How to access a printer on a dual-boot system?

Rehumanize · 02-11-2008, 07:10 PM

I have two networked computers, "A" and "B".

"B" is a XP machine. "A" dual-boots XP and Ubuntu and has a printer connected to it.

I need "B" to use the printer attached to "A". I have set up printer sharing from both operating systems on "A" and it works. The problem is, I had to install two printers on B...one is a connection through Windows, another is a connection through Ubuntu.

In order to print from B, the correct printer must manually be selected, depending on which OS is presently running on A. It's not really satisfactory, what I would ideally want is just one printer showing up on B that automatically figures out which sharing protocol to use.

Any help is appreciated, thanks.

dxqcanada · 02-11-2008, 07:39 PM

I have never done this before ... but I will give you my suggestion:

Windows XP can share the printer natively.
Linux can also provide a Windows shared resource through the use of Samba.
Configure the Linux host as a Samba server and you can then share the printer resource using the same workgroup and share name as the XP setup.

PC-B can then point to the same shared printer.

Rehumanize · 02-11-2008, 08:18 PM

I have tried that, but it just doesn't seem to work. I've edited the netbios name, workgroup, made sure the printer's name is identical in both OS on the dual-booter, still nothing. I'll try to outline everything I have done so far and then post my smb.conf.

1. The printer is connected via usb to the dual booting win/linux box that I wish to use as a print server.

2. The Print Server is named "e1505" under windows. I added this under the "global" section in samba.conf: netbios name = e1505

3. Under windows, the printer is named Deskjet935c. I set this up with control panel>printers and faxes. Under linux, I followed the CUPS printer installation through http://localhost:631 and named the printer Deskjet935c.

4. I have made sure that both windows and linux run the same static ip on the server

5. On the windows boxes; I can see the printer when the server is in windows by doing add printer: \\E1505\Deskjet935c

6. On the windows boxes; I can see the printer when the server is in linux by doing add printer: http://<local server address>:631/printers/Deskjet935c

Here is my smb.conf:

Code:

[global]
        workgroup = MSHOME
        server string = E1505
        password level = 8
        log file = /var/log/samba/log.%m
        max log size = 50
        socket options = TCP_NODELAY SO_RCVBUF=8192 SO_SNDBUF=8192
        printcap name = lpstat
        dns proxy = No
        hosts allow = 192.168.1.64
        printing = cups
        print command = 
        lpq command = %p
        lprm command = 

[homes]
        comment = Home Directories
        read only = No
        browseable = No

[printers]
        comment = All Printers
        path = /var/spool/samba
        create mask = 0700
        guest ok = Yes
        printable = Yes
        print command = lpr-cups -P %p -o raw %s -r
        browseable = No

[print$]
        path = /var/lib/samba/printers
        write list = @adm, root

[pdf-generator]
        comment = PDF Generator (only valid users)
        path = /var/tmp
        printable = Yes
        print command = /usr/share/samba/scripts/print-pdf %s ~%u \\\\\\\\%L\\\\%u %m %I &

[Agustin]
        comment = Agustin Private Files
        path = /home/agustin/Documents
        valid users = agustin
        read only = No