How-to: Network Printer Sharing

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altair4
Level 20
Level 20
Posts: 11426
Joined: Tue Feb 03, 2009 10:27 am

Re: How-to: Network Printer Sharing

Post by altair4 »

Note: This is a workaround for Ubuntu based Mint since it involves a modification to an Upstart script which Debian does not use.

Note2: This only involves sharing printers though Samba. It is not required for those who connect to CUPS directly.

There seems to be a reoccurring bug that shows up in every other release of Ubuntu / Mint. In one release it's not an issue in the next release it is an issue. What should happen is the CUPS service will start and provide Samba with a list of available printers. When the Samba service starts it reads that list and makes these printers available to the network. What does happen is that both services are started but in the wrong order. Samba starts first, does not see a list of printers, and then CUPS starts - but by then it's too late.

This fix will make the starting of Samba conditional on CUPS starting first:

[1] Make a backup copy of the smbd Upstart script:

Code: Select all

sudo cp /etc/init/smbd.conf /etc/init/smbd.conf.bak
[2] Edit the smbd Upstart script as root:

Code: Select all

gksu gedit /etc/init/smbd.conf
[3] Change the following line:
start on (local-filesystems and net-device-up)
To this:
start on (local-filesystems and net-device-up and started cups)
EDIT: On new systems the order of cups and net-device-up may have to be reversed:
start on (local-filesystems and started cups and net-device-up)
Last edited by altair4 on Sun Jan 12, 2014 3:44 pm, edited 4 times in total.
Please add a [SOLVED] at the end of your original subject header if your question has been answered and solved.
miklvw

Re: How-to: Network Printer Sharing

Post by miklvw »

Great tutorial Altair4.
I wasn't able to share my pdf printer and thanks to you I could do it, easy, thanks again for the time you use sharing this infos.
Still have a doubt that his melting my head,
I have 2 VM installed with linux mint13 maya, and I wish to access the web in the VM2 by the VM1, creating a internalweb with this 2 machines.
I read that creating 2 adapters in the VM1, one with NAT and the other with internalnetwork.
And in the VM2 if I create one adapter with the internalnetwork I could acess the web by using 2 Ip in which one of this adapters of internalnet.
Do you now how to Altair4?
Sharpie1

Re: How-to: Network Printer Sharing

Post by Sharpie1 »

Could I share my experience of connecting my Linux laptop to my family machine that has XP on it, called bigdell on the network and a printer attached ? I did it all before coming across this walkthrough. The inverted commas are not to be entered
The printer is shared on the network from the XP end and called "Deskjet"
I connect to the CUPS interface by typing "localhost:631/admin" into a browser
and clicked the option " Show printers shared by other systems"
then clicked the button "Add new printer"
Then clicked the button "Windows Printer via SAMBA"
then entered the URL:

Code: Select all

smb://bigdell/deskjet
substitute your windows machine name for bigdell (on the XP computer right -click My Computer and select Computer Name, the share name is under "full computer name") and your printers share name for deskjet
Give it whatever name you choose - doesnt matter
Click continue, then choose your printer driver from the list CUPS supplies
then click add printer

enjoy

Sharpie1

this was after a fair bit of trial and error and having used the Ubuntu printer control panel which was a lot simpler !
Sydney23

Re: How-to: Network Printer Sharing

Post by Sydney23 »

This is great tutorial, thanks for sharing, wish you all best! :)
Woodburner

Re: Network Printing [Solved}

Post by Woodburner »

altair4 wrote:This is a solution for one problem that has come up in the forums.

Problem:
I have a WinXP system with my printer attached to it shared. Other XP
machines can use it fine but with Mint I can connect to it and send a
test page. Then the printer starts making noise and acting like its
gonna do it, then nothing. It just sits there and I have to restart the
XP system to remove the print job.
Solution:

On the XP box:

1. Go to Control panel -> Printers & faxes
2. Right-click on Printer -> Properties -> Ports tab
3. Uncheck "enable bidirectional support"

I would make sure that printing on the WinXP that has the printer, and
that printing from other networked WinXP machines works after the
change. This also shows up in Vista.
This also applies to Windows 7 shared printers.
Xzander

Re: Network Printing

Post by Xzander »

altair4 wrote: Wed Aug 19, 2009 10:31 am This is a solution for one problem that has come up in the forums.

Problem:
I have a WinXP system with my printer attached to it shared. Other XP
machines can use it fine but with Mint I can connect to it and send a
test page. Then the printer starts making noise and acting like its
gonna do it, then nothing. It just sits there and I have to restart the
XP system to remove the print job.
Solution:

On the XP box:

1. Go to Control panel -> Printers & faxes
2. Right-click on Printer -> Properties -> Ports tab
3. Uncheck "enable bidirectional support"

I would make sure that printing on the WinXP that has the printer, and
that printing from other networked WinXP machines works after the
change. This also shows up in Vista.
I got the exact same problem with a HP Deskjet F4100 Series that was shared by a Windows 10 computer. This fixed the issue.
dhopley
Level 1
Level 1
Posts: 13
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2012 9:45 am

Re: How-to: Network Printer Sharing

Post by dhopley »

I've just bought a refurbished tower PC to replace my 2011 model , and to get my Brother DCP-197 printer/scanner working again I downloaded the Brother Linux driver set up (driver dropped By M$ since Vista !) and after finding your internet setup (wonderfully first choice as for my Linux Mint 21 Vanessa installation) , it worked like a charm and I can print easily from any device on my local network . Please continue as you seem to have done for ten years at least to allow we Linux users to support a USB plugged printer from anywhere on a local network . Thank you
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