Hi fellows! I have this (rather) stupid question about sharing a printer connected to my Linux SMB, router, print server:

I am able to add the printer in my main Linux box, in my windows partition in that same box (win2k), but when it comes to a particular win98 box I get an error stating that the printer could not be installed into the system and that I should quit all running programs, reboot (yes, I know... it's windows) and try again... I comply and then the same error. I know this is a Windows specific question, but since the printer is in my Linux server I thought I could as well ask you guys here. As for Win2K I know it supports far better the smb communication that win 98 does. In personal experience the win2k machine can flawlessly communicate with my other linux computer without a problem even though the win 98 eventually doesn't. In other words, I can browse the server shares when the win98 does not, although this happens randomly... wierd. But when the win98 machine does browses the shares I cannot add the fricking printer! Could this be a driver problem?

BTW, the server and my primary linux system use RH 9 with Samba 2.2.7a-8.9.0 (the one with the security issue patch). And I use GnoSamba and Swat to set the shares in both linux boxes.

Derived question: Would you recommend me moving towards Samba 2.2.8 or alpha 3 (for testing porpuses of course!)

Thanks in advance.
Thetargos.

so can you not see the printer share on the win98 box at all?, what happenss if try

net view //linux_name

on the windows machine (you need to do this from a command prompt)

I've done so, I can "see" the printer share in the windows machine, but the problem arises wihenever windows tries to "install" it. At the moment it tries to, I get the error message "The printer could not be installed, close all other running programs and reboot and try again". Quite annoying! A guess would be to name the printer "exactly" as it is named in the Linux machines (becausse is there (when you must give the printer a name) when windows complaints about the printer.

are you using the [printer$] share? that is are you trying to get the drivers to install automatically from the linux box onto the windows box?

what method of printing are you using? cups?

i guess you could try installing the printer manually on windows, add printer, pick the divers, tell it is's on lpt1 or whatever, say no to test print, and then change the port setting to point towards the samba share.

I think I'll end up doing that, because I tried to add the printer as a network printer, I point to the share it is (my linux server) and tell it to use the driver from the windows install disk. Then crash! So I'll do what u suggest.