[Samba] Automated printer driver problems

[Peter Carpenter]

To answer the easy bit first: the printer config info is stored in the .tdb
files in the $SAMBA_HOME/var/locks directory. I think the most relevant ones
are ntdrivers.tdb ntforms.tdb ntprinters.tdb share_info.tdb. I had a similar
experience to you with the "Access denied" etc messages and eventually got
it right by endless futzing around but still don't really know what produced
the breakthrough. So keep trying - it _will_ work. If you post your smb.conf
I'll see if I've got anything you haven't.

-----Original Message-----
From: A.J.Dawson [mailto:A.J.Dawson at Bradford.ac.uk]
Sent: Friday, 21 March, 2003 10:06 AM

Hi,

I am having a problem with automating the download of printer drivers from
a Samba 2.2.8 server.

We used to use the server with he following options set:

use client driver = yes
disable spoolss = yes

However these options have now been removed from smb.conf.

Following the instructions available in printer_driver2.htm (supplied in
docs/htmldocs in the source), I can add a printer driver to the samba
machine.  To do this, I created a user called 'root' on my Win2K machine,
logged on as that and then installed the driver to the server following
the instructions.

Running rpcclient server -U root%secret -c "enumdrivers" gives

session setup ok
Domain=[DOMAIN] OS=[Unix] Server=[Samba 2.2.8]

[Windows NT x86]
Printer Driver Info 1:
        Driver Name: [HP LaserJet 6P/6MP - PostScript]


Running rpcclient server -U root%secret -c "enumprinters" gives

Domain=[DOMAIN] OS=[Unix] Server=[Samba 2.2.8]
        flags:[0x800000]
        name:[\\server\Laserjet_6MP]
        description:[\\server\Laserjet_6MP,,Laserjet_6MP on server]
        comment:[Laserjet_6MP on server]

showing that no driver is associated with the printer in question.  The
driver files have appeared in /usr/local/samba/printer_drivers/W32X86
owned by the person/group of the user who uploaded them (me).

If I now attempt to view the properties of the printer on the server
(navigate to network neighbourhood -> printers -> Laserjet_6MP ->
properties), I still got the message "Device settings cannot be displayed.
The driver for the specified printer is not installed...", so the driver
is obviously not associated with the printer.

Attempting to set the driver for the printer from the drop down list
available in the 'Advanced' tab of the dialogue box and clicking 'OK'
gives me the message 'Printer settings could not be saved' and the driver
does not become associated with the printer in question.

I assume that I am doing something wrong somewhere, but I dont know where!
I suspect that it is something very simple such as a file/directory
permission problem.  Does anyone have the solution?

Do I need to run something like rpcclient server -U root%secret -c
"setdriver Laserjet_6MP \"HP LaserJet 6P/6MP - PostScript\"" to get the
server to associate the driver with the printer in question?

Also, where is the information about the drivers available for the
printers stored on the system?  I dont like the fact that I have no idea
where the information is actually stored and would like to know!
Specifically, where rpcclient gets its information from to show the
results shown above.

Regards
Andy

Dr. Andy Dawson
A.J.Dawson at Bradford.ac.uk
http://www.mossie.org
http://www.museum-explorer.org.uk