Base: Red Hat RHAS3, PDC security = user Samba 3.0.14a Cups 1.1.17 Windows XP Pro Epson C42UX (cheap inkjet) USB to the server
I was looking for an alternative to the immensely complicated Add Printer Wizard procedure (APW) detailed in chapter 19.6 of the Samba HOWTO guide. The following is a method that works for me, I don't necessarily expect it to work for others, and I'd value any comments, criticism or whatever. It only takes into account Cups, not lpd and only tested with Red Hat RHASx. 1: Make sure Cups printing works perfectly from the server itself. Install the Cups printer(s) for raw output as described in the Samba HOWTO. This should automatically give the Cups printer names in the shares browse list detailed in the PDC's shares list, when a Windows workstation has joined the domain. I have a Cups printer called Epson_Samba and it shows up in the PDC's list of shares, viewable both with smbclient and Windows workstations. My smb.conf Cups printer share looks like: [printers] comment = Epson C42UX path = /var/spool/samba/raw_q admin users = Administrator, @domadm printer admin = @domadm guest ok = Yes printable = Yes use client driver = Yes browseable = yes 2: Make the [print$] share as described in the Samba HOWTO. In fact, for the method described here, you can call it anything, as long as it's a valid share. From my single XP Pro ws I can't browse to the print$ share anyway, I can't see it. Nor does it show up in 'smbclient -L'. If I just call it "print", it does, but it doesn't get the fancy Windows "Printers and Faxes" icon. Doesn't matter, since it will simply be a repository for the driver install, from which each Windows ws will install the driver. My print share looks like: [print] comment = Printer Drivers path = /m/samba3/drivers admin users = Administrator, tonni, @domadm guest ok = yes read only = yes browseable = yes read only = yes write list = administrator, tonni, @domadm 3: Mount the CD ROM on the appropriate mount point, copy the necessary printer driver hierarchy from the driver CD ROM as supplied by the printer manufacturer to the "print" driver share. mount -t iso9660 /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom -o ro,user,noauto,unhide On my CD ROM I have many installation directories for drivers, in many languages. I'm only interested in the "english" directory, which has drivers for WIN2000 and 9x. mkdir -p /m/samba3/drivers/epsonc42ux/win2000 cd /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom/english/win2000 cp -pr * /m/samba3/drivers/epsonc42ux/win2000 This copies .inf and cab files to the destination directory without changing any archive details. Repeat for the Win 9x hierarchy if needed. Furthermore, none of the help, document, analytical or other bloatware get copied. 4: Install the drivers on the Windows ws: Browse to the PDC's shares, find the advertised Cups printer and double click on it. Windows goes wild and says it doesn't have any driver. It searches around for a while and comes up with a useless list, but it also gives the "have disk". Browse to the printer driver server share, the win2000 directory you just copied, and it finds the appropriate .inf file. Choose "open" and "Ok", then your printer, then "Ok". A few seconds and the printer is installed. 5: Verify the installation: Go to Control Panel, Printers and Faxes for the Windows ws itself, printer is there. Right click, choose properties wander around and look especially at "ports". The printer's port should be redirected to \\server\printer_name LAN Manager Printer Port. That's all, really. There's nothing to stop you going around with the CD to each ws instead and installing that way, but remember we've cut out all the nasties from the CD and that saves a handful of time. I wouldn't mind knowing why my [print$] share doesn't show up, though. --Tonni -- Nothing sucksseeds like a pigeon without a beak ... mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.billy.demon.nl They'll love us, won't they? They feed us, don't they? ... -- To unsubscribe from this list go to the following URL and read the instructions: https://lists.samba.org/mailman/listinfo/samba