sharing linux printer with windoz
 

Hello all,
After days of searching threads and not finding anything I need advice on what I might be overlooking. I tried unsuccessfully to connect to my Linux box and install a DeskJet 970 on a Vista machine. I can see the shared folders on Linux through windows, access them, use them, but when connecting to the printer it says make sure you've typed the name correctly and that the printer is connected to a network. I've used webmin, SWAT and tried to edit the smb.conf manually. Here's what I'm working with now. Any help is much appreciated.

# Samba config file created using SWAT
# from 0.0.0.0 (0.0.0.0)
# Date: 2007/12/15 06:11:43

[global]
workgroup = MSHOME
server string = My Lil Linux Box
smb passwd file = /etc/samba/smbpasswd
log file = /var/log/samba/%m.log
socket options = TCP_NODELAY SO_RCVBUF=8192 SO_SNDBUF=8192
printcap name = cups





[Downloads]
comment = Download
path = /home/Michael/Download
read only = No
guest ok = Yes

[homes]
comment = My Home Directory
read only = No
guest ok = Yes

[printers]
comment = All Printers
path = /var/spool/cups/tmp
guest ok = Yes
printable = Yes
browseable = No
If there is something I've missed I'll gladly repost
Much regards,

After I read your post, it is not clear to me if the printer is attached to the linux box or to the windoze box. I'm assuing by what you posted, it is attached to the linux box.

You did not state if the printer works on linux. That is a pre-req to getting newtwork printing going.

After looking at your samba server file, I think you need a line telling linux how to handle a print file from a client with a print driver. It may look like this.

This goes in the Printers section.

I would also suggest this link as a very good spot to find any other issues with printing.

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/samba2/book/ch10.html

When I install a linux printer on windoze, I do not bother to try and download the driver from linux to windoze. I would expect windoze would have a driver for that printer, if not it would come with the printer CD. So install the driver if you need to on windoze, and when you add the printer on windoze, use the driver on windoze.

M$ doesn't like to make it clear there is no need to download the driver from the server, you can install it locally.

Hope this helps.

Hi Cliff
I've been up most of the night trying to figure this out. Locally the printer works fine. I finally got it to connect to the printer, but theres no print output from the windoz machine to the linux. I going to check the other resource you sent me.

# Samba config file created using SWAT
# from 0.0.0.0 (0.0.0.0)
# Date: 2007/12/15 08:53:11

[global]
workgroup = MSHOME
server string = My Lil Linux Box
smb passwd file = /etc/samba/smbpasswd
log file = /var/log/samba/%m.log
socket options = TCP_NODELAY SO_RCVBUF=8192 SO_SNDBUF=8192
printcap name = cups
printing = cups
print command =
lpq command = %p
lprm command =

[Downloads]
comment = Download
path = /home/Michael/Download
read only = No
guest ok = Yes

[homes]
comment = My Home Directory
read only = No
guest ok = Yes

[printers]
printer = DESKJET_970C
browseable = no
printable = yes
print command = lpr-cups -P %p -o raw %s -r
# using client side printer drivers
writable = yes
path = /var/spool/samba
guest ok = Yes
use client driver = yes
comment = All Printers

Thanks Cliff for all your help. your advice along with alot or searching and the problem was uncovered. I looked for/etc/cups/mime.convs and then uncommented this;
application/octet-stream application/vnd.cups-raw 0 - uses the octet -stream to send info to print from the windoz client

Also uncomment the following line from this file..../etc/cups/mime.types: if its not already.
application/octet-stream
restarted cups with the command: service cups restart and bingo.
Thanks again,
NewFish