Eben King wrote:
> So I was thinking about implementing a print server for a couple XP
> boxes on the LAN. Before the upgrade, I used W2K in VMware. I already
> had VMware to run other stuff, so that was easy. Now, I've done a
> massive upgrade (2.4 to 2.6, ~RH 8.5 to Ubuntu 5.10) and I'm pretty sure
> I'd have to re-buy VMware (student price, but still count on $150). It
> was prettty flaky before. Guaranteed to work, easy to set up.
>
> Then I figured, hey, I don't need to run VMware, I have a *real* W*
> machine now; a physical print server would be trivially easy to set up,
> and up all the time (VMware wasn't). What would that run, $80-$100 or so?
>
> Then, this thought came to me, maybe CUPS + Samba can do it, for
> free-as-in-beer. (Way back when, I used some pretend-you're-a-Mac
> program to print to a a Deskjet 1200C [PostScript inkjet], which
> exported itself on the LAN as a Laserwriter -- is that related?) Any
> chance this would work? It's a Canon i560. The last time I checked (OK,
> several years ago), it wasn't (easily?) handled by any Linux tools I
> could find, but I don't know about now.
>
This sounds too easy, so I'm not sure I'm understanding you. What it
sounds like you want is a print server that accepts print jobs from your
Windows boxen, said server running Linux. If so, it's relatively easy to
do. I have a similar setup.
Set up CUPS with the proper PPD for your printer (if there's one from
the manufacturer, use that in favor of the one provided by foomatic).
Then set up Samba on the Linux box. The following are the relevant lines
from my smb.conf:
In the global section:
printing = cups
printcap name = /etc/printcap
load printers = yes
Then in a section called [printers]:
comment = All printers
path = /tmp
browseable = yes
printable = yes
writable = no
guest ok = yes
create mode = 0700
print command = lpr -P %p -o raw %s -r
Now, I'm not a Samba guru, so someone may suggest alterations to this. I
only know it works.
One note here: You'll see that in the print command above, we're passing
the byte stream from Windows unaltered ("-o raw"). That means your
Windows computers have to have the right drivers for the printer. The
send text formatted however they want it, and the Linux side just passes
the data through without messing with it.
In Windows, you install the printer as you do with any other Windows
printer, except that instead of going out to LPT1 directly, you map LPT1
to the network printer that should now show up in your Network
Neighborhood when you do a search.
That's about it. I don't know much more than that. I've done this a few
times, but the actual minutae of the Windows printer install escape me
at the moment. (Probably a case of I try to forget painful experiences. ;-)
Paul
-- Paul M. Foster ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This list is provided as an unmoderated internet service by Networked Knowledge Systems (NKS). Views and opinions expressed in messages posted are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of NKS or any of its employees.
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