>Can Samba be used to give a PC direct access to a printer which is on
>the Amiga? If not, there's no point in my installing it. I find FTP file
>transfer using Windows Commander is quick and efficient for moving files
>between Amiga and PC.
>(It's a shareware 2-column program similar to DOpus 4).
>Regards
>--
>Don Cox
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Don,
I've got my A4000 serving as both internet access gateway and Print server
for my PC and my wife's PC. I originally tried to host the printer on the
PC, but it consistently corrupted the printouts from other machines -- driver
updates, etc. to no avail. Epson only says that it isn't a "supported
configuration". Anyway, it works fine with my Amiga as the host. Here's how
you set it up.
� Setup a "printer" under Samba. Edit the samba:lib/samba.conf file to
include something like this:
[EpsonPro]
comment = EpsonStylusPro
path = /spare/t/epson
browseable = yes
printable = yes
public = yes
writable = no
create mode = 0700
Note: "EpsonPro" is how this appears on the network to the other
computers.
Note the "unix" style path: /spare/t/epson instead of spare:t/epson
(This should be a temporary directory with _nothing_ in it.)
� Install your printer driver as usual on your PC, just select a network
printer instead of a local printer. Use the "browse" button to find the
printer.
Now, all this is fine and dandy, but at this point all it does is send the
printer data to a file on the Amiga. We still need to send the data from
this file on to the printer. AFAIK, there is a way to configure Samba to do
this -- but I never figured it out, so I found an AREXX script on Aminet
(that was designed to print the other way, from the Amiga to a Network
printer) and modified it to print files received from the network to a local
printer. Here's the script (it's short) I start it from my s:NetStart
script that Miami launches after it puts the network online. Here's the line
from the script:
run <>nil: rx Samba:sps.rexx
This isn't a pretty solution, but it works.
Cut the below script out and copy it to a file called "Samba:sps.rexx" You
could likely get rid of a lot of extra stuff in the script, so it doesn't
require the extra libraries, but I never bothered. Make sure to edit the
script for your "spooldir" and "printer" settings if needed.
Good Luck.
--Rhett
=============================================================================
/* $VER: SPS v1.0 (23/08/99)
Samba Print Spooler v1.0 by Robert Wilson
http://www.dynamix.f9.co.uk
Modified to print FROM PC to Amiga, instead of the reverse by R^3
*/
/* START USER SETTINGS */
spooldir = 'Spare:t/epson/'
printer = 'PAR:'
pubscreen = 'Workbench'
/* END USER SETTINGS */
signal on BREAK_C
signal on FAILURE
signal on IOERR
if ~show(l,'rexxsupport.library') then do
if ~addlib('rexxsupport.library',0,-30,0) then do
say 'rexxsupport.library not available'
exit
end
end
if ~show(l,'rexxtricks.library') then do
if ~addlib('rexxtricks.library',0,-30,0) then do
say 'rexxtricks.library not available'
exit
end
end
if ~show(l,'rexxreqtools.library') then do
if ~addlib('rexxreqtools.library',0,-30,0) then do
say 'rexxreqtools.library not available'
exit
end
end
scriptname = 'Samba Print Spooler v1.0 by Robert Wilson'
if right(spooldir,1) ~= '/' & right(spooldir,1) ~= ':' then do
call rtezrequest('The spooldir must end in ":" or
"/"','_Sorry!',scriptname,'rtez_flags = ezreqf_centertext rt_reqpos = reqpos_centerscr
rt_pubscrname = 'pubscreen)
exit
end
address 'COMMAND'
do forever
if getdir(spooldir,'~(#?.info)','stemvar','FILES','PATH') then do
do i = 1 to stemvar.0
call sendfile(stemvar.i)
end
end
else call delay (500)
end
exit
/* */
sendfile:
parse arg filename
if open(file,filename,'R') then do /* check to see if file is not still being spooled
*/
call close(file)
'copy 'filename' 'printer
if RC = 0 then 'c:delete' filename 'FORCE QUIET'
else call servererror()
end
else call delay(500)
return
/* */
BREAK_C:
call rtezrequest('User break (CTRL-C)','_Okay',scriptname,'rtez_flags =
ezreqf_centertext rt_reqpos = reqpos_centerscr rt_pubscrname = 'pubscreen)
exit
/* */
FAILURE:
IOERR:
call rtezrequest('An error has occured!' || '0A'x ||
errortext(RC),'_Damn!',scriptname,'rtez_flags = ezreqf_centertext rt_reqpos =
reqpos_centerscr rt_pubscrname = 'pubscreen)
exit
/* */
servererror:
errorreq = 0
if exists('rexx:autoclose.rexx') then errorreq = autoclose(start,10,pubscreen,'Samba')
answer = rtezrequest('Unable to spool file "'filename'"' || '0A'x || 'to print server
"'printer'"','_Retry|_Wait 60 seconds|_Quit',scriptname,'rtez_flags =
ezreqf_centertext rt_reqpos = reqpos_centerscr rt_pubscrname = 'pubscreen)
if errorreq ~= 0 then call autoclose(stop,errorreq)
if answer = 0 then do
if rtezrequest('Are you sure that you want'|| '0A'x ||'to close Samba Print
Spooler?','_Yes|_No',scriptname,'rtez_flags = ezreqf_centertext rt_reqpos =
reqpos_centerscr rt_pubscrname = 'pubscreen) then exit
end
if answer = 2 then call delay(60*50)
return
=============================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rhett R. Rodewald
Have you written your own real-time OS lately???
"Most people would rather die than think,
and most people do." -- Bertrand Russell
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