Print from an Ubuntu laptop to a windows printer via wireless network
 

I wish to print from my Ubuntu 9.04 laptop to an HP Colorlaser 2600N via a home wireless network. The printer is connected to a Dell desktop running Windows XP connected to a Linksys wireless router. I already have the internet wirelessly. How do I set it up?

As a starting point, the printer on XP has to print locally. You need the name of the printer, and either the IP address of the XP system, or its name. That all comes from XP. Gathter that information first.

Next to find the linux version of the print driver. Go here -->http://www.linuxfoundation.org/colla...s/openprinting

This is the best source of information on printers and drivers. Look up the driver for the printer in the data base that is there. For this printer, here is the info -->http://www.openprinting.org/show_pri...ecnum=HP-2600n

On the linux system, install cups. You will need to follow the instructions on the link above for the driver.

Open a web browser. Type in the location bar http://localhost:631 and press enter. That should connect you to cups. There are buttons at the top, one allows you to add printers. You need to log in as the root user first. Then you can add a printer.

Follow the dialog, filling in the pages. The URI is the only thing that confuses most new users. For the HP printer I have on a XP host, here is the URI I use. smb://CLIFFSHOME/MRBURNIE/F4280

I'm using windoze networking to get to XP. For that to work, you need samba client ONLY installed. That is there on most distros without you doing anything.

You will need to change the fields to match the data you gather from XP. On my system the workgroup name id CLIFFSHOME. Change the field to match your workgroup name. MRBURNIE is the name of the XP system. F4280 is the name I gave the printer in XP.

If you do not know the name of XP, or never gave it one, you can use the IP address of the XP system in its place. Either way will work.

If you want to know if Samba client is installed, there will be apps that can browser the network. Try that, if you can 'see' the XP system shares, then you have what you need. If not, you need the package manager configured to install from the repos. That is another topic. See how far you can get, post any specific questions.