Win2k SP2 Printer problem

[Hal Vaughan]

For those who have been helping me or following the problem I've had of 
printing from Win2k (SP2) system to a printer on a Linux (Mandrake 8.1) 
server through Samba 2.2.1a, I have some good news and information that I 
hope helps other people.  At this point I have established the problem is 
NOT a printing problem.  It's a user/access problem that's connected with 
using my server as a PDC and logging on to it with the Win2k boxes.

I had replaced the print command with a cp command, to copy the file for 
later troubleshooting and to save paper while testing the system.  No 
matter what I did, I could not print from Win2k (continual "unable to 
create a print job" error messages).  I also could not see the printer 
queue ("unable to connect" error messages).  Under a previous install I 
could get both Win2k boxes to print out without any trouble.  What I did 
not realize was that was BEFORE I had set up the server to handle logons 
from Win2k boxes.

When I added the Win2k boxes to the local domain, the network ID wizard let 
me add one user to the system from the domain.  I added that user.  From 
then on, when I logged in to either Win2k box, when I logged on, I logged 
on to the domain with my "normal" user name or I logged on to the computer 
only (not through the network) as Administrator.  I had been testing the 
printers on the network account.  Since I had the same name defined locally 
on both boxes, I tried logging on to a box with the same user name, but 
instead of logging on to the network, I logged on only to the 
machine.  Then, when I tried printing, everything came out fine.

I think the entire problem was on the Win2k side -- the network user must 
not have had the authority or permissions.  I'm still checking on that, but 
right now I can verify that if I sign on to the network, I cannot 
print.  If I log on to the computer only, I can print.

If anyone can point me to documentation or info on handling Win2k users and 
their permissions on local machines when the account is on the PDC, I'd 
appreciate it.

I hope this information is helpful.  I had seen several people on 
newsgroups and other places with problems like this and, at least in this 
case, a major difference depends on whether I log on to the Linux server or 
just on the Win2k box.  I'm sure, after more work, I can work on the 
permissions and differences between network and machine logons to solve 
this.  If that info will help anyone, I can update people on what I find.

Hope this helps someone else.

Hal

"To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the sun."