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pharoah 10-24-2010 11:37 AM
No option in CUPS to print via SMB, smbclient *is* installed
 
I hope I'm posting this in the right forum. Basically, I'm running Xubuntu and have smbclient installed and (presumably) working from the command line, although I haven't tried doing more than running it without any arguments. The trouble is that in the CUPS web inteface and in the printer administration app I don't see the option which I'm told should be there to add a shared printer via SMB. I see only these options:
Local Printers: CUPS-PDF (Virtual PDF Printer)
Discovered Network Printers:
Other Network Printers: Internet Printing Protocol (http)
LPD/LPR Host or Printer
Internet Printing Protocol (ipp)

Any help would be much appreciated!

frankbell 10-24-2010 07:43 PM
We need more information:
  • The printer (make/model).
  • OS of the computer that hosts the printer.

As far as I know (and that's just enough to get my own printer working), if it's a printer on a windows machine, you will need to install the Linux driver or ppd file locally to your CUPS and point it at the printer. Linux can use the Windows printer, but not the Windows driver.

When you run smbclient, is the printer visible?

pharoah 10-24-2010 11:54 PM
My problem is not the fact that the printer is missing, it's the fact that the option to add a windows shared printer is missing, so I can't browse for the printer and enter its URI. What I'm trying to connect to is a printer queue for a bunch of HP LaserJet 400s. The instructions I have give me a smb:\\ URI, but I don't have any place to enter it. I've looked at tutorials online, and there is apparently supposed to be an option in Add Printer that allows me to select a windows shared printer, but there is not.

rkski 10-25-2010 01:40 AM
Did you go through the process of adding a printer using the CUPS interface on your browser: http://localhost:631
After you may need add the ppd file for the printer if it's not listed.

forrestt 10-25-2010 01:49 AM
Which version of CUPS? I'm running Kubuntu on this box, and CUPS 1.4.3. If I go to the "Administration" tab and click the "Add Printer" button, I have "Windows Printer via SAMBA". Perhaps you don't have the samba packages installed?

HTH

Forrest

pharoah 10-25-2010 06:42 PM
I'm also running 1.4.3. Here's a shot of my "Add Printer" page:
http://i.imgur.com/wVcTq.png

forrestt 10-25-2010 08:55 PM
You didn't answer if you have the samba packages installed. If you don't, that may be what is keeping that option off of your list. Here is what I have installed for samba:

Code:
# dpkg --list | grep samba
ii  samba            2:3.4.7~dfsg-1ubuntu3.2      SMB/CIFS file, print, and login server for U
ii  samba-common    2:3.4.7~dfsg-1ubuntu3.2      common files used by both the Samba server a
ii  samba-common-bin 2:3.4.7~dfsg-1ubuntu3.2      common files used by both the Samba server a
If you don't have them installed, you probably need to restart cups after you install them (not sure though).

HTH

Forrest

pharoah 10-27-2010 10:36 AM
All of those packages were installed, but I reinstalled them anyway. Still no change.

I feel like I must be missing something pretty basic here, but I can't figure out what it is. I noticed that in the repository there
are also a bunch of packages called samba4, whereas the ones I have installed are version 3.4.7. Could this make a difference?

EDIT:

This might also be worth mentioning, not sure if it's common, but when I click "Add Printer" in the web interface, the thing takes about ten seconds to load.

frankbell 10-28-2010 08:43 PM
Have you stepped through CUPS process to add a printer?

Depending on the printer, it may or may not be discovered automatically. My printer is connected directly to my network, so I could not recreate the process exactly, but it's something like this:

1. Click "Add Printer." (new screen)

2. Select "Windows Printer via Samba." (new screen)

3. Enter path to printer (smb://[whatever smbclient indicated was the path]. (new screen)

4. Enter the naming information. (new screen)

5. Select the make and model from the dialog or, if the make and model are not in the dialog, install the ppd file.

6. Print a test page.

When I clicked "Add printer," it took a few seconds to load and it asked for my root password.


The first time I installed a windows printer via Samba to a Linux box, I poked at it for quite a while. It was discovering smbclient, which told me what to enter in Step 3, that turned the tide for me.

Also, in case this was not a typo, the Samba URl will be smb://, not smb:\\. Linux does not use backslashes in paths.

forrestt 10-28-2010 09:25 PM
OK, well here is a list of my cups packages:

Code:
dpkg --list | grep cups
ii  bluez-cups                                4.60-0ubuntu8                                  Bluetooth printer driver for CUPS
ii  cups                                      1.4.3-1ubuntu1.2                                Common UNIX Printing System(tm) - server
ii  cups-bsd                                  1.4.3-1ubuntu1.2                                Common UNIX Printing System(tm) - BSD comman
ii  cups-client                                1.4.3-1ubuntu1.2                                Common UNIX Printing System(tm) - client pro
ii  cups-common                                1.4.3-1ubuntu1.2                                Common UNIX Printing System(tm) - common fil
ii  cups-driver-gutenprint                    5.2.5-0ubuntu1.1                                printer drivers for CUPS
ii  cups-ppdc                                  1.4.3-1ubuntu1.2                                Common UNIX Printing System(tm) - PPD manipu
ii  cupsddk                                    1.4.3-1ubuntu1.2                                Common UNIX Printing System (transitional pa
ii  ghostscript-cups                          8.71.dfsg.1-0ubuntu5.3                          The GPL Ghostscript PostScript/PDF interpret
ii  hal-cups-utils                            1.2.0+20100408-0ubuntu5.2                      CUPS integration with HAL
ii  libcups2                                  1.4.3-1ubuntu1.2                                Common UNIX Printing System(tm) - Core libra
ii  libcupscgi1                                1.4.3-1ubuntu1.2                                Common UNIX Printing System(tm) - CGI librar
ii  libcupsdriver1                            1.4.3-1ubuntu1.2                                Common UNIX Printing System(tm) - Driver lib
ii  libcupsimage2                              1.4.3-1ubuntu1.2                                Common UNIX Printing System(tm) - Raster ima
ii  libcupsmime1                              1.4.3-1ubuntu1.2                                Common UNIX Printing System(tm) - MIME libra
ii  libcupsppdc1                              1.4.3-1ubuntu1.2                                Common UNIX Printing System(tm) - PPD manipu
ii  python-cups                                1.9.49-0ubuntu1                                Python bindings for CUPS
ii  python-cupshelpers                        1.2.0+20100408-0ubuntu5.2                      Python modules for printer configuration wit
HTH

Forrest

pharoah 10-29-2010 10:38 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by frankbell (Post 4142782)
Have you stepped through CUPS process to add a printer?

Depending on the printer, it may or may not be discovered automatically. My printer is connected directly to my network, so I could not recreate the process exactly, but it's something like this:

1. Click "Add Printer." (new screen)

2. Select "Windows Printer via Samba." (new screen)

If you'd read my posts, you would know that the problem I am having is that this option does not exist, as you can see in the screenshot I took of my CUPS admin panel.

> Forrest, my package list looks much the same. I didn't have hal-cups-utils, so I tried installing it, but that didn't have any effect. I also tried uninstalling cups-pdf, but that didn't fix the problem either. This is getting stranger and stranger!

frankbell 10-29-2010 09:07 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by pharoah (Post 4143405)
If you'd read my posts, you would know that the problem I am having is that this option does not exist, as you can see in the screenshot I took of my CUPS admin panel.
Sorry, I missed the screen shot. Thanks for setting me straight.

If you move forward, does it take you to a screen that allows you to enter the path and, if so, can you enter an smb:// path?


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