printing through netbios alias

[James Nord]

Robert Walk wrote:

>Hi,
>
>We are trying to set up a print server for our Windows domain on Samba
>2.2.2 and Red Hat 7.1. It was decided to use a netbios alias for the
>print server so that it would be easier to move in the future if the
>need arised.  
>
>From now on the actual netbios name will be reffered to as
>"server" and the alias as "alias".  This solution has worked well on
>Win9x clients, however not on WinNT/2K.  The problem is that the NT/2K
>machines "see" the printer as being connected to the real netbios name
>of the Samba server.  Thus they cannot find the Samba Printer Port
>associated with the netbios alias name.  When browsing to "alias"
>through network neighborhood, going into the printers folders and
>pulling up the properties it reads at the top "Laserjet on Server
>Properties" when it should be "Laserjet on Alias Properties".  No
>printers show up when browsing to "server".  The printer does install
>and it will print, however when going to the Ports tab in the printer
>properties no Samba Printer Port is listed.  Also the status of the
>printer is "Access denied, unable to connect". 
>
>Of course everthing works
>just fine when the printers are shared without the alias but I am
>stubborn fool and want it to work my way!!
>
Tuff luck known bug :-(

http://bugs.samba.org/cgi-bin/samba-bugs/printers?id=21453

Seeing as you don't seem to be wanting aliases for anything other than 
future moveability why do you bother with them?
Just call the machine PrintServ or something like that and when you move 
them to another server call that server printServ.

If you want the DNS name to be consistent with company policy (ie 
machinezroomxofficy.mycompany.com) then you can always just use a 
different netbios name without the alias.

/James

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