Share XP's printer with Mint 10

[Den]

I have a laptop which dual boots Mint 10 with XP, I also have a desktop with XP and my Epson printer. Both are connected to my broadband via a wireless modem/router.

I can set up my laptop running XP to print on the Epson via the wireless network, however, I cannot get my laptop running Mint to print.

I've gone through the set up procedure with Mint to install network printing and have reached the stage where I have an additional icon for "Epson-Stylus-C82" showing in the "Printing - localhost" window and the window indicates "Connected to localhost". But no printing. Document status shows "Processing- Printer".

What am I overlooking here? Any help would be grafefully received.

Regards

Den

[altair4]

On the Mint machine post the output of the following command:

Code: Select all

smbtree

[Den]

On the Mint machine post the output of the following command:

Code: Select all

smbtree

Using a terminal and issuing the command smbtree I get the following:-

~ $ smbtree
The program 'smbtree' is currently not installed. You can install it by typing:
sudo apt-get install smbclient

This looks interesting, I take it I need this, anything else?

Regards

Den

[altair4]

The program 'smbtree' is currently not installed. You can install it by typing:
sudo apt-get install smbclient

That explains this phrase from your earlier post:

and the window indicates "Connected to localhost". But no printing. Document status shows "Processing- Printer"

The cups server is a strange little beast in that it allows you to add a printer that doesn't exist. You only really know that when you try to print to it. Do what the error message states and install smbclient:

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sudo apt-get install smbclient

Since smbclient wasn't installed by default you might as well see if the following are installed as well:

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sudo apt-get install libsmbclient
sudo apt-get install python-smbc

Then restart cups and samba:

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sudo service cups restart
sudo service smbd restart

[Den]

The program 'smbtree' is currently not installed. You can install it by typing:
sudo apt-get install smbclient

That explains this phrase from your earlier post:

and the window indicates "Connected to localhost". But no printing. Document status shows "Processing- Printer"

The cups server is a strange little beast in that it allows you to add a printer that doesn't exist. You only really know that when you try to print to it. Do what the error message states and install smbclient:

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install smbclient

Since smbclient wasn't installed by default you might as well see if the following are installed as well:

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install libsmbclient
sudo apt-get install python-smbc

Then restart cups and samba:

Code: Select all

sudo service cups restart
sudo service smbd restart

I have installed smbclient and all seemed to go well. Checked on Package Manager and libsmbclient and python-smbc are already installed (green icon against each).

Cups restarted ok with as follows

~ $ sudo service cups restart
cups start/running, process 7753


However smbd restart produced

~ $ sudo service smbd restart
restart: Unknown instance:

I have tried variations on this in case it was a typo as follows smb, smbc , all produced error messages.

I have logged out and back in to ensure things were running still no printing. Anything else you can suggest I'll try.

Regards

Den

[altair4]

sudo service smbd restart
restart: Unknown instance:

That means it was never started in the first place. Instead of restarting it start it:

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sudo service smbd start

Then go through the process of installing the printer again.

[Den]

sudo service smbd restart
restart: Unknown instance:

That means it was never started in the first place. Instead of restarting it start it:

Code: Select all

sudo service smbd start

Then go through the process of installing the printer again.

Tried to start smbd but it failed......as follows

~ $ sudo service smbd start
[sudo] password for denis:
start: Job failed to start

[altair4]

sudo service smbd start
[sudo] password for denis:
start: Job failed to start

I have seen that error message ( or something like it ) at startup but never from being started from a terminal. I really don't know.

It very odd that smbclient was not installed by default. It's possible that other smbclient packages where not installed either. Check to see if you have the following:

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samba-common
samba-common-bin

Either that or you have some samba4 stuff installed. Samba4 isn't ready yet so if you installed it you should remove it.

[Den]

sudo service smbd start
[sudo] password for denis:
start: Job failed to start

I have seen that error message ( or something like it ) at startup but never from being started from a terminal. I really don't know.

It very odd that smbclient was not installed by default. It's possible that other smbclient packages where not installed either. Check to see if you have the following:

Code: Select all

samba-common
samba-common-bin

Either that or you have some samba4 stuff installed. Samba4 isn't ready yet so if you installed it you should remove it.

Hi again,

I did have some SAMBA4 files installed so have removed them. Checked for
samba-common
samba-common-bin
these are installed.
Re-installed smbclient just to make sure but have the same result
smbd fails to start.

I am at a loss as to what to do next.

Regards

Den

[altair4]

There's something definitely wrong with your system if root cannot start a service. I'm just not smart enough to know what that is.

Perhaps there is a way you can bypass samba completely and connect to the Windows printer via http:

Maybe something like this?

Code: Select all

http://machine-name/Printers/Printer-name

changing the names to match your own

You would enter that in the "other" section when it asks for the URI.

[Den]

There's something definitely wrong with your system if root cannot start a service. I'm just not smart enough to know what that is.

Perhaps there is a way you can bypass samba completely and connect to the Windows printer via http:

Maybe something like this?

Code: Select all

http://machine-name/Printers/Printer-name

changing the names to match your own

You would enter that in the "other" section when it asks for the URI.

Hi again,

Well I'm printing remotely. I don't seem to have done anything shattering, since my last posting, to achieve this.

Last time I had removed all SAMBA4 files but was still getting fail to start when trying to run smbd. All I have done this time is to go through the set up procedure again as follows :-

System->Administration->Printing
Click "Add"
Expand "Network Printer"
Click "Windows Printer via SAMBA"
Click Browse and allowed the system time to find the printer by expanding each of the found items.
I them made the newly found printer my default and away it went with the test page.

Thank you for all your help and patience.

A most grateful

Den

[Packrat1947]

I know that this is a dead and old link.

I too, tried to add a printer in Mint 10. No dice; no Samba at all. I ran the command shown above:
sudo apt-get install smbclient

it installed, and then Samba showed up. The rest was easy.

That's what we like about "new and improved" Linux distros. They constantly remove vital functions and make things worse. What were they thinking?

Packrat1947