Hi everyone --It's easy to get a Windows box to print using a Linux machine ('Just install on 'Doze as a Network printer, samba does the rest on the 'Nix machine).


BUT HOW do you get a Linux Box to print using a printer locally attached to a Windows Box.

I've the printer is defined as SHARED on the Windows machine.

All the googling / etc I've found shows me how Windows machines can print on the Linux box NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND or some complex stuff about specialized "stand alone Netwwork machines".

Could anybody PLEASE post a simple method of getting a Linux machine to print on the Windows printer.

The Linux box (host name BLACKDOG IP address 192.168.1.7) is running on SUSE 9.3 connected to a Windows Machine (computer name STOOPIDWINDOZE IP address 192.168.1.2) and they are connected via a router with a network workgroup name of MSHOME.

Network is running perfectly and SAMBA sees all the windows shares on the Linux box (and the other way round --Windows can get at the Linux shared drives).

The shared printer name on the Windows box is photo1290 and works fine on Windows. (This printer when connected to a Linux box also works so there is no Printer incompatability. -- And before someone asks the inevitiable question I CAN'T MOVE THIS TO THE LINUX BOX.)

PLEASE couild somebody post a how to get it working in simple steps
like

1) edit file XXXXX etc etc.
2) Do this yyyyy etc etc.

(The other confusion --when I attempt to do it via YAST it asks for such things like Printer Queue name --how on earth do I find that on the Windows box or am I using the wrong options.

Also strange it doesn't seem to ask me to install any Printer drivers on the Linux box so I KNOW I'm doing something stupid.

Cheers

-K

I'll answer my own post here now I've found the answer in case anybody else wants to do the same thing.

1) In your Windows system ensure the Printer is marked as SHARED

2) on the Linux box ensure SAMBA is set up and running properly --plenty of references on how to do that are on this Forum --just search.

3) In YAST select printers and choose SAMBA server printer.

4) in the HOST name put the IP address of the MACHINE the printer is on (it probably won't work at this stage if you give the actual computer name)

5) THE PRINT QUEUE name is the name of the Windows Printer share.

6) ENTER A USER NAME AND PASSWORD --doesn't matter if your windows box doesn't have a specific user and password. Just eneter anything you like for User and Password.

A lot of Windows (Home) boxes only have 1 user and don't need a user to login when Windows starts.

7) VERY IMPORTANT ===> Click the X in Local filtering --this will bring up the dialog of what printer you have -- chose the model that's on the Windows box e.g Epson photo 1290 which is what I've been using.

If you don't do 7) above then when you try and print you'll get PAGES and PAGES of Post script garbage being printed out. -- Been there and done it.!!!

OK now test print --and it's fine. Doesn't matter if the Windows printer is on a USB cable or not --Samba just sends the print over to Windows which takes care of it.


----A Note on Windows Networking / Shares

If you've applied SP2 to XP then even though you don't have any users or passwords on the Windows box SP2 will expect one.

Previously you could leave a popup screen asking for a User and Password blank and you could connect to your Windows share. That's not possible anymore.

BUT: You can get round this with a registry fix on your Windows box to make the system work as it did before applyimg SP2.

You still need to supply a user and password but it can be ANYTHING.

The fix is available on the BARTPE site

Cheers

-K