Using old machine as Print Server

[SimpleSi]

Problem.

Got a couple of new HP 1000 business inkjets - they only have USB port - tried USB printserver - won't recognise printer - googled and talked to other people and seems some HP printers (this being one of them) won't talk to anything other than HP printserver (£300).

So, could connect to my Win98 "server" but Mr Gates has crippled printing to Win98 shared printers from XP (b$%^&*d). (slows right down)

Persuing two avenues - getting a machine setp up as W2k3 server and share printer that way (and give the school a proper server)

Also, I've set up an old machine to act as a print server (Ubuntu Breezy (Dapper won't ackle - machine too old)).

All working fine at home - I can share and print from home computers.

However, if the print queue pauses - then I seem to have to un-pause it from the Ubuntu box which I can see being a problem as I wanted it to run headless sitting underneath the printer and VNC into isn't really an option for my teachers when I'm not there.

Any suggestions to auto restart queue on power cycling? (or anything else)

Or a DFA would be welcome.

regards

Simon

[Geoff]

Dapper won't ackle - machine too old

Use the server install disk.

However, if the print queue pauses - then I seem to have to un-pause it from the Ubuntu box which I can see being a problem as I wanted it to run headless sitting underneath the printer and VNC into isn't really an option for my teachers when I'm not there.

Use a passthru driver rather than the native driver for Linux with the printer. Your windows machines will be able to control/query the printer normally that way.

Any suggestions to auto restart queue on power cycling? (or anything else)

cronjob that repeatedly unpauses the queue?

[SimpleSi]

Use the server install disk.

I don't do "No GUI" anymore - too old (I ride my bike all year round to prove that I'm no quiche eater :-) )

Use a passthru driver rather than the native driver for Linux with the printer.

Where do I buy one of them from?

cronjob that repeatedly unpauses the queue?

Ooh - I vaguely remember the lecturer telling me about cronjobs on my Unix course 23 years ago - I'll see if I can find my notes :-)

regards
Simon

[Geoff]

I don't do "No GUI" anymore - too old

The LiveCD install requires a machine with 256mb or more of ram. The text server/alternate install requires one with 32mb.

If you require an 'easy' way to manage the machine. Install webmin.

Where do I buy one of them from?

Set the printer driver to 'raw'. You might also need to uncomment the line starting with 'application/octet-stream' in mime.conv and mime.types.

Ooh - I vaguely remember the lecturer telling me about cronjobs on my Unix course 23 years ago - I'll see if I can find my notes

sudo crontab -e

If you don't understand the format, have a look at the man page for crontab. There's an example right at the bottom of the page.

http://www.hmug.org/man/5/crontab.php

The actual cups command you need to unpause your printer will be something like:

accept -U username SomeQueue

Replace 'username' and 'SomeQueue' with the relevant values.

The other thing to check is that you've actually allowed samba to access cups. Check the /admin permissions in cups.conf. I have the following set.

<Location /admin>
         Order deny,allow
         Deny from all
         Allow from localhost
         AuthType Basic
         AuthClass System
         Satisfy any
</Location>

[budgester]

And of course you can always use the web interface for cups, located on port 631 on your server.

i.e. http://printeserver:631/

[SimpleSi]

@geoff
Ta for all the info.

But why does samba need access to cups. I thought cups was independant from samba. AFAIK I've didn't even install samba to get the printserver to work :?

@budgester
Just get error messages (even if trying to access it on the Ubuntu machine itself using http://localhost:631/ - I get connection refused)

regards
Simon

[Geoff]

Samba gets info from the windows clients when they try and manipluate the print queues. It has to tell CUPS what the windows clients want.

If you've not setup Samba + CUPS then this isn't ever going to work like you want.

[john]

Problem.

Got a couple of new HP 1000 business inkjets - they only have USB port - tried USB printserver - won't recognise printer - googled and talked to other people and seems some HP printers (this being one of them) won't talk to anything other than HP printserver (£300).

Are you sure about those printers? I have had sucess with them on a Netgear USB print server in a friends office. But you are right HP printers do prefer HP Print Servers, but you can use others, and TBH the cards to go in the BIJ rang are not quite £300, I thought they were more like £150, hence why I tend to get them with networking out of the box even if I don't use it. If the card is removable I remove it and keep it for a printer without etc....

[SimpleSi]

@john
Checked prices again and see that the HP USB printserver has come down - when I bought the printers (and a D-link server for £50) before the holidays they were £299 at Dabs

Couldn't send the D-link back as too long as passed!!!

I told the head at the time that I'd heard that USB printservers were a bit iffy and he decided to risk it (we'd just lost one of old 2300s RIP )

The new Business Inkjet 1000 has no removeable panel for a netcard.

I don't feel I can risk another attempt at purchasing a cheap one (Netgear) and can't justify £150 for the HP one without giving this Linux route a go first.

Some you win - some you lose

regards

Simon

[SimpleSi]

Found out the command to run the cups web interface is

http://ServerIPAddress:631/printers/NameOfPrinter

However, as usual it doesn't quite work properly (something to do with the Ubuntu using sudo and not running as root according to a bit of googling)


I've not tried setting up samba/crontab yet - I'll see what happens with a week of testing with one class and a teacher printing to it.
regards

Simon