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diff --git a/docs/htmldocs/Printing.html b/docs/htmldocs/Printing.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..6c8b196240 --- /dev/null +++ b/docs/htmldocs/Printing.html @@ -0,0 +1,408 @@ +<HTML +><HEAD +><TITLE +>Debugging Printing Problems</TITLE +><META +NAME="GENERATOR" +CONTENT="Modular DocBook HTML Stylesheet Version 1.57"></HEAD +><BODY +CLASS="ARTICLE" +BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" +TEXT="#000000" +LINK="#0000FF" +VLINK="#840084" +ALINK="#0000FF" +><DIV +CLASS="ARTICLE" +><DIV +CLASS="TITLEPAGE" +><H1 +CLASS="TITLE" +><A +NAME="PRINTING_DEBUG" +>Debugging Printing Problems</A +></H1 +><HR></DIV +><DIV +CLASS="SECT1" +><H1 +CLASS="SECT1" +><A +NAME="AEN3" +>Introduction</A +></H1 +><P +>This is a short description of how to debug printing problems with +Samba. This describes how to debug problems with printing from a SMB +client to a Samba server, not the other way around. For the reverse +see the examples/printing directory.</P +><P +>Ok, so you want to print to a Samba server from your PC. The first +thing you need to understand is that Samba does not actually do any +printing itself, it just acts as a middleman between your PC client +and your Unix printing subsystem. Samba receives the file from the PC +then passes the file to a external "print command". What print command +you use is up to you.</P +><P +>The whole things is controlled using options in smb.conf. The most +relevant options (which you should look up in the smb.conf man page) +are:</P +><P +><PRE +CLASS="PROGRAMLISTING" +> [global] + print command - send a file to a spooler + lpq command - get spool queue status + lprm command - remove a job + [printers] + path = /var/spool/lpd/samba</PRE +></P +><P +>The following are nice to know about:</P +><P +><PRE +CLASS="PROGRAMLISTING" +> queuepause command - stop a printer or print queue + queueresume command - start a printer or print queue</PRE +></P +><P +>Example:</P +><P +><PRE +CLASS="PROGRAMLISTING" +> print command = /usr/bin/lpr -r -P%p %s + lpq command = /usr/bin/lpq -P%p %s + lprm command = /usr/bin/lprm -P%p %j + queuepause command = /usr/sbin/lpc -P%p stop + queuepause command = /usr/sbin/lpc -P%p start</PRE +></P +><P +>Samba should set reasonable defaults for these depending on your +system type, but it isn't clairvoyant. It is not uncommon that you +have to tweak these for local conditions. The commands should +always have fully specified pathnames, as the smdb may not have +the correct PATH values.</P +><P +>When you send a job to Samba to be printed, it will make a temporary +copy of it in the directory specified in the [printers] section. +and it should be periodically cleaned out. The lpr -r option +requests that the temporary copy be removed after printing; If +printing fails then you might find leftover files in this directory, +and it should be periodically cleaned out. Samba used the lpq +command to determine the "job number" assigned to your print job +by the spooler.</P +><P +>The %>letter< are "macros" that get dynamically replaced with appropriate +values when they are used. The %s gets replaced with the name of the spool +file that Samba creates and the %p gets replaced with the name of the +printer. The %j gets replaced with the "job number" which comes from +the lpq output.</P +></DIV +><DIV +CLASS="SECT1" +><HR><H1 +CLASS="SECT1" +><A +NAME="AEN19" +>Debugging printer problems</A +></H1 +><P +>One way to debug printing problems is to start by replacing these +command with shell scripts that record the arguments and the contents +of the print file. A simple example of this kind of things might +be:</P +><P +><PRE +CLASS="PROGRAMLISTING" +> print command = /tmp/saveprint %p %s + + #!/bin/saveprint + # we make sure that we are the right user + /usr/bin/id -p >/tmp/tmp.print + # we run the command and save the error messages + # replace the command with the one appropriate for your system + /usr/bin/lpr -r -P$1 $2 2>>&/tmp/tmp.print</PRE +></P +><P +>Then you print a file and try removing it. You may find that the +print queue needs to be stopped in order to see the queue status +and remove the job:</P +><P +><PRE +CLASS="PROGRAMLISTING" +> h4: {42} % echo hi >/tmp/hi +h4: {43} % smbclient //localhost/lw4 +added interface ip=10.0.0.4 bcast=10.0.0.255 nmask=255.255.255.0 +Password: +Domain=[ASTART] OS=[Unix] Server=[Samba 2.0.7] +smb: \> print /tmp/hi +putting file /tmp/hi as hi-17534 (0.0 kb/s) (average 0.0 kb/s) +smb: \> queue +1049 3 hi-17534 +smb: \> cancel 1049 +Error cancelling job 1049 : code 0 +smb: \> cancel 1049 +Job 1049 cancelled +smb: \> queue +smb: \> exit</PRE +></P +><P +>The 'code 0' indicates that the job was removed. The comment +by the smbclient is a bit misleading on this. +You can observe the command output and then and look at the +/tmp/tmp.print file to see what the results are. You can quickly +find out if the problem is with your printing system. Often people +have problems with their /etc/printcap file or permissions on +various print queues.</P +></DIV +><DIV +CLASS="SECT1" +><HR><H1 +CLASS="SECT1" +><A +NAME="AEN28" +>What printers do I have?</A +></H1 +><P +>You can use the 'testprns' program to check to see if the printer +name you are using is recognized by Samba. For example, you can +use:</P +><P +><PRE +CLASS="PROGRAMLISTING" +> testprns printer /etc/printcap</PRE +></P +><P +>Samba can get its printcap information from a file or from a program. +You can try the following to see the format of the extracted +information:</P +><P +><PRE +CLASS="PROGRAMLISTING" +> testprns -a printer /etc/printcap + + testprns -a printer '|/bin/cat printcap'</PRE +></P +></DIV +><DIV +CLASS="SECT1" +><HR><H1 +CLASS="SECT1" +><A +NAME="AEN36" +>Setting up printcap and print servers</A +></H1 +><P +>You may need to set up some printcaps for your Samba system to use. +It is strongly recommended that you use the facilities provided by +the print spooler to set up queues and printcap information.</P +><P +>Samba requires either a printcap or program to deliver printcap +information. This printcap information has the format:</P +><P +><PRE +CLASS="PROGRAMLISTING" +> name|alias1|alias2...:option=value:...</PRE +></P +><P +>For almost all printing systems, the printer 'name' must be composed +only of alphanumeric or underscore '_' characters. Some systems also +allow hyphens ('-') as well. An alias is an alternative name for the +printer, and an alias with a space in it is used as a 'comment' +about the printer. The printcap format optionally uses a \ at the end of lines +to extend the printcap to multiple lines.</P +><P +>Here are some examples of printcap files:</P +><P +><P +></P +><OL +TYPE="1" +><LI +><P +>pr just printer name</P +></LI +><LI +><P +>pr|alias printer name and alias</P +></LI +><LI +><P +>pr|My Printer printer name, alias used as comment</P +></LI +><LI +><P +>pr:sh:\ Same as pr:sh:cm= testing + :cm= \ + testing</P +></LI +><LI +><P +>pr:sh Same as pr:sh:cm= testing + :cm= testing</P +></LI +></OL +></P +><P +>Samba reads the printcap information when first started. If you make +changes in the printcap information, then you must do the following:</P +><P +></P +><OL +TYPE="1" +><LI +><P +>make sure that the print spooler is aware of these changes. +The LPRng system uses the 'lpc reread' command to do this.</P +></LI +><LI +><P +>make sure that the spool queues, etc., exist and have the +correct permissions. The LPRng system uses the 'checkpc -f' +command to do this.</P +></LI +><LI +><P +>You now should send a SIGHUP signal to the smbd server to have +it reread the printcap information.</P +></LI +></OL +></DIV +><DIV +CLASS="SECT1" +><HR><H1 +CLASS="SECT1" +><A +NAME="AEN64" +>Job sent, no output</A +></H1 +><P +>This is the most frustrating part of printing. You may have sent the +job, verified that the job was forwarded, set up a wrapper around +the command to send the file, but there was no output from the printer.</P +><P +>First, check to make sure that the job REALLY is getting to the +right print queue. If you are using a BSD or LPRng print spooler, +you can temporarily stop the printing of jobs. Jobs can still be +submitted, but they will not be printed. Use:</P +><P +><PRE +CLASS="PROGRAMLISTING" +> lpc -Pprinter stop</PRE +></P +><P +>Now submit a print job and then use 'lpq -Pprinter' to see if the +job is in the print queue. If it is not in the print queue then +you will have to find out why it is not being accepted for printing.</P +><P +>Next, you may want to check to see what the format of the job really +was. With the assistance of the system administrator you can view +the submitted jobs files. You may be surprised to find that these +are not in what you would expect to call a printable format. +You can use the UNIX 'file' utitily to determine what the job +format actually is:</P +><P +><PRE +CLASS="PROGRAMLISTING" +> cd /var/spool/lpd/printer # spool directory of print jobs + ls # find job files + file dfA001myhost</PRE +></P +><P +>You should make sure that your printer supports this format OR that +your system administrator has installed a 'print filter' that will +convert the file to a format appropriate for your printer.</P +></DIV +><DIV +CLASS="SECT1" +><HR><H1 +CLASS="SECT1" +><A +NAME="AEN75" +>Job sent, strange output</A +></H1 +><P +>Once you have the job printing, you can then start worrying about +making it print nicely.</P +><P +>The most common problem is extra pages of output: banner pages +OR blank pages at the end.</P +><P +>If you are getting banner pages, check and make sure that the +printcap option or printer option is configured for no banners. +If you have a printcap, this is the :sh (suppress header or banner +page) option. You should have the following in your printer.</P +><P +><PRE +CLASS="PROGRAMLISTING" +> printer: ... :sh</PRE +></P +><P +>If you have this option and are still getting banner pages, there +is a strong chance that your printer is generating them for you +automatically. You should make sure that banner printing is disabled +for the printer. This usually requires using the printer setup software +or procedures supplied by the printer manufacturer.</P +><P +>If you get an extra page of output, this could be due to problems +with your job format, or if you are generating PostScript jobs, +incorrect setting on your printer driver on the MicroSoft client. +For example, under Win95 there is a option:</P +><P +><PRE +CLASS="PROGRAMLISTING" +> Printers|Printer Name|(Right Click)Properties|Postscript|Advanced|</PRE +></P +><P +>that allows you to choose if a Ctrl-D is appended to all jobs. +This is a very bad thing to do, as most spooling systems will +automatically add a ^D to the end of the job if it is detected as +PostScript. The multiple ^D may cause an additional page of output.</P +></DIV +><DIV +CLASS="SECT1" +><HR><H1 +CLASS="SECT1" +><A +NAME="AEN87" +>Raw PostScript printed</A +></H1 +><P +>This is a problem that is usually caused by either the print spooling +system putting information at the start of the print job that makes +the printer think the job is a text file, or your printer simply +does not support PostScript. You may need to enable 'Automatic +Format Detection' on your printer.</P +></DIV +><DIV +CLASS="SECT1" +><HR><H1 +CLASS="SECT1" +><A +NAME="AEN90" +>Advanced Printing</A +></H1 +><P +>Note that you can do some pretty magic things by using your +imagination with the "print command" option and some shell scripts. +Doing print accounting is easy by passing the %U option to a print +command shell script. You could even make the print command detect +the type of output and its size and send it to an appropriate +printer.</P +></DIV +><DIV +CLASS="SECT1" +><HR><H1 +CLASS="SECT1" +><A +NAME="AEN93" +>Real debugging</A +></H1 +><P +>If the above debug tips don't help, then maybe you need to bring in +the bug guns, system tracing. See Tracing.txt in this directory.</P +></DIV +></DIV +></BODY +></HTML +>
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