Plea for help: Windows/Linux interoperability diffculties

[Joel Hammer]

I would really try the simple approach. 
I would first look into the printer crashing problem by removing the
[PRINTER$] share and using the most simple printer share definition I could. 
I would make up a new smb.conf with as few items in it as possible and test
it out during a quiet time on your network.

Here is what my printer share looks like:

   [lp]
        comment = Raw Printer for Z53
        path = /tmp
        create mask = 0700
        guest ok = Yes
        hosts allow = 192.168.
        printable = Yes
        printing = lprng
#       print command = echo "Tried to print %s" > /SPOOL/junk.%s
        print command = /usr/bin/lpr -Plp %s; rm %s
        lpq command = /usr/bin/lpq -Plp
        lprm command = /usr/bin/lprm -Plp %j
        lppause command = /usr/bin/lpc hold -Plp %j
        lpresume command = /usr/bin/lpc release -Plp %j
        printer name = lp
        share modes = No 

Now, you are SURE that BSD is your printing software?
To find out what print commands your version of smbd supports, you might
find:
strings `which smbd` | grep command | less 
useful.
Thinking more about this, it is hard to understand why your windows machines
crash when they print. After all, all that the windows box is doing is
transferring the print file to a temporary file on the samba server, after
which linux takes over. You can check to see if the transfer is taking place
properly. To find out, put a bogus print command in place of lpr, like:
echo Have gotten a file %s > /tmp/message.
If the transfer has occurred, you can try printing the file with lpr
filename. NOW, it just occurs to me. You need to have two different print
queues, one for windows clients and one for linux clients, since windows
does all its own filtering and  samba just dumps the file to the printer.
Linux clients can ask the server to filter their print jobs, which
usually arrive as postscript documents at the server. 
Joel


On Sun, Nov 04, 2001 at 09:15:55AM -0800, Brad Chapman wrote:
> Mr. Hammer,
> 
> --- Joel Hammer <Joel at HammersHome.com> wrote:
> > You sound desperate so I'll throw in my simple thoughts.
> > How many machines are on your network. Do all windows clients have the same
> > trouble ? 
> 
> 	Seven. Four of them run Windows, and five of them run Linux (some
> are dualboots ;)
> 
> > Why not try upgrading to the current version of samba?
> 
> 	Upgrading the machine in question is difficult. I can try, but
> I don't want to upgrade to something which breaks everything completely.
> What is the best version of 2.2.x Samba to run?
> 
> > You have a somewhat  complicated smb.conf file. What happens when you use a
> > much
> > simpler smb.conf file? For most situation, the defaults work fine.
> 
> 	This smb.conf file is just an accumulation of tuning efforts
> for both my Linux and Windows systems. I've never had to try anything
> smaller before. But I can try.....
> 
> > Why do are you using the max connections option ?
> 
> 	Because the machine in question is not a fast one, and I would
> rather not have all the other machines crash it by attempting to connect
> at once.
> 
> > Why do you have a PRINTER$ share as well as a specific share for your laser
> > printer?
> 	
> 	In an effort to alleviate the printing instabilites on the Windows
> clients, I followed the instructions for setting up downloadable printer
> shares, thinking this would fix the problem. It didn't :(
> 
> > Why do you have BSD printing? My RH box 7.1 uses LPRng.
> 
> 	These are old, heavily modifed 6.2 boxes with the lpr spool system.
> 
> > Can the linux server print to the printer ?
> 
> 	Yes! That's the problem! When I connect to the printer share using
> smbclient and do a direct file dump (i.e. "put /etc/smb.conf"), it works!
> Using the print command also works! But whenever a Windows client attempts
> to print to that share, it starts crashing.
> 
> > You have log level of 3. What does the log show you when things are going
> > wrong?
> 
> 	Not much. Mostly errors and stuff. However, in this case there weren't
> any obvious errors......
> 
> > Joel
> > 
> > 
> > On Sun, Nov 04, 2001 at 04:44:37AM -0800, Brad Chapman wrote:
> > > Everyone,
> > > 
> > > 	I'm at the last straw. For at least 5 to 6 months I have tried to
> > > get Samba 2.0.6 and Samba 2.0.7 to interoperate with Windows 98, with only
> > > partial success. Whenever a Windows machine does an SMB query of the master
> > > browser on my network, it takes an abysmally long time to respond. Whenever
> > > a Windows machine attempts to print, it becomes unstable and starts
> > crashing.
> > > I'm attaching my smb.conf file for review.
> 
> 
> =====
> Brad Chapman
> 
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> 		   kakadu at netscape.net
> 
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