Samba, CUPS, Windows NT clients : cannot add printer
 

Hello all,

I'm sure this question has been asked before - I have read many, many pages all over the internet trying to find out what I'm doing wrong, but I'm just not getting it.

I have samba setup and running.
CUPS is installed.

I have the printer setup and I can print from the server no problem.

The problem I'm having is that I cannot add a printer on the Windows NT client. I can see the network printer but it says I don't have administrator privileges. If I log in as Administrator I get the same result. Of course, if I log in as Administrator on the Windows NT machine (not networked) then I have no access to the printer to add it anyway.

I've also noticed that the CUPS ver 6 driver isn't compatible with Windows NT - only Windows 2000, XP. Version 5 isn't available for download anymore from what I can tell.

I can download the Adobe Postscript - but I have to install it on the machine (run the .exe file). If I run it while connected to the network (Administrator or regular user) it gives me the same problem as before without having privileges.

Has anyone successfully gotten Samba and CUPS to work with Windows NT?

Please help if you can.

Thank you.

What works for me is to set up a raw print queue to the printer in CUPS.
On the Windows client, install the Windows printer driver and direct it to the network printer. ( I have not tried making drivers available from my CUPS servers, but the facility is available. )
This means that the Windows client formats the print job, and the CUPS server just passes it to the printer.

I also set up a second print queue in CUPS, that will format and print data, so that the printer can also be used from the CUPS server.

Hope this helps.

I will try this. It certainly sounds like my best option.

I'm worried that I cannot install software as administrator when I am connecting to the domain. I haven't tried anything aside from the network printer - so perhaps I'm making some assumptions.

Does it matter whether or not I'm joining the domain when I install the client driver or not?

I finally figured it all out.
1st - get it all setup for raw printing with your [print] share (don't need the [print$])
2nd - log on to your windows box as the Administrator, but don't log on to the domain. Just log on to the machine.
3rd - Go to network neighborhood and find your printer. Install or Connect to the printer. It will say something about drivers not being available on the server. Install the drivers manually.
4th - print your life away!

So easy a caveman could do it. I just didn't get the whole part about NOT logging on to the domain. IF you log on to the domain you don't have enough privileges to install the drivers. But I thought if your weren't logged on to the domain you wouldn't be able to see the printer. I got it all figured out now. Thanks!