Fwd: Setting "Installable Options" on printers for clients

Dpk dpk at egr.msu.edu
Mon Dec 15 21:52:08 GMT 2003


I apologize for the cross-post, but I didn't receive any follow-up
from the other list.  If I can't find a solution to the problems
mentioned below via protocol interaction between a Samba server and a
Windows system used for remote printer admin/configuration, I'll be
happy with using and/or writing a tool to modify the printers.tdb file
on the server.  

So, if there is no reasonable solution to my issues below, how would
one go about changing options (like changing the duplex option,
Option3, in an HP 8000 PPD file from False to True) imbedded in the
data for the key "PRINTERS/queuename"?  Also, using tdbtool, I can
delete keys such as PRINTERS/queuename and SECDESC/queuename, but what
other places do references have to be deleted in order for "queuename"
to not show up?  Any help on this is appreciated, even if it is only
pointing me to some good, technical documentation of ntprinters.tdb
and the internals of printing.

Thanks,
Dennis

----- Forwarded message from Dpk <dpk at egr.msu.edu> -----

From: Dpk <dpk at egr.msu.edu>
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2003 12:09:58 -0500
To: samba at lists.samba.org
Subject: Setting "Installable Options" on printers for clients
User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.4i

I'm running Debian GNU/Linux with Samba 3.0 (package from
unstable/sid).  I've read the documentation and understand there is a
difference between the behavior of "Printing defaults" under the
"Advanced" tab and that of the "Device Settings" tab when
viewing/setting queue properties for clients.  Minus one exception, it
behaves as documented here:

http://samba.org/samba/docs/man/printing.html#id2931215

It states: "Do you see any difference in the two settings dialogs? I
do not either." However, it is different for me, one example being the
HP 8000 PS driver. The settings I can change and have affect clients
(such as orientation, and it works fine) do not include "Installable
Options" such as Duplex units and additional trays.  Changing such
options can only be performed as a print admin and only affect the
local settings, not the server.

Is there a way to configure all device modes? Using tdbtool/dump I can
see these options in ntprinters.tdb, but how to change them?  I'm fine
if I could use some utility server side to do this even, the MS GUI is
not necessary.  Currently the only way I've found to change this
behavior is to change the default values in the PPD file stored on the
server.  The obvious downside is that every printer that shares the
same PPD file will have the same installed options (duplexer,
additional trays, etc.), even though it may not.  I'm hoping for a
better solution to this.

Also, slightly less critical, yet annoying.  If I remove a printer
from both the printcap and the smb.conf, it is still available but
shows an "Error" status.  I cannot remove it, even if I add it back to
both the printcap and smb.conf file temporarily.

Any insight is appreciated.  I've been a UNIX administrator for years
and am capable and available to assist with any debugging/fixing of
these problem as well.

Thanks,
Dennis

----- End forwarded message -----



More information about the samba-technical mailing list