Printing from linux/windows clients to linux server

mdshann · 12-13-2005, 01:39 AM

I cannot get my networked computers to print to a printer I have set up on my cups / samba server. I am trying to print from both linux and windows clients to a Slackware 10.2 server. If I move the printer I can print to it as a local printer from each computer (not networked, just stuck in the parralell port) so I know the printer can work easily with all computers involved. My smb.conf looks like this (on the server):

[global]
workgroup = OShannon
netbios name = SlackerServer
security = SHARE
passdb backend = guest
printing = cups
printcap name = cups

[shared]
comment = Shared Directories
path = /home/sambashare/shared
read only = No
guest ok = Yes
force user = sambashare
force group = users

[wwwroot]
comment = WWW Root Directories
path = /home/sambashare/wwwroot
read only = No
guest ok = Yes
force user = sambashare
force group = users

[printers]
comment = All Printers
path = /var/spool/samba
printer admin = root
guest ok = Yes
printable = Yeas
use client driver = Yes
browseable = Yes

What do I need to have in my cupsd.conf file to make this work? How do I set up the clients? I am assuming that I can just run through the wizard in windows and tell it to se the appropriate driver, but my other Slack 10.2 computer is running mainly KDE, and going through the wizards there trying each type of printer that makes sense turns up nothing. Ideally I'd like to set up the relevent conf files so I can switch window managers and still print. Sorry for such a long post!

gbonvehi · 12-13-2005, 03:16 AM

Try adding: load printers = yes
to [Global] section.

Also, if you're going to print trough samba from the Linux client, you'll need to configure at least the workgroup on /etc/samba/smb.conf (on the client of course).

Alien Bob · 12-13-2005, 04:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdshann

[printers]
...
printable = Yeas
...

This is definitely a typo that will prevent your clients from printing via Samba. The default is printable = No.
Linux clients will not need Samba to print, if you setup your CUPS server correctly. The CUPS clients will find the CUPS server on the LAN and automatically configure printing on your client PC's. Windows clients will of course need Samba together with CUPS (unless you install UNIX printing services on your Windows pc's).

Eric

mdarby · 12-13-2005, 05:51 AM

Take a look at the command cupsaddsmb for automatic printer downloads when a user connects to a printer.
It's tricky, but necessary in a corporate environment.

Alien Bob · 12-13-2005, 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mdarby

Take a look at the command cupsaddsmb for automatic printer downloads when a user connects to a printer.
It's tricky, but necessary in a corporate environment.

I have mixed experience with this. The cupsaddsmb command can be used to populate the print$ share with drivers, but this never gave me a 100% satisfying result for the Windows client PC's. The cupsaddsmb command makes use of the CUPS dll files for printing support, not the native Windows printer drivers (as far as I can remember). It also displays your cleartext Samba admin password in ps ax which I do not like.

What I do nowadays, is to use a Windows workstation and upload the driver files to the Samba server using the "Add printer driver" wizard. Using this procedure, you can also define default settings for your printer drivers that are applied when a Windows client connects to the Samba server in order to print.

Eric

mdshann · 12-13-2005, 01:50 PM

That typo was only in my post... I have that config on another computer and as far as I know you can't cut and paste between two computers, so I wrote it down and then typed it on this one. So, I need to look at my cups config file then? I'd like to use cups for linux clients and samba for windows clients. I'm not in a corporate environment I am at home with 2 windows PCs, a dual boot, and a linux only machine for the server.

Alien Bob · 12-13-2005, 03:48 PM

You can of course open a SSH session to your server and copy/paste your smb.conf into your browser can't you ???

Anyway, this is what my server's /etc/cups/cupsd.conf looks like. Nothing too special:

Code:

LogLevel info
Port 631
HostNameLookups On
BrowseAddress @LOCAL
BrowseAllow *.my.lan
SystemGroup wheel
<Location />
Order Deny,Allow
Deny From All
Allow From 127.0.0.1
Allow From .my.lan
</Location>

This announces my printers across the LAN, so that every Linux PC with CUPS running will pick them up and I can print without doing anything else. Of course, you'll need the web interface at http://localhost:631 of the server to define one or more printers.

You will have to change the .my.lan part to the domain name of your LAN, or use an IP address range there that matches what you use on your LAN.

These are my [printer] and [print$] sections of /etc/samba/smb.conf on the server, and the relevant parameters in the global section:

Code:

[global]
   printer admin = @wheel
   load printers = yes
   printcap name = cups
   printing = cups
   print command = lpr -oraw -r -P'%p' %s
   lpq command = /usr/bin/lpq -P%p
[printers]
   comment = All Printers
   path = /var/spool/samba
   browseable = no
   public = yes
   writable = no
   printable = yes
   printer admin = @wheel
[print$]
   comment = Printer Drivers
   path = /usr/local/samba/printers
   guest ok = yes
   browseable = no
   read only = yes
   ; since this share is configured as read only, then we need
   ; a 'write list'.  Check the file system permissions to make
   ; sure this account can copy files to the share.  If this
   ; is setup to a non-root account, then it should also exist
   ; as a 'printer admin'
   write list = @wheel
   create mode = 0664
   directory mode = 0775
   force group = wheel

You will have to check that the directories /var/spool/samba and (in my example) /usr/local/samba/printers exist and have correct permissions.

Code:

$ ll /var/spool/
drwxrwxrwt   2 root   root   4096 2005-12-07 16:51 samba/

$ ll /usr/local/samba/
drwxrwxr-x   7 root wheel 4096 2004-11-05 00:26 printers/

Eric

steve1972 · 12-14-2005, 09:07 AM

You could buy ESP Print Pro (http://www.easysw.com/printpro/) and eliminate all this hassle. No need for Samba.

The ESP Print Pro web site says...

# Provides over 5300 printer drivers!
# Supports printing from all Linux®, MacOS X®, and UNIX® applications!
# Supports client printing from Windows® 2000 and higher!
# Provides easy-to-use GUIs
# Provides easy-to-use WWW interfaces
# Provides PostScript® RIP for non-PostScript printers
# Prints text, image, HP-GL/2, PostScript, and PDF files to any supported printer

Best regards,
Steve

Alien Bob · 12-14-2005, 03:46 PM

ESP Print Pro is a commercialized CUPS server. You will still need Samba if you want transparent printing for your Windows clients.
Furthermore, their web site also says:

Code:

Common Windows Problems
    * I have a problem with my Windows printer driver
      Please note that we do not provide support for Microsoft Windows printing problems.
      For support of Windows printer drivers, contact the printer manufacturer or Microsoft
      technical support (http://support.microsoft.com).

You can of course buy this software, but my bets are not on it, especially not for home use.

Eric

soulestream · 12-14-2005, 10:54 PM

if the windows machines are all on XP, I have had much better success (easier setup, faster printing) using IPP with Cups. I have a slack print server that has 7 windows and 3 linux based clients.

this a good howto (gentoo, but the important stuff is non-distro)

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/printing-howto.xml

This is info on non-XP machines using IPP.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/d...PP/Default.asp

samba printing can be too flaky

soule

mdshann · 12-15-2005, 05:46 PM

Thank you, I think that may be exactly what I am looking for however I am at college right now so I can't try it out! When I do I'll post the results.

steve1972 · 12-16-2005, 10:54 AM

Alien Bob (Eric)

[QUOTE=Alien Bob]ESP Print Pro is a commercialized CUPS server. You will still need Samba if you want transparent printing for your Windows clients.

That is incorrect. You can go the IPP route using the Windows client driver provided by ESP.

Furthermore, their web site also says:

Code:

Common Windows Problems
    * I have a problem with my Windows printer driver
      Please note that we do not provide support for Microsoft Windows printing problems.
      For support of Windows printer drivers, contact the printer manufacturer or Microsoft
      technical support (http://support.microsoft.com).

I contacted ESP for clarification on this statement and here's what they mean. If you are a Windows user without a Linux/MacOS system we will not support your printing problems.

(Alien Bob said) You can of course buy this software, but my bets are not on it, especially not for home use.

RESPONSE: That's your chose. For me, it was an easy decision. I know my printer is going to work and that everything the printer was designed to do, it will do. With all the problems with working peacefully with Windows happening, ESP Print Pro was a no brainer for me. It works. I keep my hair. I stop crying like a baby.

mdshann · 04-13-2006, 12:40 PM

UPDATE: I got printing to work using Red Hat FC2 on the server and setting up a raw print queue for the windows clients and a regular cups queue for the linux client. I also have dhcpd configured on this machine to give the other computers on the LAN an IP address, and I have SSH set up so that I can connect from the linux client to the server and change config information if needed. This setup works great for my families needs since we have dial up and do not need to access the internet through a central computer, but need to be able to share the same printer. We connect to the internet as needed with the computer we are using. (i.e. Dial up networking in windows) The lan is just to share files and printers and play the ocassional game.