[Samba] printing from windows via smb print server

[John H Terpstra]

On Saturday 29 October 2005 19:44, Debbie Schiel wrote:
> Here's the image:
> http://www.redeemer.qld.edu.au/printer-setup.gif
>
> Hi and thanks Gary & John for your replies.
>
> I've attached an image which might help describe our setup better. My main
> problem is that I can't attach the laser printer to our PDC ('frederick'
> the file server - we've got samba running very nicely on that one) because
> it is in
> the admin block - no student access.
>
> The printer is currently attached to a winXP PC in the computer room, and
> is shared and accessible from all the RLPS workgroup student computers.
>
> What I want to do is control students' print usage and I thought the best
> way was to replace the winXP box with a fedora/cups/samba combination (box
> B from previous email) - have that server then join the RLPS domain as a
> member server
> (rather than master/controller) and then assign a quota for the printer.
>
> Your help by the way is very much appreciated - please tell me if I'm going
> about this the wrong way.
>
> John - the diagrams in your SambaByExample pdf - with a member server
> our setup
> would look like the one in chapter 4, only we don't have 500 users (we
> have 200
> users using +/- 50 PCs). In chapter 2 the diagram shows the printers linked
> to the network; our printer doesn't have a network cable, it's attached via
> usb to
> the winXP PC. Is that an issue?

You can continue to use the WinXP PC as your print server, just install a 
printer on your Samba PDC. Set it up as a CUPS remote SMB printer. It will be 
a bit messy to set this up though. You will need to figure out how to grant 
your network users permission to print to the attached printer.

I would be inclined to configure a Linux PC and attach the printer to it. Just 
set it up as a CUPS printer. There is no need to run Samba on that machine, 
as you can use the Samba PDC as a CUPS client, and then set access controls 
on the printer through Samba.

In reality though, a good network attached printer is much easier to deal 
with, and not that costly either. The cost of a good network attached printer 
would be easily repaid in hassels avoided.

>
> Also, I got stuck here (chapter 2) "All printers will be configured as DHCP
> clients. The DHCP server will assign the printer a fixed IP address by way
> of its Ethernet interface (MAC) address. See Example 2.3.2."  I don't think
> our DHCP server is aware of the printer attached to the winXP box.

Correct. Use CUPS for all the printing. So if you set it up so that the CUPS 
server on the PDC is a CUPS client via SMB, Samba can provide access control 
for you.

> Quoting Gary Dale <garydale at torfree.net>:
> > I'm a little uncertain about your question. You say you used the GUI.
> > Is this a Fedora thing or the Gnome or KDE tool? In any case, did you
> > tell it that you are using CUPS?
>
> It's a Fedora thing under /usr/bin/printconf-gui. I selected 'locally
> connected'
> and the test page prints ok. So I know the printer works from the linux
> box.
>
> > assume is the case, does CUPS have permission to use use
> > /var/spool/samba?
>
> Yes
>
> > Finally, I note in my samba config that I've got lines like:
> >  printing = cups
> >  printcap name = cups
> > I think your printcap name is the default for bsd printing. Again,
> > you can use SWAT for sharing printers.
>
> I'll give that a go. I spent the whole of yesterday and this morning on
> this and, as I'm also a teacher, I think I had better spend some time today
> doing what I'm supposed to be doing, i.e. preparing lesson plans and
> students' portfolios.
>
> Thanks again,
>
> Debbie
> --
> http://www.redeemer.qld.edu.au/

- John T.