g3 powerbook,
> and i'd like to hook them together, to
> copy my hard-disk over to the new one.
> 
> i got a crossover cable, and hooked them up,
> but for some reason it isn't working for me.
> 
> does anyone have a list of the steps i need to do?
> 
> -bowerbird