Chapter 19. CUPS Printing Support in Samba 3.0

- The Common Unix Print System (CUPS) has become very popular. All - big Linux distributions now ship it as their default printing - system. But to many it is still a very mystical tool. Normally it - "just works" (TM). People tend to regard it as a sort of "black box", - which they don't want to look into, as long as it works OK. But once +Chapter 19. CUPS Printing Support in Samba 3.0

Chapter 19. CUPS Printing Support in Samba 3.0
Prev	Part III. Advanced Configuration	Next

Chapter 19. CUPS Printing Support in Samba 3.0

Kurt Pfeifle

Danka Deutschland GmbH

<kpfeifle@danka.de>

Ciprian Vizitiu

drawings

<CVizitiu@gbif.org>

Jelmer R. Vernooij

drawings

The Samba Team

<jelmer@samba.org>

(3 June 2003)

Table of Contents

Introduction

Features and Benefits
Overview

Basic Configuration of CUPS support

Linking of smbd with libcups.so
Simple smb.conf Settings for CUPS
More complex smb.conf Settings for +CUPS

Advanced Configuration

Central spooling vs. "Peer-to-Peer" printing
CUPS/Samba as a "spooling-only" Print Server; "raw" printing +with Vendor Drivers on Windows Clients
Driver Installation Methods on Windows Clients
Explicitly enable "raw" printing for +application/octet-stream!
Three familiar Methods for driver upload plus a new one

Using CUPS/Samba in an advanced Way -- intelligent printing +with PostScript Driver Download

GDI on Windows -- PostScript on UNIX
Windows Drivers, GDI and EMF
UNIX Printfile Conversion and GUI Basics
PostScript and Ghostscript
Ghostscript -- the Software RIP for non-PostScript Printers
PostScript Printer Description (PPD) Specification
CUPS can use all Windows-formatted Vendor PPDs
CUPS also uses PPDs for non-PostScript Printers

The CUPS Filtering Architecture

MIME types and CUPS Filters
MIME type Conversion Rules
Filter Requirements
Prefilters
pstops
pstoraster
imagetops and imagetoraster
rasterto [printers specific]
CUPS Backends
cupsomatic/Foomatic -- how do they fit into the Picture?
The Complete Picture
mime.convs
"Raw" printing
"application/octet-stream" printing
PostScript Printer Descriptions (PPDs) for non-PS Printers
Difference between cupsomatic/foomatic-rip and +native CUPS printing
Examples for filtering Chains
Sources of CUPS drivers / PPDs
Printing with Interface Scripts

Network printing (purely Windows)

From Windows Clients to an NT Print Server
Driver Execution on the Client
Driver Execution on the Server

Network Printing (Windows clients -- UNIX/Samba Print +Servers)

From Windows Clients to a CUPS/Samba Print Server
Samba receiving Jobfiles and passing them to CUPS

Network PostScript RIP: CUPS Filters on Server -- clients use +PostScript Driver with CUPS-PPDs

PPDs for non-PS Printers on UNIX
PPDs for non-PS Printers on Windows

Windows Terminal Servers (WTS) as CUPS Clients

Printer Drivers running in "Kernel Mode" cause many +Problems
Workarounds impose Heavy Limitations
CUPS: a "Magical Stone"?
PostScript Drivers with no major problems -- even in Kernel +Mode

Setting up CUPS for driver Download

cupsaddsmb: the unknown Utility
Prepare your smb.conf for cupsaddsmb
CUPS Package of "PostScript Driver for WinNT/2k/XP"
Recognize the different Driver Files
Acquiring the Adobe Driver Files
ESP Print Pro Package of "PostScript Driver for +WinNT/2k/XP"
Caveats to be considered
Benefits of using "CUPS PostScript Driver for +Windows NT/2k/XP" instead of Adobe Driver
Run "cupsaddsmb" (quiet Mode)
Run "cupsaddsmb" with verbose Output
Understanding cupsaddsmb
How to recognize if cupsaddsmb completed successfully
cupsaddsmb with a Samba PDC
cupsaddsmb Flowchart
Installing the PostScript Driver on a Client
Avoiding critical PostScript Driver Settings on the +Client

Installing PostScript Driver Files manually (using +rpcclient)

A Check of the rpcclient man Page
Understanding the rpcclient man page
Producing an Example by querying a Windows Box
What is required for adddriver and setdriver to succeed
Manual Driver Installation in 15 Steps
Troubleshooting revisited

The printing *.tdb Files

Trivial DataBase Files
Binary Format
Losing *.tdb Files
Using tdbbackup

CUPS Print Drivers from Linuxprinting.org

foomatic-rip and Foomatic explained
foomatic-rip and Foomatic-PPD Download and Installation

Page Accounting with CUPS

Setting up Quotas
Correct and incorrect Accounting
Adobe and CUPS PostScript Drivers for Windows Clients
The page_log File Syntax
Possible Shortcomings
Future Developments
Other Accounting Tools

Additional Material

Auto-Deletion or Preservation of CUPS Spool Files

CUPS Configuration Settings explained
Pre-conditions
Manual Configuration

In Case of Trouble.....

Printing from CUPS to Windows attached +Printers

More CUPS filtering Chains

Common Errors

Win9x client can't install driver
"cupsaddsmb" keeps asking for root password in + neverending loop
"cupsaddsmb" gives "No PPD file for printer..." + message while PPD file is present
Client can't connect to Samba printer
Can't reconnect to Samba under new account + from Win2K/XP
Avoid being connected to the Samba server as the + "wrong" user
Upgrading to CUPS drivers from Adobe drivers on + NT/2K/XP clients gives problems
Can't use "cupsaddsmb" on Samba server which is + a PDC
Deleted Win2K printer driver is still shown
Win2K/XP "Local Security + Policies"
WinXP clients: "Administrator can not install + printers for all local users"
"Print Change Notify" functions on + NT-clients
WinXP-SP1
Print options for all users can't be set on Win2K/XP
Most common blunders in driver + settings on Windows clients
cupsaddsmb does not work + with newly installed printer
Permissions on +/var/spool/samba/ get reset after each +reboot
Printer named "lp" +intermittently swallows jobs and spits out completely different +ones
Location of Adobe PostScript driver files necessary for "cupsaddsmb"

An Overview of the CUPS Printing Processes

Introduction

Features and Benefits

+ The Common UNIX Print System (CUPS) has become very popular. All + major Linux distributions now ship it as their default printing + system. To many it is still a very mystical tool. Mostly, it + "just works" (TM). People tend to regard it as a "black box" + which they don't want to look into, as long as it works. But once there is a little problem, they are in trouble to find out where to - start debugging it. Also, even the most recent and otherwise excellent - printed Samba documentation has only limited attention paid to CUPS - printing, leaving out important pieces or even writing plain wrong - things about it. This demands rectification. But before you dive into - this chapter, make sure that you don't forget to refer to the - "Classical Printing" chapter also. It contains a lot of information - that is relevant for CUPS too. + start debugging it. Refer to the "Classical Printing" chapter also, it + contains a lot of information that is relevant for CUPS.

CUPS sports quite a few unique and powerful features. While their basic functions may be grasped quite easily, they are also new. Because they are different from other, more traditional printing systems, it is best to try and not apply any prior knowledge about - printing upon this new system. Rather try to start understand CUPS - from the beginning. This documentation will lead you here to a - complete understanding of CUPS, if you study all of the material - contained. But lets start with the most basic things first. Maybe this - is all you need for now. Then you can skip most of the other - paragraphs. -

Overview

+ printing upon this new system. Rather, try to understand CUPS + from the beginning. This documentation will lead you to a + complete understanding of CUPS. Let's start with the most basic + things first. +

Overview

CUPS is more than just a print spooling system. It is a complete printer management system that complies with the new IPP (Internet Printing Protocol). IPP is an industry and IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) standard for network printing. Many of its functions can be managed remotely (or locally) via a web browser (giving you a - platform-independent access to the CUPS print server). In addition it - has the traditional commandline and several more modern GUI interfaces + platform-independent access to the CUPS print server). Additionally, it + has the traditional command line and several more modern GUI interfaces (GUI interfaces developed by 3rd parties, like KDE's overwhelming KDEPrint).

@@ -60,80 +65,53 @@ Problems

An Overview of the C argue that CUPS is better! In any case, let us now move on to explore how one may configure CUPS for interfacing with MS Windows print clients via Samba. -

Basic Configuration of CUPS support

- Printing with CUPS in the most basic smb.conf - setup in Samba 3.0 (as was true for 2.2.x) only needs two - settings: printing = cups and printcap - = cups. CUPS itself doesn't need a printcap file - anymore. However, the cupsd.conf configuration - file knows two related directives: they control if such a file should - be automatically created and maintained by CUPS for the convenience of - third party applications (example: Printcap - /etc/printcap and PrintcapFormat - BSD). These legacy programs often require the existence of - printcap file containing printernames or they will refuse to - print. Make sure CUPS is set to generate and maintain a printcap! For - details see man cupsd.conf and other CUPS-related - documentation, like the wealth of documents on your CUPS server +

Basic Configuration of CUPS support

+ Printing with CUPS in the most basic smb.conf setup in Samba 3.0 (as was true for 2.2.x) only needs two + settings: printing = cups and + printcap = cups. CUPS does not need a printcap file. + However, the cupsd.conf configuration file knows of two related directives that control + how such a file will be automatically created and maintained by CUPS for the convenience of third party + applications (example: Printcap /etc/printcap and PrintcapFormat BSD). + Legacy programs often require the existence of a printcap file containing printer names or they will refuse to + print. Make sure CUPS is set to generate and maintain a printcap file! For details see + man cupsd.conf and other CUPS-related documentation, like the wealth of documents on your CUPS server itself: http://localhost:631/documentation.html. -

Linking of smbd with libcups.so

- Samba has a very special relationship to CUPS. The reason is: Samba - can be compiled with CUPS library support. Most recent installations - have this support enabled, and per default CUPS linking is compiled +

Linking of smbd with libcups.so

+ Samba has a very special relationship to CUPS. Samba can be compiled with CUPS library support. + Most recent installations have this support enabled. Per default CUPS linking is compiled into smbd and other Samba binaries. Of course, you can use CUPS even if Samba is not linked against libcups.so -- but there are some differences in required or supported configuration then.

- If SAMBA is compiled against libcups, then printcap = - cups uses the CUPS API to list printers, submit jobs, - query queues, etc. Otherwise it maps to the System V commands with an - additional -oraw option for printing. On a Linux - system, you can use the ldd utility to find out - details (ldd may not be present on other OS platforms, or its function - may be embodied by a different command): -

-				transmeta:/home/kurt # ldd `which smbd`
-				libssl.so.0.9.6 => /usr/lib/libssl.so.0.9.6 (0x4002d000)
-				libcrypto.so.0.9.6 => /usr/lib/libcrypto.so.0.9.6 (0x4005a000)
-				libcups.so.2 => /usr/lib/libcups.so.2 (0x40123000)
-				[....]
-

- The line libcups.so.2 => /usr/lib/libcups.so.2 - (0x40123000) shows there is CUPS support compiled - into this version of Samba. If this is the case, and printing = cups - is set, then any otherwise manually set print command in - smb.conf is ignored. This is an - important point to remember! -

Tip

Should you require -- for any reason -- to set your own - print commands, you can still do this by setting printing = - sysv. However, you'll loose all the benefits from the - close CUPS/Samba integration. You are on your own then to manually - configure the rest of the printing system commands (most important: - print command; other commands are - lppause command, lpresume command, lpq command, lprm - command, queuepause command and queue resume - command).

Simple `smb.conf` Settings for CUPS

- To summarize, here is the simplest printing-related setup - for smb.conf to enable basic CUPS support: + When Samba is compiled against libcups, printcap = cups + uses the CUPS API to list printers, submit jobs, query queues, etc. Otherwise it maps to the System V + commands with an additional -oraw option for printing. On a Linux + system, you can use the ldd utility to find out details (ldd may not be present on + other OS platforms, or its function may be embodied by a different command):

-
-				[global]
-				load printers = yes
-				printing = cups
-				printcap name = cups
-
-				[printers]
-				comment = All Printers
-				path = /var/spool/samba
-				browseable = no
-				public = yes
-				guest ok = yes
-				writable = no
-				printable = yes
-				printer admin = root, @ntadmins
-
-

+root# ldd `which smbd` +libssl.so.0.9.6 => /usr/lib/libssl.so.0.9.6 (0x4002d000) +libcrypto.so.0.9.6 => /usr/lib/libcrypto.so.0.9.6 (0x4005a000) +libcups.so.2 => /usr/lib/libcups.so.2 (0x40123000) +[....] +

+ The line libcups.so.2 => /usr/lib/libcups.so.2 (0x40123000) shows + there is CUPS support compiled into this version of Samba. If this is the case, and printing = cups + is set, then any otherwise manually set print command in smb.conf is ignored. + This is an important point to remember! +

Tip

Should it be necessary, for any reason, to set your own print commands, you can do this by setting + printing = sysv. However, you will loose all the benefits + of tight CUPS/Samba integration. When you do this you must manually configure the printing system commands + (most important: print command; other commands are + lppause command, + lpresume command, + lpq command, + lprm command, + queuepause command and + queue resume command).

Simple `smb.conf` Settings for CUPS

+ To summarize, here is the simplest printing-related setup for smb.conf to enable basic CUPS support: +

Example 19.1. Simplest printing-related smb.conf

[global]

load printers = yes

printing = cups

printcap name = cups

[printers]

comment = All Printers

path = /var/spool/samba

browseable = no

public = yes

guest ok = yes

writable = no

printable = yes

printer admin = root, @ntadmins

This is all you need for basic printing setup for CUPS. It will print all Graphic, Text, PDF and PostScript file submitted from Windows clients. However, most of your Windows users would not know how to @@ -148,67 +126,29 @@ Problems

An Overview of the C printer is not a PostScript device, the print data stream is "binary", sensible only for the target printer. Read on to learn which problem this may cause and how to avoid it. -

More complex `smb.conf` Settings for +

More complex `smb.conf` Settings for CUPS

Here is a slightly more complex printing-related setup for smb.conf. It enables general CUPS printing support for all printers, but defines one printer share which is set up differently. -

-
- [global]
-         printing = cups
-         printcap name = cups
-         load printers = yes
-
- [printers]
-         comment = All Printers
-         path = /var/spool/samba
-         public = yes
-         guest ok = yes
-         writable = no
-         printable = yes
-         printer admin = root, @ntadmins
- 
- [special_printer]
-         comment = A special printer with his own settings
-         path = /var/spool/samba-special
-         printing = sysv
-         printcap = lpstat
-         print command = echo "NEW: `date`: printfile %f" >> /tmp/smbprn.log ;\
-                         echo "     `date`: p-%p s-%s f-%f" >> /tmp/smbprn.log ;\
-                         echo "     `date`: j-%j J-%J z-%z c-%c" >> /tmp/smbprn.log :\
-                         rm %f
-         public = no
-         guest ok = no
-         writeable = no
-         printable = yes
-         printer admin = kurt
-         hosts deny = 0.0.0.0
-         hosts allow = turbo_xp, 10.160.50.23, 10.160.51.60
-
-

-This special share is only there for my testing purposes. It doesn't -even write the print job to a file. It just logs the job parameters -known to Samba into the /tmp/smbprn.log file and -deletes the jobfile. Moreover, the printer -admin of this share is "kurt" (not the "@ntadmins" group); -guest access is not allowed; the share isn't announced in Network -Neighbourhood (so you need to know it is there), and it is only -allowing access from three hosts. To prevent CUPS kicking in and -taking over the print jobs for that share, we need to set -printing = sysv and printcap = -lpstat. -

Advanced Configuration

-Before we dive into all the configuration options, let's clarify a few +

Example 19.2. Overriding global CUPS settings for one printer

[global]

printing = cups

printcap name = cups

load printers = yes

[printers]

comment = All Printers

path = /var/spool/samba

public = yes

guest ok = yes

writable = no

printable = yes

printer admin = root, @ntadmins

[special_printer]

comment = A special printer with his own settings

path = /var/spool/samba-special

printing = sysv

printcap = lpstat

print command = echo "NEW: `date`: printfile %f" >> /tmp/smbprn.log ; \

echo " `date`: p-%p s-%s f-%f" >> /tmp/smbprn.log ; \

echo " `date`: j-%j J-%J z-%z c-%c" >> /tmp/smbprn.log : rm %f

public = no

guest ok = no

writeable = no

printable = yes

printer admin = kurt

hosts deny = 0.0.0.0

hosts allow = turbo_xp, 10.160.50.23, 10.160.51.60

+This special share is only there for testing purposes. It does not write the print job to a file. It just logs the job parameters +known to Samba into the /tmp/smbprn.log file and deletes the jobfile. Moreover, the +printer admin of this share is "kurt" (not the "@ntadmins" group); +guest access is not allowed; the share isn not published to the Network Neighbourhood (so you need to know it is there), and it only +allows access from only three hosts. To prevent CUPS kicking in and taking over the print jobs for that share, we need to set +printing = sysv and +printcap = lpstat. +

Advanced Configuration

+Before we delve into all the configuration options, let us clarify a few points. Network printing needs to be organized and setup correctly. Often this is not done correctly. Legacy systems -or small LANs in business environments often lack a clear design and -good housekeeping. -

Central spooling vs. "Peer-to-Peer" printing

+or small business LAN environments often lack design and good housekeeping. +

Central spooling vs. "Peer-to-Peer" printing

Many small office or home networks, as well as badly organized larger environments, allow each client a direct access to available network -printers. Generally, this is a bad idea. It often blocks one client's +printers. This is generally a bad idea. It often blocks one client's access to the printer when another client's job is printing. It also might freeze the first client's application while it is waiting to get rid of the job. Also, there are frequent complaints about various jobs @@ -217,18 +157,18 @@ is the usage of a "print server": it routes all jobs through one central system, which responds immediately, takes jobs from multiple concurrent clients at the same time and in turn transfers them to the printer(s) in the correct order. -

CUPS/Samba as a "spooling-only" Print Server; "raw" printing -with Vendor Drivers on Windows Clients

-Most traditionally configured Unix print servers acting on behalf of +

CUPS/Samba as a "spooling-only" Print Server; "raw" printing +with Vendor Drivers on Windows Clients

+Most traditionally configured UNIX print servers acting on behalf of Samba's Windows clients represented a really simple setup. Their only task was to manage the "raw" spooling of all jobs handed to them by Samba. This approach meant that the Windows clients were expected to -prepare the print job file in such a way that it became fit to be fed to -the printing device. Here a native (vendor-supplied) Windows printer +prepare the print job file that it s ready to be sent to the printing +device. Here a native (vendor-supplied) Windows printer driver for the target device needed to be installed on each and every client.

-Of course you can setup CUPS, Samba and your Windows clients in the +It is possible to configure CUPS, Samba and your Windows clients in the same, traditional and simple way. When CUPS printers are configured for RAW print-through mode operation it is the responsibility of the Samba client to fully render the print job (file). The file must be @@ -236,21 +176,23 @@ sent in a format that is suitable for direct delivery to the printer. Clients need to run the vendor-provided drivers to do this. In this case CUPS will NOT do any print file format conversion work. -

Driver Installation Methods on Windows Clients

The printer drivers on the Windows clients may be installed in two functionally different ways:

manually install the drivers locally on each client, one by one; this yields the old LanMan style printing; it uses a \\sambaserver\printershare -type of connection.
deposit and prepare the drivers (for later download) on +type of connection.
+ + deposit and prepare the drivers (for later download) on the print server (Samba); this enables the clients to use -"Point'n'Print" to get drivers semi-automatically installed the +"Point and Print" to get drivers semi-automatically installed the first time they access the printer; with this method NT/2K/XP clients use the SPOOLSS/MS-RPC type printing calls.

The second method is recommended for use over the first. -

Explicitly enable "raw" printing for -application/octet-stream!

Explicitly enable "raw" printing for +application/octet-stream!

If you use the first option (drivers are installed on the client side), there is one setting to take care of: CUPS needs to be told that it should allow "raw" printing of deliberate (binary) file @@ -263,16 +205,12 @@ be uncommented to allow RAW mode operation. In/etc/cups/mime.types make sure this line is present:

-
  application/octet-stream
-

In /etc/cups/mime.convs, have this line: -

-
+
  application/octet-stream   application/vnd.cups-raw   0   - 
-
 

 If these two files are not set up correctly for raw Windows client
 printing, you may encounter the dreaded Unable to
@@ -281,7 +219,7 @@ convert file 0 in your CUPS error_log file.
 mime.types file does not
 enforce "raw" printing, it only
 allows it.
-

Background. +

Background. CUPS being a more security-aware printing system than traditional ones does not by default allow a user to send deliberate (possibly binary) data to printing devices. This could be easily abused to launch a @@ -298,7 +236,7 @@ This is all you need to know to get the CUPS/Samba combo printing locally installed. If you are not interested in background information about more advanced CUPS/Samba printing, simply skip the remaining sections of this chapter. -

Three familiar Methods for driver upload plus a new one

If you want to use the MS-RPC type printing, you must upload the drivers onto the Samba server first ([print$] share). For a discussion on how to deposit printer drivers on the @@ -306,23 +244,25 @@ Samba host (so that the Windows clients can download and use them via "Point'n'Print") please also refer to the previous chapter of this HOWTO Collection. There you will find a description or reference to three methods of preparing the client drivers on the Samba server: -

the GUI, "Add Printer Wizard" +
- the GUI, "Add Printer Wizard" upload-from-a-Windows-client method;
- the commandline, "smbclient/rpcclient" upload-from-a-UNIX-workstation -method;
- the Imprints Toolset +method;
- + + the Imprints Toolset method.
These 3 methods apply to CUPS all the same. A new and more convenient way to load the Windows drivers into Samba is provided -provided if you use CUPS: -
- the cupsaddsmb +if you use CUPS: +
  - the cupsaddsmb utility.
  cupsaddsmb is discussed in much detail further below. But we will first explore the CUPS filtering system and compare the Windows and UNIX printing architectures. -

Using CUPS/Samba in an advanced Way -- intelligent printing -with PostScript Driver Download

-Still reading on? Good. Let's go into more detail then. We now know +

Using CUPS/Samba in an advanced Way -- intelligent printing +with PostScript Driver Download

+Are you still following this? Good. Let's go into more detail then. We now know how to set up a "dump" printserver, that is, a server which is spooling printjobs "raw", leaving the print data untouched.

@@ -343,13 +283,13 @@ server meeting these requirements, you'll first need to learn about how CUPS works and how you can enable its features.

What follows is the comparison of some fundamental concepts for -Windows and Unix printing; then is the time for a description of the +Windows and UNIX printing; then is the time for a description of the CUPS filtering system, how it works and how you can tweak it. -

GDI on Windows -- PostScript on Unix

GDI on Windows -- PostScript on UNIX

Network printing is one of the most complicated and error-prone day-to-day tasks any user or an administrator may encounter. This is true for all OS platforms. And there are reasons for this. -

You can't expect for most file formats to just throw them towards printers and they get printed. There needs to be a file format conversion in between. The problem is: there is no common standard for @@ -361,7 +301,7 @@ into semi-official "standards", by being the most widely used PDLs many manufacturers who "roll their own" (their reasons may be unacceptable license fees for using printer-embedded PostScript interpreters, etc.). -

Windows Drivers, GDI and EMF

In Windows OS, the format conversion job is done by the printer drivers. On MS Windows OS platforms all application programmers have at their disposal a built-in API, the GDI (Graphical Device @@ -378,16 +318,17 @@ the GDI, produces often a file format called EMF (Enh MetaFile). The EMF is processed by the printer driver and converted to the printer-specific file format.

Note

+ To the GDI foundation in MS Windows, Apple has chosen to put paper and screen output on a common foundation for their -(BSD-Unix-based, did you know??) Mac OS X and Darwin Operating -Systems.Their Core Graphic Engine uses a -PDF derivate for all display work. +(BSD-UNIX-based, did you know??) Mac OS X and Darwin Operating +Systems. Their Core Graphic Engine uses a +PDF derivative for all display work.

Figure 19.1. Windows Printing to a local Printer

Unix Printfile Conversion and GUI Basics

-In Unix and Linux, there is no comparable layer built into the OS +

Figure 19.1. Windows Printing to a local Printer

UNIX Printfile Conversion and GUI Basics

+In UNIX and Linux, there is no comparable layer built into the OS kernel(s) or the X (screen display) server. Every application is responsible for itself to create its print output. Fortunately, most use PostScript. That gives at least some common ground. Unfortunately, @@ -406,7 +347,7 @@ ready for prime time.) You can see this unfavorable inheritance up to the present day by looking into the various "font" directories on your system; there are separate ones for fonts used for X display and fonts to be used on paper. -
Background. +
Background. The PostScript programming language is an "invention" by Adobe Inc., but its specifications have been published to the full. Its strength lies in its powerful abilities to describe graphical objects (fonts, @@ -422,9 +363,9 @@ form and you will be reading its PostScript code, the language instructions which need to be interpreted by a rasterizer. Rasterizers produce pixel images, which may be displayed on screen by a viewer program or on paper by a printer. -

PostScript and Ghostscript

-So, Unix is lacking a common ground for printing on paper and -displaying on screen. Despite this unfavorable legacy for Unix, basic +

PostScript and Ghostscript

+So, UNIX is lacking a common ground for printing on paper and +displaying on screen. Despite this unfavorable legacy for UNIX, basic printing is fairly easy: if you have PostScript printers at your disposal! The reason is: these devices have a built-in PostScript language "interpreter", also called a Raster Image @@ -434,33 +375,35 @@ spit out your printed pages. Their RIP is doing all the hard work of converting the PostScript drawing commands into a bitmap picture as you see it on paper, in a resolution as done by your printer. This is no different to PostScript printing of a file from a Windows origin. -
Note
Traditional Unix programs and printing systems -- while +
Note
+ +Traditional UNIX programs and printing systems -- while using PostScript -- are largely not PPD-aware. PPDs are "PostScript Printer Description" files. They enable you to specify and control all options a printer supports: duplexing, stapling, punching... Therefore -Unix users for a long time couldn't choose many of the supported +UNIX users for a long time couldn't choose many of the supported device and job options, unlike Windows or Apple users. But now there -is CUPS.... ;-) +is CUPS....
-
Figure 19.2. Printing to a Postscript Printer
-
+
Figure 19.2. Printing to a Postscript Printer
+
However, there are other types of printers out there. These don't know how to print PostScript. They use their own Page Description Language (PDL, often proprietary). To print to them is much -more demanding. Since your Unix applications mostly produce +more demanding. Since your UNIX applications mostly produce PostScript, and since these devices don't understand PostScript, you need to convert the printfiles to a format suitable for your printer on the host, before you can send it away. -
Ghostscript -- the Software RIP for non-PostScript Printers
+
Ghostscript -- the Software RIP for non-PostScript Printers
Here is where Ghostscript kicks in. Ghostscript is the traditional (and quite powerful) PostScript interpreter used on -Unix platforms. It is a RIP in software, capable to do a +UNIX platforms. It is a RIP in software, capable to do a lot of file format conversions, for a very broad spectrum of hardware devices as well as software file formats. Ghostscript technology and drivers is what enables PostScript printing to non-PostScript hardware.
-
Figure 19.3. Ghostscript as a RIP for non-postscript printers
+
Figure 19.3. Ghostscript as a RIP for non-postscript printers

Tip
Use the "gs -h" command to check for all built-in "devices" of your Ghostscript version. If you specify e.g. a parameter of @@ -473,12 +416,12 @@ intervals, now by artofcode LLC. They are initially put under the "AFPL" license, but re-released under the GNU GPL as soon as the next AFPL version appears. GNU Ghostscript is probably the version installed on most Samba systems. But it has got some -deficiencies. Therefore ESP Ghostscript was developed as an +deficiencies. Therefore ESP Ghostscript was developed as an enhancement over GNU Ghostscript, with lots of bug-fixes, additional devices and improvements. It is jointly maintained by developers from CUPS, Gimp-Print, MandrakeSoft, SuSE, RedHat and Debian. It includes the "cups" device (essential to print to non-PS printers from CUPS). -
PostScript Printer Description (PPD) Specification
+

PostScript Printer Description (PPD) Specification

While PostScript in essence is a Page Description Language (PDL) to represent the page layout in a device independent way, real world print jobs are @@ -504,15 +447,16 @@ user selections are somehow written (in the form of special PostScript, PJL, JCL or vendor-dependent commands) into the PostScript file created by the driver.
Warning
+ A PostScript file that was created to contain device-specific commands for achieving a certain print job output (e.g. duplexed, stapled and punched) on a specific target machine, may not print as expected, or may not be printable at all on other models; it also may not be fit for further processing by software (e.g. by a PDF distilling program). -

CUPS can use all Windows-formatted Vendor PPDs

CUPS can handle all spec-compliant PPDs as supplied by the manufacturers for their PostScript models. Even if a -Unix/Linux-illiterate vendor might not have mentioned our favorite +UNIX/Linux-illiterate vendor might not have mentioned our favorite OS in his manuals and brochures -- you can safely trust this: if you get hold of the Windows NT version of the PPD, you can use it unchanged in CUPS and thus access the full @@ -524,6 +468,8 @@ immediately. CUPS in all versions after 1.1.19 has a much more strict internal PPD parsing and checking code enabled; in case of printing trouble this online resource should be one of your first pitstops.

Warning

+ + For real PostScript printers don't use the Foomatic or cupsomatic PPDs from Linuxprinting.org. With these devices the original @@ -536,7 +482,7 @@ your LAN has the PostScript driver installed, just use access the Windows directory where all printer driver files are stored. First look in the W32X86/2 subdir for the PPD you are seeking. -

CUPS also uses PPDs for non-PostScript Printers

CUPS also uses specially crafted PPDs to handle non-PostScript printers. These PPDs are usually not available from the vendors (and no, you can't just take the PPD of a Postscript printer with the same @@ -544,7 +490,7 @@ model name and hope it works for the non-PostScript version too). To understand how these PPDs work for non-PS printers we first need to dive deeply into the CUPS filtering and file format conversion architecture. Stay tuned. -

The CUPS Filtering Architecture

The core of the CUPS filtering system is based on Ghostscript. In addition to Ghostscript, CUPS uses some other filters of its own. You (or your OS vendor) may have @@ -570,23 +516,27 @@ Make sure your Ghostscript version has the "cups" device compiled in may encounter the dreaded Unable to convert file 0 in your CUPS error_log file. To have "cups" as a device in your Ghostscript, you either need to patch GNU -Ghostscript and re-compile or use ESP Ghostscript. The +Ghostscript and re-compile or use ESP Ghostscript. The superior alternative is ESP Ghostscript: it supports not just CUPS, but 300 other devices too (while GNU Ghostscript supports only about 180). Because of this broad output device support, ESP Ghostscript is the first choice for non-CUPS spoolers too. It is now recommended by Linuxprinting.org for all spoolers.

+ + CUPS printers may be setup to use external rendering paths. One of the most common ones is provided by the Foomatic/cupsomatic concept, from Linuxprinting.org. This uses the classical Ghostscript approach, doing everything in one step. It doesn't use the "cups" device, but one of the many others. However, even for Foomatic/cupsomatic usage, best results and + broadest printer model support is provided by ESP Ghostscript (more about cupsomatic/Foomatic, particularly the new version called now foomatic-rip, follows below). -

MIME types and CUPS Filters

+ CUPS reads the file /etc/cups/mime.types (and all other files carrying a *.types suffix in the same directory) upon startup. These files contain the MIME @@ -595,10 +545,10 @@ auto-typing routines. The rule syntax is explained in the man page for mime.types and in the comments section of the mime.types file itself. A simple rule reads like this: +

-
  application/pdf         pdf string(0,%PDF)
-

This means: if a filename has either a .pdf suffix, or if the magic @@ -607,9 +557,7 @@ beginning of the file itself (offset 0 from the start), then it is a PDF file (application/pdf). Another rule is this:

-
  application/postscript  ai eps ps string(0,%!) string(0,<04>%!)
-

Its meaning: if the filename has one of the suffixes .ai, .eps, @@ -639,7 +587,7 @@ CUPS can handle ASCII text, HP-GL, PDF, PostScript, DVI and a lot of image formats (GIF. PNG, TIFF, JPEG, Photo-CD, SUN-Raster, PNM, PBM, SGI-RGB and some more) and their associated MIME types with its filters. -

MIME type Conversion Rules

CUPS reads the file /etc/cups/mime.convs (and all other files named with a *.convs suffix in the same directory) upon startup. These files contain @@ -648,39 +596,31 @@ conversion filter which can produce the output from the input type and virtual costs associated with this conversion. One example line reads like this:
- application/pdf application/postscript 33 pdftops -
This means that the pdftops filter will take application/pdf as input and produce application/postscript as output, the virtual cost of this operation is 33 CUPS-$. The next filter is more expensive, costing 66 CUPS-$: -
- +
application/vnd.hp-HPGL application/postscript 66 hpgltops -
This is the hpgltops, which processes HP-GL plotter files to PostScript. -
- +
application/octet-stream -
Here are two more examples: -
- +
application/x-shell application/postscript 33 texttops text/plain application/postscript 33 texttops -
The last two examples name the texttops filter to work on "text/plain" as well as on "application/x-shell". (Hint: this differentiation is needed for the syntax highlighting feature of "texttops"). -

Filter Requirements

There are many more combinations named in mime.convs. However, you are not limited to use the ones pre-defined there. You can plug in any filter you like into the CUPS framework. It must meet, or must be made @@ -696,13 +636,13 @@ filenames or stdin as input and write to printer job user title copies options [filename]
Printer
The name of the printer queue (normally this is the name of the filter being run)
job
The numeric job ID for the job being -printed
Printer
The string from the originating-user-name -attribute
Printer
The string from the job-name attribute
Printer
The numeric value from the number-copies -attribute
Printer
The job options
Printer
(Optionally) The print request file (if missing, +printed
user
The string from the originating-user-name +attribute
title
The string from the job-name attribute
copies
The numeric value from the number-copies +attribute
options
The job options
filename
(Optionally) The print request file (if missing, filters expected data fed through stdin). In most cases it is very easy to write a simple wrapper script around existing -filters to make them work with CUPS.

Prefilters

-As was said, PostScript is the central file format to any Unix based +filters to make them work with CUPS.

Prefilters

+As was said, PostScript is the central file format to any UNIX based printing system. From PostScript, CUPS generates raster data to feed non-PostScript printers.
@@ -719,8 +659,8 @@ MIME type application/vnd.cups-postscript (not application/postscript), meaning it has the print options already embedded into the file.
-
Figure 19.4. Prefiltering in CUPS to form Postscript
-

pstops

Figure 19.4. Prefiltering in CUPS to form Postscript

pstops

pstopsis the filter to convert application/postscript to application/vnd.cups-postscript. It was said @@ -728,7 +668,7 @@ above that this filter inserts all device-specific print options (commands to the printer to ask for the duplexing of output, or stapling an punching it, etc.) into the PostScript file.

Figure 19.5. Adding Device-specific Print Options

This is not all: other tasks performed by it are:

@@ -740,7 +680,7 @@ putting 2 or more logical pages on one sheet of paper (the so-called "number-up" function)
counting the pages of the job to insert the accounting information into the /var/log/cups/page_log -

pstoraster

pstoraster is at the core of the CUPS filtering system. It is responsible for the first stage of the rasterization process. Its input is of MIME type application/vnd.cups-postscript; @@ -749,20 +689,20 @@ yet meant to be printable. Its aim is to serve as a general purpose input format for more specialized raster drivers, that are able to generate device-specific printer data.

Figure 19.6. Postscript to intermediate Raster format

CUPS raster is a generic raster format with powerful features. It is able to include per-page information, color profiles and more to be used by the following downstream raster drivers. Its MIME type is registered with IANA and its specification is of course completely open. It is designed to make it very easy and inexpensive for -manufacturers to develop Linux and Unix raster drivers for their +manufacturers to develop Linux and UNIX raster drivers for their printer models, should they choose to do so. CUPS always takes care for the first stage of rasterization so these vendors don't need to care about Ghostscript complications (in fact, there is currently more than one vendor financing the development of CUPS raster drivers).

Figure 19.7. CUPS-raster production using Ghostscript

CUPS versions before version 1.1.15 were shipping a binary (or source code) standalone filter, named "pstoraster". pstoraster was derived @@ -776,7 +716,7 @@ integrated back into Ghostscript (now based on GNU Ghostscript version parameter. If your Ghostscript doesn't show a success on asking for gs -h |grep cups, you might not be able to print. Update your Ghostscript then! -

imagetops and imagetoraster

Above in the section about prefilters, we mentioned the prefilter that generates PostScript from image formats. The imagetoraster filter is used to convert directly from image to raster, without the @@ -784,13 +724,13 @@ intermediate PostScript stage. It is used more often than the above mentioned prefilters. Here is a summarizing flowchart of image file filtering:

Figure 19.8. Image format to CUPS-raster format conversion

rasterto [printers specific]

Figure 19.8. Image format to CUPS-raster format conversion

rasterto [printers specific]

CUPS ships with quite some different raster drivers processing CUPS raster. On my system I find in /usr/lib/cups/filter/ these: -rastertoalps, rastertobj, rastertoepson, rastertoescp, -rastertopcl, rastertoturboprint, rastertoapdk, rastertodymo, -rastertoescp, rastertohp and +rastertoalps, rastertobj, rastertoepson, rastertoescp, +rastertopcl, rastertoturboprint, rastertoapdk, rastertodymo, +rastertoescp, rastertohp and rastertoprinter. Don't worry if you have less than this; some of these are installed by commercial add-ons to CUPS (like rastertoturboprint), others (like @@ -798,8 +738,8 @@ than this; some of these are installed by commercial add-ons to CUPS development projects (such as Gimp-Print) wanting to cooperate as closely as possible with CUPS.

Figure 19.9. Raster to Printer Specific formats

CUPS Backends

Figure 19.9. Raster to Printer Specific formats

CUPS Backends

The last part of any CUPS filtering chain is a "backend". Backends are special programs that send the print-ready file to the final device. There is a separate backend program for any transfer @@ -854,7 +794,7 @@ This backend sends printfiles to printers shared by a Windows host. An example for CUPS device-URIs to use are: smb://workgroup/server/printersharename Or -Smb://server/printersharename +smb://server/printersharename or smb://username:password@workgroup/server/printersharename or @@ -880,13 +820,11 @@ printername). Not all of the mentioned backends may be present on your system or usable (depending on your hardware configuration). One test for all available CUPS backends is provided by the lpinfo -utility. Used with the -v parameter, it lists +utility. Used with the -v parameter, it lists all available backends:

-
- lpinfo -v
-
-

cupsomatic/Foomatic -- how do they fit into the Picture?

+$ lpinfo -v +

cupsomatic/Foomatic -- how do they fit into the Picture?

"cupsomatic" filters may be the most widely used on CUPS installations. You must be clear about the fact that these were not developed by the CUPS people. They are a "Third Party" add-on to @@ -900,9 +838,7 @@ Printer & Driver Database at Linuxprinting.org. You can recognize these PPDs from the line calling the cupsomatic filter:
- *cupsFilter: "application/vnd.cups-postscript 0 cupsomatic" -
This line you may find amongst the first 40 or so lines of the PPD file. If you have such a PPD installed, the printer shows up in the @@ -911,7 +847,7 @@ the driver description. cupsomatic is a Perl script that runs Ghostscript, with all the complicated commandline options auto-constructed from the selected PPD and commandline options give to the printjob. -
+
However, cupsomatic is now deprecated. Its PPDs (especially the first generation of them, still in heavy use out there) are not meeting the Adobe specifications. You might also suffer difficulties when you try @@ -936,11 +872,11 @@ print-options from page to page, in the middle of a job. And the best thing is: the new foomatic-rip now works seamlessly with all legacy spoolers too (like LPRng, BSD-LPD, PDQ, PPR etc.), providing for them access to use PPDs for their printing! -

The Complete Picture

If you want to see an overview over all the filters and how they relate to each other, the complete picture of the puzzle is at the end of this document. -

`mime.convs`

CUPS auto-constructs all possible filtering chain paths for any given MIME type, and every printer installed. But how does it decide in favor or against a specific alternative? (There may often be cases, @@ -957,7 +893,7 @@ cost. This is a very efficient way to limit the load of any CUPS server by setting an appropriate "FilterLimit" value. A FilterLimit of 200 allows roughly 1 job at a time, while a FilterLimit of 1000 allows approximately 5 jobs maximum at a time. -

PPD file	Printer type
deskjet.ppd	older HP inkjet printers and compatible
deskjet2.ppd	newer HP inkjet printers and compatible
dymo.ppd	label printers
epson9.ppd	Epson 24pin impact printers and compatible
epson24.ppd	Epson 24pin impact printers and compatible
okidata9.ppd	Okidata 9pin impact printers and compatible
okidat24.ppd	Okidata 24pin impact printers and compatible
stcolor.ppd	older Epson Stylus Color printers
stcolor2.ppd	newer Epson Stylus Color printers
stphoto.ppd	older Epson Stylus Photo printers
stphoto2.ppd	newer Epson Stylus Photo printers
laserjet.ppd	all PCL printers. Further below is a discussion of several other driver/PPD-packages suitable for use with CUPS.

Assume your want to print the same filter to an USB-connected Epson Stylus Photo printer, installed with the CUPS stphoto2.ppd. The first few filtering stages @@ -1179,45 +1093,43 @@ does its work (as is indicated in the printer's PPD), creating the printer-specific raster data and embedding any user-selected print-options into the print data stream;

Network printing (purely Windows)

Network printing covers a lot of ground. To understand what exactly goes on with Samba when it is printing on behalf of its Windows clients, let's first look at a "purely Windows" setup: Windows clients with a Windows NT print server. -

From Windows Clients to an NT Print Server

Windows clients printing to an NT-based print server have two options. They may -

execute the driver locally and render the GDI output +
execute the driver locally and render the GDI output (EMF) into the printer specific format on their own, or
send the GDI output (EMF) to the server, where the driver is executed to render the printer specific output.
Both print paths are shown in the flowcharts below. -

Driver Execution on the Client

In the first case the print server must spool the file as "raw", meaning it shouldn't touch the jobfile and try to convert it in any -way. This is what traditional Unix-based print server can do too; and +way. This is what traditional UNIX-based print server can do too; and at a better performance and more reliably than NT print server. This is what most Samba administrators probably are familiar with. One advantage of this setup is that this "spooling-only" print server may -be used even if no driver(s) for Unix are available it is sufficient +be used even if no driver(s) for UNIX are available it is sufficient to have the Windows client drivers available and installed on the clients.

Figure 19.11. Print Driver execution on the Client

Driver Execution on the Server

Figure 19.13. Print Driver execution on the Client

Driver Execution on the Server

The other path executes the printer driver on the server. The clients transfers print files in EMF format to the server. The server uses the PostScript, PCL, ESC/P or other driver to convert the EMF file into -the printer-specific language. It is not possible for Unix to do the +the printer-specific language. It is not possible for UNIX to do the same. Currently there is no program or method to convert a Windows -client's GDI output on a Unix server into something a printer could +client's GDI output on a UNIX server into something a printer could understand.
-
Figure 19.12. Print Driver execution on the Server
+
Figure 19.14. Print Driver execution on the Server

However, there is something similar possible with CUPS. Read on... -

Network Printing (Windows clients -- UNIX/Samba Print +

Network Printing (Windows clients -- UNIX/Samba Print Servers)

Since UNIX print servers cannot execute the Win32 program code on their platform, the picture is somewhat different. However, this doesn't limit your options all that much. In the contrary, you may have a way here to implement printing features which are not possible otherwise. -

From Windows Clients to a CUPS/Samba Print Server

Here is a simple recipe showing how you can take advantage of CUPS powerful features for the benefit of your Windows network printing clients: @@ -1296,12 +1207,11 @@ printer is a non-PostScript model. It also requires that you have a "driver" on the CUPS server.

Firstly, to enable CUPS based printing through Samba the -following options should be set in your smb.conf file [globals] +following options should be set in your smb.conf file [global] section: -

printing = CUPS
printcap = CUPS

printing = cups
printcap = cups

When these parameters are specified, all manually set print directives -(like print command =..., or lppause -command =...) in smb.conf (as well as +(like print command, or lppause command) in smb.conf (as well as in samba itself) will be ignored. Instead, Samba will directly interface with CUPS through it's application program interface (API) - as long as Samba has been compiled with CUPS library (libcups) @@ -1310,12 +1220,12 @@ other print commands are set up, then printing will use the System V AT&T command set, with the -oraw option automatically passing through (if you want your own defined print commands to work with a Samba that has CUPS support compiled in, -simply use printing = sysv). +simply use printing = sysv).

Figure 19.13. Printing via CUPS/samba server

Samba receiving Jobfiles and passing them to CUPS

Figure 19.15. Printing via CUPS/samba server

Samba receiving Jobfiles and passing them to CUPS

Samba must use its own spool directory (it is set -by a line similar to path = /var/spool/samba, +by a line similar to path = /var/spool/samba, in the [printers] or [printername] section of smb.conf). Samba receives the job in its own @@ -1331,8 +1241,8 @@ A Windows user authenticates only to Samba (by whatever means is configured). If Samba runs on the same host as CUPS, you only need to allow "localhost" to print. If they run on different machines, you need to make sure the Samba host gets access to printing on CUPS. -

Network PostScript RIP: CUPS Filters on Server -- clients use -PostScript Driver with CUPS-PPDs

Network PostScript RIP: CUPS Filters on Server -- clients use +PostScript Driver with CUPS-PPDs

PPDs can control all print device options. They are usually provided by the manufacturer; if you own a PostScript printer, that is. PPD files (PostScript Printer Descriptions) are always a component of @@ -1351,7 +1261,7 @@ or see if you have lphelp on your system). There are also some different GUI frontends on Linux/UNIX, which can present PPD options to users. PPD options are normally meant to be evaluated by the PostScript RIP on the real PostScript printer. -
PPDs for non-PS Printers on UNIX
+
PPDs for non-PS Printers on UNIX
CUPS doesn't limit itself to "real" PostScript printers in its usage of PPDs. The CUPS developers have extended the scope of the PPD concept, to also describe available device and driver options for @@ -1368,7 +1278,7 @@ the supplied PostScript. Thus CUPS lets all its printers appear as PostScript devices to its clients, because it can act as a PostScript RIP for those printers, processing the received PostScript code into a proper raster print format. -
PPDs for non-PS Printers on Windows
+
PPDs for non-PS Printers on Windows
CUPS-PPDs can also be used on Windows-Clients, on top of a "core" PostScript driver (now recommended is the "CUPS PostScript Driver for WindowsNT/2K/XP"; you can also use the Adobe one, with @@ -1384,13 +1294,13 @@ which always remain unfiltered per definition;
enable clients to driver, even for many different target printers.
Using CUPS PPDs on Windows clients enables these to control all print job settings just as a UNIX client can do too. -

Windows Terminal Servers (WTS) as CUPS Clients

This setup may be of special interest to people experiencing major problems in WTS environments. WTS need often a multitude of non-PostScript drivers installed to run their clients' variety of different printer models. This often imposes the price of much increased instability. -

Printer Drivers running in "Kernel Mode" cause many +
Printer Drivers running in "Kernel Mode" cause many Problems
The reason is that in Win NT printer drivers run in "Kernel Mode", this introduces a high risk for the stability of the system @@ -1404,10 +1314,10 @@ of Death" on a regular basis? PostScript drivers generally are very well tested. They are not known to cause any problems, even though they run in Kernel Mode too. This might be because there have so far only been 2 different PostScript -drivers the ones from Adobe and the one from Microsoft. Both are +drivers: the ones from Adobe and the one from Microsoft. Both are very well tested and are as stable as you ever can imagine on Windows. The CUPS driver is derived from the Microsoft one. -
Workarounds impose Heavy Limitations
+
Workarounds impose Heavy Limitations
In many cases, in an attempt to work around this problem, site administrators have resorted to restrict the allowed drivers installed on their WTS to one generic PCL- and one PostScript driver. This @@ -1415,7 +1325,7 @@ however restricts the clients in the amount of printer options available for them; often they can't get out more than simplex prints from one standard paper tray, while their devices could do much better, if driven by a different driver! ) -
CUPS: a "Magical Stone"?
+
CUPS: a "Magical Stone"?
Using a PostScript driver, enabled with a CUPS-PPD, seems to be a very elegant way to overcome all these shortcomings. There are, depending on the version of Windows OS you use, up to 3 different PostScript @@ -1427,8 +1337,8 @@ is a certain price for this too: a CUPS server acting as a PostScript RIP for its clients requires more CPU and RAM than when just acting as a "raw spooling" device. Plus, this setup is not yet widely tested, although the first feedbacks look very promising. -
PostScript Drivers with no major problems -- even in Kernel -Mode
+
PostScript Drivers with no major problems -- even in Kernel +Mode
More recent printer drivers on W2K and XP don't run in Kernel mode (unlike Win NT) any more. However, both operating systems can still use the NT drivers, running in Kernel mode (you can roughly tell which @@ -1444,14 +1354,14 @@ development efforts. This is what the CUPS people have done. The license doesn't allow them to publish the whole of the source code. However, they have released the "diff" under the GPL, and if you are owner of an "MS DDK for Win NT", you can check the driver yourself. -

Setting up CUPS for driver Download

As we have said before: all previously known methods to prepare client printer drivers on the Samba server for download and "Point'n'Print" convenience of Windows workstations are working with CUPS too. These methods were described in the previous chapter. In reality, this is a pure Samba business, and only relates to the Samba/Win client relationship. -

cupsaddsmb: the unknown Utility

The cupsaddsmb utility (shipped with all current CUPS versions) is an alternative method to transfer printer drivers into the Samba [print$] share. Remember, this share is where @@ -1476,53 +1386,26 @@ job-billing)

However, currently only Windows NT, 2000, and XP are supported by the CUPS drivers. You will need to get the respective part of Adobe driver too if you need to support Windows 95, 98, and ME clients. -

Prepare your `smb.conf` for -cupsaddsmb

Prepare your `smb.conf` for cupsaddsmb

Prior to running cupsaddsmb, you need the following settings in smb.conf: -

-
- [global]
-         load printers = yes
-         printing = cups
-         printcap name = cups
-
- [printers]
-         comment = All Printers
-         path = /var/spool/samba
-         browseable = no
-         public = yes
-         guest ok = yes           # setting depends on your requirements
-         writable = no
-         printable = yes
-         printer admin = root
-
- [print$]
-         comment = Printer Drivers
-         path = /etc/samba/drivers
-         browseable = yes
-         guest ok = no
-         read only = yes
-         write list = root  
-
-

CUPS Package of "PostScript Driver for WinNT/2k/XP"

-CUPS users may get the exactly same packages fromhttp://www.cups.org/software.html. +

Example 19.3. smb.conf for cupsaddsmb usage

[global]
load printers = yes
printing = cups
printcap name = cups

[printers]
comment = All Printers
path = /var/spool/samba
browseable = no
public = yes
# setting depends on your requirements
guest ok = yes
writable = no
printable = yes
printer admin = root

[print$]
comment = Printer Drivers
path = /etc/samba/drivers
browseable = yes
guest ok = no
read only = yes
write list = root

CUPS Package of "PostScript Driver for WinNT/2k/XP"

+CUPS users may get the exactly same packages from http://www.cups.org/software.html. It is a separate package from the CUPS base software files, tagged as -CUPS 1.1.x Windows NT/2k/XP Printer Driver for SAMBA +CUPS 1.1.x Windows NT/2k/XP Printer Driver for Samba (tar.gz, 192k). The filename to download is cups-samba-1.1.x.tar.gz. Upon untar-/unzip-ing, it will reveal these files:
- -# tar xvzf cups-samba-1.1.19.tar.gz - - cups-samba.install - cups-samba.license - cups-samba.readme - cups-samba.remove - cups-samba.ss - +root# tar xvzf cups-samba-1.1.19.tar.gz +cups-samba.install +cups-samba.license +cups-samba.readme +cups-samba.remove +cups-samba.ss
+ + These have been packaged with the ESP meta packager software "EPM". The *.install and *.remove files are simple shell scripts, which @@ -1532,26 +1415,20 @@ too). Then it puts the content into /usr/share/cups/drivers/. This content includes 3 files:
- -# tar tv cups-samba.ss - - cupsdrvr.dll - cupsui.dll - cups.hlp - +root# tar tv cups-samba.ss +cupsdrvr.dll +cupsui.dll +cups.hlp
The cups-samba.install shell scripts is easy to handle:
- -# ./cups-samba.install - - [....] - Installing software... - Updating file permissions... - Running post-install commands... - Installation is complete. - +root# ./cups-samba.install +[....] +Installing software... +Updating file permissions... +Running post-install commands... +Installation is complete.
The script should automatically put the driver files into the /usr/share/cups/drivers/ directory. @@ -1564,10 +1441,8 @@ copy/move the file (after running the ./cups-samba.install script) manually to the right place.

-
-   cp /usr/share/drivers/cups.hlp /usr/share/cups/drivers/
-
-

+root# cp /usr/share/drivers/cups.hlp /usr/share/cups/drivers/ +

This new CUPS PostScript driver is currently binary-only, but free of charge. No complete source code is provided (yet). The reason is this: it has been developed with the help of the Microsoft Driver @@ -1576,42 +1451,27 @@ Studio 6. Driver developers are not allowed to distribute the whole of the source code as Free Software. However, CUPS developers released the "diff" in source code under the GPL, so anybody with a license of Visual Studio and a DDK will be able to compile for him/herself. -

Recognize the different Driver Files

The CUPS drivers don't support the "older" Windows 95/98/ME, but only the Windows NT/2000/XP client: -

-
- [Windows NT, 2000, and XP are supported by:]
-         cups.hlp
-         cupsdrvr.dll
-         cupsui.dll
-
-

Windows NT, 2000, and XP are supported by:

cups.hlp
cupsdrvr.dll
cupsui.dll

Adobe drivers are available for the older Windows 95/98/ME as well as the Windows NT/2000/XP clients. The set of files is different for the different platforms. -

-
- [Windows 95, 98, and Me are supported by:]
-         ADFONTS.MFM
-         ADOBEPS4.DRV
-         ADOBEPS4.HLP
-         DEFPRTR2.PPD
-         ICONLIB.DLL
-         PSMON.DLL
-
- [Windows NT, 2000, and XP are supported by:]
-         ADOBEPS5.DLL
-         ADOBEPSU.DLL
-         ADOBEPSU.HLP
+
Windows 95, 98, and Me are supported by:

+	
ADFONTS.MFM
ADOBEPS4.DRV
ADOBEPS4.HLP
DEFPRTR2.PPD
ICONLIB.DLL
PSMON.DLL

+
Windows NT, 2000, and XP are supported by:

+
ADOBEPS5.DLL
ADOBEPSU.DLL
ADOBEPSU.HLP

 
-

Note

If both, the Adobe driver files and the CUPS driver files for the support of WinNT/2k/XP are present in , the Adobe ones will be ignored and the CUPS ones will be used. If you prefer -- for whatever reason -- to use Adobe-only drivers, move away the 3 CUPS driver files. The Win95/98/ME clients use the Adobe drivers in any case. -

Acquiring the Adobe Driver Files

Acquiring the Adobe driver files seems to be unexpectedly difficult for many users. They are not available on the Adobe website as single files and the self-extracting and/or self-installing Windows-exe is @@ -1624,12 +1484,12 @@ Generic PostScript printer. After this, the client's where you can get them with smbclient from the CUPS host. A more detailed description about this is in the next (the CUPS printing) chapter. -

ESP Print Pro Package of "PostScript Driver for -WinNT/2k/XP"

ESP Print Pro Package of "PostScript Driver for +WinNT/2k/XP"

Users of the ESP Print Pro software are able to install their "Samba Drivers" package for this purpose with no problem. Retrieve the driver files from the normal download area of the ESP Print Pro software -athttp://www.easysw.com/software.html. +at http://www.easysw.com/software.html. You need to locate the link labelled "SAMBA" amongst the Download Printer Drivers for ESP Print Pro 4.x area and download the package. Once installed, you can prepare any @@ -1640,7 +1500,7 @@ driver files; i.e. mainly setup the [print$] share, etc. The ESP Print Pro package includes the CUPS driver files as well as a (licensed) set of Adobe drivers for the Windows 95/98/ME client family. -

Caveats to be considered

Once you have run the install script (and possibly manually moved the cups.hlp file to /usr/share/cups/drivers/), the driver is @@ -1651,6 +1511,7 @@ tree with WIN40 and "cupsaddsmb" (see also man cupsaddsmb for CUPS since release 1.1.16).
Tip
+ You may need to put root into the smbpasswd file by running smbpasswd; this is especially important if you should run this whole procedure for the first time, and are not @@ -1672,6 +1533,7 @@ installations in the /usr/share/cups/drivers/ directory. The new cupsaddsmb (from 1.1.16) will automatically prefer "its own" drivers if it finds both.
+ Should your Win clients have had the old ADOBE*.* files for the Adobe PostScript driver installed, the download and installation of the new CUPS PostScript driver for Windows NT/2k/XP @@ -1679,8 +1541,7 @@ will fail at first. You need to wipe the old driver from the clients first. It is not enough to "delete" the printer, as the driver files will still be kept by the clients and re-used if you try to re-install the printer. To really get rid of the Adobe driver files on the -clients, open the "Printers" folder (possibly via Start ---> Settings --> Control Panel --> Printers), +clients, open the "Printers" folder (possibly via Start, Settings, Control Panel, Printers), right-click onto the folder background and select Server Properties. When the new dialog opens, select the Drivers tab. On the list select the driver you @@ -1690,20 +1551,23 @@ which uses that particular driver. You need to "delete" all printers using this driver in the "Printers" folder first. You will need Administrator privileges to do this.
+ Once you have successfully downloaded the CUPS PostScript driver to a client, you can easily switch all printers to this one by proceeding -as described elsewhere in the "Samba HOWTO Collection": either change +as described in the printing chapter: either change a driver for an existing printer by running the "Printer Properties" dialog, or use rpcclient with the setdriver sub-command.
-

What are the Benefits of using the "CUPS PostScript Driver for -Windows NT/2k/XP" as compared to the Adobe Driver?

Benefits of using "CUPS PostScript Driver for +Windows NT/2k/XP" instead of Adobe Driver

You are interested in a comparison between the CUPS and the Adobe PostScript drivers? For our purposes these are the most important items which weigh in favor of the CUPS ones:

no hassle with the Adobe EULA
no hassle with the question “Where do I -get the ADOBE*.* driver files from?”
the Adobe drivers (on request of the printer PPD +get the ADOBE*.* driver files from?”
+ + the Adobe drivers (on request of the printer PPD associated with them) often put a PJL header in front of the main PostScript part of the print file. Thus the printfile starts with <1B >%-12345X or @@ -1712,8 +1576,10 @@ of %!PS). This leads to the CUPS daemon auto-typing the incoming file as a print-ready file, not initiating a pass through the "pstops" filter (to speak more technically, it is not regarded as the generic MIME type + application/postscript, but as the more special MIME type + application/cups.vnd-postscript), which therefore also leads to the page accounting in /var/log/cups/page_log not @@ -1743,7 +1609,7 @@ not disturb any other applications as they will regard it as a comment and simply ignore it).
the CUPS PostScript driver will be the heart of the fully fledged CUPS IPP client for Windows NT/2K/XP to be released soon (probably alongside the first Beta release for CUPS -1.2).

Run "cupsaddsmb" (quiet Mode)

+1.2).

Run "cupsaddsmb" (quiet Mode)

The cupsaddsmb command copies the needed files into your [print$] share. Additionally, the PPD associated with this printer is copied from @@ -1752,124 +1618,111 @@ associated with this printer is copied from Windows client installations via Point'n'Print. Before we can run the command successfully, we need to be sure that we can authenticate towards Samba. If you have a small network you are probably using user -level security (security = user). Probably your -root has already a Samba account. Otherwise, create it now, using -smbpasswd: -
- - # smbpasswd -a root - New SMB password: [type in password 'secret'] - Retype new SMB password: [type in password 'secret'] - -
+level security (security = user). +
Here is an example of a successfully run cupsaddsmb command.
- - # cupsaddsmb -U root infotec_IS2027 - Password for root required to access localhost via SAMBA: [type in password 'secret'] - +root# cupsaddsmb -U root infotec_IS2027 +Password for root required to access localhost via Samba: ['secret']
To share all printers and drivers, use the --a parameter instead of a printer name. Since +-a parameter instead of a printer name. Since cupsaddsmb "exports" the printer drivers to Samba, it should be obvious that it only works for queues with a CUPS driver associated. -

Run "cupsaddsmb" with verbose Output

Probably you want to see what's going on. Use the --v parameter to get a more verbose output. The +-v parameter to get a more verbose output. The output below was edited for better readability: all "\" at the end of a line indicate that I inserted an artificial line break plus some indentation here:
Warning
You will see the root password for the Samba account printed on -screen. If you use remote access, the password will go over the wire -unencrypted! -
- - # cupsaddsmb -U root -v infotec_2105 - Password for root required to access localhost via SAMBA: - Running command: smbclient //localhost/print\$ -N -U'root%secret' -c 'mkdir W32X86;put \ - /var/spool/cups/tmp/3e98bf2d333b5 W32X86/infotec_2105.ppd;put \ - /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsdrvr.dll W32X86/cupsdrvr.dll;put \ - /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsui.dll W32X86/cupsui.dll;put \ - /usr/share/cups/drivers/cups.hlp W32X86/cups.hlp' - added interface ip=10.160.51.60 bcast=10.160.51.255 nmask=255.255.252.0 - Domain=[CUPS-PRINT] OS=[Unix] Server=[Samba 2.2.7a] - NT_STATUS_OBJECT_NAME_COLLISION making remote directory \W32X86 - putting file /var/spool/cups/tmp/3e98bf2d333b5 as \W32X86/infotec_2105.ppd (2328.8 kb/s) \ - (average 2328.8 kb/s) - putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsdrvr.dll as \W32X86/cupsdrvr.dll (9374.3 kb/s) \ - (average 5206.6 kb/s) - putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsui.dll as \W32X86/cupsui.dll (8107.2 kb/s) \ - (average 5984.1 kb/s) - putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/cups.hlp as \W32X86/cups.hlp (3475.0 kb/s) \ - (average 5884.7 kb/s) +screen. +

+root# cupsaddsmb -U root -v infotec_2105 +Password for root required to access localhost via GANDALF: +Running command: smbclient //localhost/print\$ -N -U'root%secret' \ + -c 'mkdir W32X86; \ + put /var/spool/cups/tmp/3e98bf2d333b5 W32X86/infotec_2105.ppd; \ + put /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsdrvr.dll W32X86/cupsdrvr.dll; \ + put /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsui.dll W32X86/cupsui.dll; \ + put /usr/share/cups/drivers/cups.hlp W32X86/cups.hlp' +added interface ip=10.160.51.60 bcast=10.160.51.255 nmask=255.255.252.0 +Domain=[CUPS-PRINT] OS=[UNIX] Server=[Samba 2.2.7a] +NT_STATUS_OBJECT_NAME_COLLISION making remote directory \W32X86 +putting file /var/spool/cups/tmp/3e98bf2d333b5 as \W32X86/infotec_2105.ppd +putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsdrvr.dll as \W32X86/cupsdrvr.dll +putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsui.dll as \W32X86/cupsui.dll +putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/cups.hlp as \W32X86/cups.hlp - Running command: rpcclient localhost -N -U'root%secret' -c 'adddriver "Windows NT x86" \ - "infotec_2105:cupsdrvr.dll:infotec_2105.ppd:cupsui.dll:cups.hlp:NULL: \ - RAW:NULL"' - cmd = adddriver "Windows NT x86" "infotec_2105:cupsdrvr.dll:infotec_2105.ppd:cupsui.dll: \ - cups.hlp:NULL:RAW:NULL" - Printer Driver infotec_2105 successfully installed. +Running command: rpcclient localhost -N -U'root%secret' + -c 'adddriver "Windows NT x86" \ + "infotec_2105:cupsdrvr.dll:infotec_2105.ppd:cupsui.dll:cups.hlp:NULL: \ + RAW:NULL"' +cmd = adddriver "Windows NT x86" \ + "infotec_2105:cupsdrvr.dll:infotec_2105.ppd:cupsui.dll:cups.hlp:NULL:RAW:NULL" +Printer Driver infotec_2105 successfully installed. - Running command: smbclient //localhost/print\$ -N -U'root%secret' -c 'mkdir WIN40;put \ - /var/spool/cups/tmp/3e98bf2d333b5 WIN40/infotec_2105.PPD; put \ - /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADFONTS.MFM WIN40/ADFONTS.MFM;put \ - /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADOBEPS4.DRV WIN40/ADOBEPS4.DRV;put \ - /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADOBEPS4.HLP WIN40/ADOBEPS4.HLP;put \ - /usr/share/cups/drivers/DEFPRTR2.PPD WIN40/DEFPRTR2.PPD;put \ - /usr/share/cups/drivers/ICONLIB.DLL - WIN40/ICONLIB.DLL;put /usr/share/cups/drivers/PSMON.DLL WIN40/PSMON.DLL;' +Running command: smbclient //localhost/print\$ -N -U'root%secret' \ +-c 'mkdir WIN40; \ + put /var/spool/cups/tmp/3e98bf2d333b5 WIN40/infotec_2105.PPD; \ + put /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADFONTS.MFM WIN40/ADFONTS.MFM; \ + put /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADOBEPS4.DRV WIN40/ADOBEPS4.DRV; \ + put /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADOBEPS4.HLP WIN40/ADOBEPS4.HLP; \ + put /usr/share/cups/drivers/DEFPRTR2.PPD WIN40/DEFPRTR2.PPD; \ + put /usr/share/cups/drivers/ICONLIB.DLL WIN40/ICONLIB.DLL; \ + put /usr/share/cups/drivers/PSMON.DLL WIN40/PSMON.DLL;' added interface ip=10.160.51.60 bcast=10.160.51.255 nmask=255.255.252.0 - Domain=[CUPS-PRINT] OS=[Unix] Server=[Samba 2.2.7a] + Domain=[CUPS-PRINT] OS=[UNIX] Server=[Samba 2.2.7a] NT_STATUS_OBJECT_NAME_COLLISION making remote directory \WIN40 - putting file /var/spool/cups/tmp/3e98bf2d333b5 as \WIN40/infotec_2105.PPD (2328.8 kb/s) \ - (average 2328.8 kb/s) - putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADFONTS.MFM as \WIN40/ADFONTS.MFM (9368.0 kb/s) \ - (average 6469.6 kb/s) - putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADOBEPS4.DRV as \WIN40/ADOBEPS4.DRV (9958.2 kb/s) \ - (average 8404.3 kb/s) - putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADOBEPS4.HLP as \WIN40/ADOBEPS4.HLP (8341.5 kb/s) \ - (average 8398.6 kb/s) - putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/DEFPRTR2.PPD as \WIN40/DEFPRTR2.PPD (2195.9 kb/s) \ - (average 8254.3 kb/s) - putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/ICONLIB.DLL as \WIN40/ICONLIB.DLL (8239.9 kb/s) \ - (average 8253.6 kb/s) - putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/PSMON.DLL as \WIN40/PSMON.DLL (6222.2 kb/s) \ - (average 8188.5 kb/s) + putting file /var/spool/cups/tmp/3e98bf2d333b5 as \WIN40/infotec_2105.PPD + putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADFONTS.MFM as \WIN40/ADFONTS.MFM + putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADOBEPS4.DRV as \WIN40/ADOBEPS4.DRV + putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/ADOBEPS4.HLP as \WIN40/ADOBEPS4.HLP + putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/DEFPRTR2.PPD as \WIN40/DEFPRTR2.PPD + putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/ICONLIB.DLL as \WIN40/ICONLIB.DLL + putting file /usr/share/cups/drivers/PSMON.DLL as \WIN40/PSMON.DLL - Running command: rpcclient localhost -N -U'root%secret' -c 'adddriver "Windows 4.0" \ - "infotec_2105:ADOBEPS4.DRV:infotec_2105.PPD:NULL:ADOBEPS4.HLP: \ - PSMON.DLL:RAW:ADOBEPS4.DRV,infotec_2105.PPD,ADOBEPS4.HLP,PSMON.DLL, \ - ADFONTS.MFM,DEFPRTR2.PPD,ICONLIB.DLL"' + Running command: rpcclient localhost -N -U'root%secret' \ + -c 'adddriver "Windows 4.0" \ + "infotec_2105:ADOBEPS4.DRV:infotec_2105.PPD:NULL:ADOBEPS4.HLP: \ + PSMON.DLL:RAW:ADOBEPS4.DRV,infotec_2105.PPD,ADOBEPS4.HLP,PSMON.DLL, \ + ADFONTS.MFM,DEFPRTR2.PPD,ICONLIB.DLL"' cmd = adddriver "Windows 4.0" "infotec_2105:ADOBEPS4.DRV:infotec_2105.PPD:NULL: \ - ADOBEPS4.HLP:PSMON.DLL:RAW:ADOBEPS4.DRV,infotec_2105.PPD,ADOBEPS4.HLP, \ + ADOBEPS4.HLP:PSMON.DLL:RAW:ADOBEPS4.DRV,infotec_2105.PPD,ADOBEPS4.HLP, \ PSMON.DLL,ADFONTS.MFM,DEFPRTR2.PPD,ICONLIB.DLL" Printer Driver infotec_2105 successfully installed. - Running command: rpcclient localhost -N -U'root%secret' \ - -c 'setdriver infotec_2105 infotec_2105' + Running command: rpcclient localhost -N -U'root%secret' \ + -c 'setdriver infotec_2105 infotec_2105' cmd = setdriver infotec_2105 infotec_2105 Successfully set infotec_2105 to driver infotec_2105.
-If you look closely, you'll discover your root password was transfered +If you look closely, you'll discover your root password was transferred unencrypted over the wire, so beware! Also, if you look further her, you'll discover error messages like NT_STATUS_OBJECT_NAME_COLLISION in between. They occur, because the directories WIN40 and W32X86 already existed in the [print$] driver download share (from a previous driver installation). They are harmless here. -

Understanding cupsaddsmb

What has happened? What did cupsaddsmb do? There are five stages of the procedure -
call the CUPS server via IPP and request the +
+ + call the CUPS server via IPP and request the driver files and the PPD file for the named printer;
store the files temporarily in the local TEMPDIR (as defined in cupsd.conf);
connect via smbclient to the Samba server's [print$] share and put the files into the share's WIN40 (for Win95/98/ME) and W32X86/ (for WinNT/2k/XP) sub - directories;
connect via rpcclient to the Samba server and + directories;
+ + connect via rpcclient to the Samba server and execute the "adddriver" command with the correct -parameters;
connect via rpcclient to the Samba server a second +parameters;
+ + connect via rpcclient to the Samba server a second time and execute the "setdriver" command.
Note, that you can run the cupsaddsmb utility with parameters to specify one remote host as Samba host and a second remote host as CUPS @@ -1878,10 +1731,8 @@ good idea try it and see more clearly what is going on (though in real life most people will have their CUPS and Samba servers run on the same host):
- - # cupsaddsmb -H sambaserver -h cupsserver -v printername - -
How to recognize if cupsaddsm completed successfully
+root# cupsaddsmb -H sambaserver -h cupsserver -v printername +
How to recognize if cupsaddsmb completed successfully
You must always check if the utility completed successfully in all fields. You need as a minimum these 3 messages amongst the output: @@ -1892,7 +1743,7 @@ installed. # (for the WIN40 == Win9x/ME architecture...)
Successfully set [printerXPZ] to driver [printerXYZ].
These messages probably not easily recognized in the general -output. If you run cupsaddsmb with the -a +output. If you run cupsaddsmb with the -a parameter (which tries to prepare all active CUPS printer drivers for download), you might miss if individual printers drivers had problems to install properly. Here a redirection of the @@ -1902,32 +1753,30 @@ It is impossible to see any diagnostic output if you don't run cupsaddsmb in verbose mode. Therefore we strongly recommend to not use the default quiet mode. It will hide any problems from you which might occur. -

cupsaddsmb with a Samba PDC

Installing PostScript Driver Files manually (using +Error Handler (Adobe)

Installing PostScript Driver Files manually (using rpcclient)

Of course you can run all the commands which are embedded into the cupsaddsmb convenience utility yourself, one by one, and hereby upload @@ -1992,9 +1840,18 @@ and prepare the driver files for future client downloads.

prepare Samba (a CUPS printqueue with the name of the printer should be there. We are providing the driver now);
copy all files to -[print$]:
run rpcclient adddriver -(for each client architecture you want to support):
run rpcclient + [print$]
+ + run rpcclient adddriver +(for each client architecture you want to support):
+ + run rpcclient setdriver.

+ + + + + We are going to do this now. First, read the man page on "rpcclient" to get a first idea. Look at all the printing related sub-commands. enumprinters, @@ -2005,7 +1862,7 @@ the MS-RPC protocol. You can use it to query (and command) a Win NT (or 2K/XP) PC too. MS-RPC is used by Windows clients, amongst other things, to benefit from the "Point'n'Print" features. Samba can now mimic this too. -

A Check of the rpcclient man Page

First let's have a little check of the rpcclient man page. Here are two relevant passages:

@@ -2038,18 +1895,16 @@ printer driver associated with an installed printer. The printer driver must already be correctly installed on the print server.

See also the enumprinters and enumdrivers commands for obtaining a list of installed printers and drivers. -

Understanding the rpcclient man Page

Understanding the rpcclient man page

The exact format isn't made too clear by the man page, since you have to deal with some parameters containing spaces. Here is a better description for it. We have line-broken the command and indicated the breaks with "\". Usually you would type the command in one line without the linebreaks: -

-
+
  adddriver "Architecture" \
            "LongPrinterName:DriverFile:DataFile:ConfigFile:HelpFile:\
            LanguageMonitorFile:DataType:ListOfFiles,Comma-separated"
-
 

 What the man pages denotes as a simple <config>
 keyword, does in reality consist of 8 colon-separated fields. The
@@ -2074,22 +1929,22 @@ box now, and access it from a UNIX workstation. We will query it
 with rpcclient to see what it tells us and
 try to understand the man page more clearly which we've read just
 now.
-

Producing an Example by querying a Windows Box

+ + We could run rpcclient with a getdriver or a getprinter subcommand (in level 3 verbosity) against it. Just sit down at UNIX or Linux workstation with the Samba utilities installed. Then type the following command:

-
- rpcclient -U'USERNAME%PASSWORD' NT-SERVER-NAME -c 'getdriver printername 3'
-
+root# rpcclient -U'USERNAME%PASSWORD' NT-SERVER-NAME -c 'getdriver printername 3'

From the result it should become clear which is which. Here is an example from my installation: -

-
-# rpcclient -U'Danka%xxxx' W2KSERVER -c'getdriver "DANKA InfoStream Virtual Printer" 3'
+
+root# rpcclient -U'Danka%xxxx' W2KSERVER \
+	-c'getdriver "DANKA InfoStream Virtual Printer" 3'
  cmd = getdriver "DANKA InfoStream Virtual Printer" 3
 
  [Windows NT x86]
@@ -2119,15 +1974,16 @@ Some printer drivers list additional files under the label
 ListOfFiles,Comma-separated. For the CUPS
 PostScript drivers we don't need any (nor would we for the Adobe
 PostScript driver): therefore the field will get a "NULL" entry.
-

What is required for adddriver and setdriver to succeed

From the manpage (and from the quoted output of cupsaddsmb, above) it becomes clear that you need to have certain conditions in order to make the manual uploading and initializing of the driver files succeed. The two rpcclient + subcommands (adddriver and setdriver) need to encounter the following pre-conditions to complete successfully: -

you are connected as "printer admin", or root (note, +
- you are connected as printer admin, or root (note, that this is not the "Printer Operators" group in NT, but the printer admin group, as defined in the [global] section of @@ -2142,7 +1998,10 @@ to escape the "$": smbclient //sambaserver/print\$ root);
- the user you're connecting as must be able to write to the [print$] share and create subdirectories;
- the printer you are going to setup for the Windows -clients, needs to be installed in CUPS already;
- the CUPS printer must be known to Samba, otherwise the +clients, needs to be installed in CUPS already;
- + + + the CUPS printer must be known to Samba, otherwise the setdriver subcommand fails with an NT_STATUS_UNSUCCESSFUL error. To check if the printer is known by Samba you may use the enumprinters subcommand to @@ -2150,30 +2009,25 @@ rpcclient. A long-standing bug prevented a proper update of the printer list until every smbd process had received a SIGHUP or was restarted. Remember this in case you've created the CUPS printer just shortly ago and encounter problems: try restarting -Samba.

Manual Commandline Driver Installation in 15 little Steps

+Samba.

Manual Driver Installation in 15 Steps

We are going to install a printer driver now by manually executing all required commands. As this may seem a rather complicated process at first, we go through the procedure step by step, explaining every single action item as it comes up. -

First Step: Install the Printer on CUPS

-
-# lpadmin -p mysmbtstprn -v socket://10.160.51.131:9100 -E -P /home/kurt/canonIR85.ppd
-
+
Procedure 19.1. Manual Driver Installation installation
Install the Printer on CUPS
+root# lpadmin -p mysmbtstprn -v socket://10.160.51.131:9100 -E -P canonIR85.ppd
 

 This installs printer with the name mysmbtstprn
 to the CUPS system. The printer is accessed via a socket
 (a.k.a. JetDirect or Direct TCP/IP) connection. You need to be root
 for this step
-
Second Step (optional): Check if the Printer is recognized by
-Samba
-
- # rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'enumprinters' localhost | grep -C2 mysmbtstprn
-
-        flags:[0x800000]
-        name:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn]
-        description:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn,,mysmbtstprn]
-        comment:[mysmbtstprn]
-
+
(optional) Check if the Printer is recognized by
+Samba
+root# rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'enumprinters' localhost | grep -C2 mysmbtstprn
+flags:[0x800000]
+name:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn]
+description:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn,,mysmbtstprn]
+comment:[mysmbtstprn]
 

 This should show the printer in the list. If not, stop and re-start
 the Samba daemon (smbd), or send a HUP signal: kill -HUP
@@ -2185,24 +2039,25 @@ already. You need to know root's Samba password (as set by the
 following steps. Alternatively you can authenticate as one of the
 users from the "write list" as defined in smb.conf for
 [print$].
-
Third Step (optional): Check if Samba knows a Driver for the
-Printer
-
-#  rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'getprinter mysmbtstprn 2' localhost | grep driver
-         drivername:[]
+
(optional) Check if Samba knows a Driver for the
+Printer
+root# rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'getprinter mysmbtstprn 2' localhost \
+			| grep driver 
+drivername:[]
+
+root# rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'getprinter mysmbtstprn 2' localhost \
+	| grep -C4 driv
+servername:[\\kde-bitshop]
+printername:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn]
+sharename:[mysmbtstprn]
+portname:[Samba Printer Port]
+drivername:[]
+comment:[mysmbtstprn]
+location:[]
+sepfile:[]
+printprocessor:[winprint]
  
-#  rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'getprinter mysmbtstprn 2' localhost | grep -C4 driv
-        servername:[\\kde-bitshop]
-        printername:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn]
-        sharename:[mysmbtstprn]
-        portname:[Samba Printer Port]
-        drivername:[]
-        comment:[mysmbtstprn]
-        location:[]
-        sepfile:[]
-        printprocessor:[winprint]
- 
-#  rpcclient -U root%xxxx -c 'getdriver mysmbtstprn' localhost
+root# rpcclient -U root%xxxx -c 'getdriver mysmbtstprn' localhost
  result was WERR_UNKNOWN_PRINTER_DRIVER
 
 

@@ -2211,16 +2066,14 @@ This step was done for the purpose of demonstrating this condition. An
 attempt to connect to the printer at this stage will prompt the
 message along the lines: "The server has not the required printer
 driver installed".
-
Fourth Step: Put all required Driver Files into Samba's
-[print$]
-
-#  smbclient //localhost/print\$ -U 'root%xxxx'                        \ 
-                              -c 'cd W32X86;                                             \
-                                  put /etc/cups/ppd/mysmbtstprn.ppd mysmbtstprn.PPD;     \
-                                  put /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsui.dll cupsui.dll;     \
-                                  put /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsdrvr.dll cupsdrvr.dll; \
-                                  put /usr/share/cups/drivers/cups.hlp cups.hlp'
-
+
Put all required Driver Files into Samba's
+[print$]
+root# smbclient //localhost/print\$ -U 'root%xxxx' \
+	-c 'cd W32X86; \
+	put /etc/cups/ppd/mysmbtstprn.ppd mysmbtstprn.PPD; \ 
+	put /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsui.dll cupsui.dll; \
+	put /usr/share/cups/drivers/cupsdrvr.dll cupsdrvr.dll; \
+	put /usr/share/cups/drivers/cups.hlp cups.hlp'
 

 (Note that this command should be entered in one long single
 line. Line-breaks and the line-end indicating "\" has been inserted
@@ -2230,31 +2083,26 @@ present in the [print$] share. However, client
 would still not be able to install them, because Samba does not yet
 treat them as driver files. A client asking for the driver would still
 be presented with a "not installed here" message.
-
Fifth Step: Verify where the Driver Files are now
-
-#  ls -l /etc/samba/drivers/W32X86/
- total 669
- drwxr-sr-x    2 root     ntadmin       532 May 25 23:08 2
- drwxr-sr-x    2 root     ntadmin       670 May 16 03:15 3
- -rwxr--r--    1 root     ntadmin     14234 May 25 23:21 cups.hlp
- -rwxr--r--    1 root     ntadmin    278380 May 25 23:21 cupsdrvr.dll
- -rwxr--r--    1 root     ntadmin    215848 May 25 23:21 cupsui.dll
- -rwxr--r--    1 root     ntadmin    169458 May 25 23:21 mysmbtstprn.PPD
-
+
Verify where the Driver Files are now
+root# ls -l /etc/samba/drivers/W32X86/
+total 669
+drwxr-sr-x    2 root     ntadmin       532 May 25 23:08 2
+drwxr-sr-x    2 root     ntadmin       670 May 16 03:15 3
+-rwxr--r--    1 root     ntadmin     14234 May 25 23:21 cups.hlp
+-rwxr--r--    1 root     ntadmin    278380 May 25 23:21 cupsdrvr.dll
+-rwxr--r--    1 root     ntadmin    215848 May 25 23:21 cupsui.dll
+-rwxr--r--    1 root     ntadmin    169458 May 25 23:21 mysmbtstprn.PPD
 

 The driver files now are in the W32X86 architecture "root" of
 [print$].
-
Sixth Step: Tell Samba that these are
+
Tell Samba that these are
 Driver Files
-(adddriver)
-
-#  rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c `adddriver "Windows NT x86" "mydrivername: \
-                                          cupsdrvr.dll:mysmbtstprn.PPD:                  \
-                                          cupsui.dll:cups.hlp:NULL:RAW[:]NULL"             \
-                                          localhost
-
- Printer Driver mydrivername successfully installed.
-
+(adddriver)
+root# rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c `adddriver "Windows NT x86" "mydrivername: \
+  cupsdrvr.dll:mysmbtstprn.PPD: \
+  cupsui.dll:cups.hlp:NULL:RAW:NULL" \
+  localhost
+Printer Driver mydrivername successfully installed.
 

 Note that your cannot repeat this step if it fails. It could fail even
 as a result of a simple typo. It will most likely have moved a part of
@@ -2265,49 +2113,41 @@ driver. It is normally a good idea to use the same name as is used for
 the printername; however, in big installations you may use this driver
 for a number of printers which have obviously different names. So the
 name of the driver is not fixed.
-
Seventh Step: Verify where the Driver Files are now
-
-#  ls -l /etc/samba/drivers/W32X86/
- total 1
- drwxr-sr-x    2 root     ntadmin       532 May 25 23:22 2
- drwxr-sr-x    2 root     ntadmin       670 May 16 03:15 3
-
- 
-#  ls -l /etc/samba/drivers/W32X86/2
- total 5039
- [....]
- -rwxr--r--    1 root     ntadmin     14234 May 25 23:21 cups.hlp
- -rwxr--r--    1 root     ntadmin    278380 May 13 13:53 cupsdrvr.dll
- -rwxr--r--    1 root     ntadmin    215848 May 13 13:53 cupsui.dll
- -rwxr--r--    1 root     ntadmin    169458 May 25 23:21 mysmbtstprn.PPD
-
+
Verify where the Driver Files are now
+root# ls -l /etc/samba/drivers/W32X86/
+total 1
+drwxr-sr-x    2 root     ntadmin       532 May 25 23:22 2
+drwxr-sr-x    2 root     ntadmin       670 May 16 03:15 3
+
+root# ls -l /etc/samba/drivers/W32X86/2
+total 5039
+[....]
+-rwxr--r--    1 root     ntadmin     14234 May 25 23:21 cups.hlp
+-rwxr--r--    1 root     ntadmin    278380 May 13 13:53 cupsdrvr.dll
+-rwxr--r--    1 root     ntadmin    215848 May 13 13:53 cupsui.dll
+-rwxr--r--    1 root     ntadmin    169458 May 25 23:21 mysmbtstprn.PPD
 

 Notice how step 6 did also move the driver files to the appropriate
 subdirectory. Compare with the situation after step 5.
-
Eighth Step (optional): Verify if Samba now recognizes the
-Driver
-
-#  rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'enumdrivers 3' localhost | grep -B2 -A5 mydrivername
-
- Printer Driver Info 3:
-        Version: [2]
-        Driver Name: [mydrivername]
-        Architecture: [Windows NT x86]
-        Driver Path: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cupsdrvr.dll]
-        Datafile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\mysmbtstprn.PPD]
-        Configfile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cupsui.dll]
-        Helpfile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cups.hlp]
-
+
(optional) Verify if Samba now recognizes the
+Driver
+root# rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'enumdrivers 3' localhost \
+	| grep -B2 -A5 mydrivername
+Printer Driver Info 3:
+Version: [2]
+Driver Name: [mydrivername]
+Architecture: [Windows NT x86]
+Driver Path: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cupsdrvr.dll]
+Datafile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\mysmbtstprn.PPD]
+Configfile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cupsui.dll]
+Helpfile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cups.hlp]
 

 Remember, this command greps for the name you did choose for the
 driver in step Six. This command must succeed before you can proceed.
-
Ninth Step: Tell Samba which Printer should use these Driver
-Files (setdriver)
-
-#  rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'setdriver mysmbtstprn mydrivername' localhost
- 
- Successfully set mysmbtstprn to driver mydrivername
-
+
Tell Samba which Printer should use these Driver
+Files (setdriver)
+root# rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'setdriver mysmbtstprn mydrivername' localhost
+Successfully set mysmbtstprn to driver mydrivername
 

 Since you can bind any printername (=printqueue) to any driver, this
 is a very convenient way to setup many queues which use the same
@@ -2315,50 +2155,53 @@ driver. You don't need to repeat all the previous steps for the
 setdriver command to succeed. The only pre-conditions are:
 enumdrivers must find the driver and
 enumprinters must find the printer.
-
Tenth Step (optional): Verify if Samba has this Association
-recognized
-
-#  rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'getprinter mysmbtstprn 2' localhost | grep driver
-       drivername:[mydrivername]
+
(optional) Verify if Samba has this Association
+recognized
+root# rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'getprinter mysmbtstprn 2' localhost \
+  | grep driver
+drivername:[mydrivername]
  
-#  rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'getprinter mysmbtstprn 2' localhost | grep -C4 driv
-       servername:[\\kde-bitshop]
-       printername:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn]
-       sharename:[mysmbtstprn]
-       portname:[Done]
-       drivername:[mydrivername]
-       comment:[mysmbtstprn]
-       location:[]
-       sepfile:[]
-       printprocessor:[winprint]
+root# rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'getprinter mysmbtstprn 2' localhost \
+  | grep -C4 driv
+servername:[\\kde-bitshop]
+printername:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn]
+sharename:[mysmbtstprn]
+portname:[Done]
+drivername:[mydrivername]
+comment:[mysmbtstprn]
+location:[]
+sepfile:[]
+printprocessor:[winprint]
  
-#  rpcclient -U root%xxxx -c 'getdriver mysmbtstprn' localhost
- [Windows NT x86]
- Printer Driver Info 3:
-       Version: [2]
-       Driver Name: [mydrivername]
-       Architecture: [Windows NT x86]
-       Driver Path: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cupsdrvr.dll]
-       Datafile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\mysmbtstprn.PPD]
-       Configfile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cupsui.dll]
-       Helpfile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cups.hlp]
-       Monitorname: []
-       Defaultdatatype: [RAW]
-       Monitorname: []
-       Defaultdatatype: [RAW]
+root# rpcclient -U root%xxxx -c 'getdriver mysmbtstprn' localhost
+[Windows NT x86]
+Printer Driver Info 3:
+     Version: [2]
+     Driver Name: [mydrivername]
+     Architecture: [Windows NT x86]
+     Driver Path: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cupsdrvr.dll]
+     Datafile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\mysmbtstprn.PPD]
+     Configfile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cupsui.dll]
+     Helpfile: [\\kde-bitshop\print$\W32X86\2\cups.hlp]
+     Monitorname: []
+     Defaultdatatype: [RAW]
+     Monitorname: []
+     Defaultdatatype: [RAW]
  
-#  rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'enumprinters' localhost | grep mysmbtstprn
-       name:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn]
-       description:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn,mydrivername,mysmbtstprn]
-       comment:[mysmbtstprn]
+root# rpcclient -Uroot%xxxx -c 'enumprinters' localhost | grep mysmbtstprn
+     name:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn]
+     description:[\\kde-bitshop\mysmbtstprn,mydrivername,mysmbtstprn]
+     comment:[mysmbtstprn]
 
 

+
 Compare these results with the ones from steps 2 and 3. Note that
 every single of these commands show the driver is installed.  Even
 the enumprinters command now lists the driver
 on the "description" line.
-
Eleventh Step (optional): Tickle the Driver into a correct
-Device Mode

+
(optional) Tickle the Driver into a correct
+Device Mode

+
 You certainly know how to install the driver on the client.  In case
 you are not particularly familiar with Windows, here is a short
 recipe: browse the Network Neighbourhood, go to the Samba server, look
@@ -2375,39 +2218,32 @@ It is important that you execute this step as a Samba printer admin
 to do this on Windows XP. It uses a commandline, which you may type
 into the "DOS box" (type root's smbpassword when prompted):
 
-
- C:\> runas /netonly /user:root "rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /in /n \\sambacupsserver\mysmbtstprn"
-
+C:\> runas /netonly /user:root "rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /in /n\
+			\\sambacupsserver\mysmbtstprn"
 

-Change any printer setting once (like "portrait"
---> "landscape"), click "Apply"; change the setting
+Change any printer setting once (like changing "portrait" to
+	"landscape"), click Apply; change the setting
 back.
-
Twelfth Step: Install the Printer on a Client
-("Point'n'Print")
-
- C:\> rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /in /n "\\sambacupsserver\mysmbtstprn"
-
+
Install the Printer on a Client
+("Point'n'Print")
+C:\> rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /in /n "\\sambacupsserver\mysmbtstprn"
 

 If it doesn't work it could be a permission problem with the
 [print$] share.
-
Thirteenth Step (optional): Print a Test Page
-
- C:\> rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /p /n "\\sambacupsserver\mysmbtstprn"
-
+
Thirteenth Step (optional): Print a Test Page
+C:\> rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /p /n "\\sambacupsserver\mysmbtstprn"
 

 Then hit [TAB] 5 times, [ENTER] twice, [TAB] once and [ENTER] again
 and march to the printer.
-
Fourteenth Step (recommended): Study the Test Page

+
Fourteenth Step (recommended): Study the Test Page

 Hmmm.... just kidding! By now you know everything about printer
 installations and you don't need to read a word. Just put it in a
 frame and bolt it to the wall with the heading "MY FIRST
 RPCCLIENT-INSTALLED PRINTER" - why not just throw it away!
-
Fifteenth Step (obligatory): Enjoy. Jump. Celebrate your
-Success
-
-# echo "Cheeeeerioooooo! Success..." >> /var/log/samba/log.smbd     
-
-

Troubleshooting revisited

Fifteenth Step (obligatory): Enjoy. Jump. Celebrate your +Success

+root# echo "Cheeeeerioooooo! Success..." >> /var/log/samba/log.smbd
+

Troubleshooting revisited

The setdriver command will fail, if in Samba's mind the queue is not already there. You had promising messages about the:

@@ -2422,7 +2258,8 @@ a disappointing message like this one beneath?
  result was NT_STATUS_UNSUCCESSFUL

-It is not good enough that you + +It is not good enough that you can see the queue in CUPS, using the lpstat -p ir85wm command. A bug in most recent versions of Samba prevents the proper update of @@ -2431,26 +2268,35 @@ fails unless you re-start Samba or send a HUP to all smbd processes. To verify if this is the reason why Samba doesn't execute the setdriver command successfully, check if Samba "sees" the printer: -

-
-# rpcclient transmeta -N -U'root%secret' -c 'enumprinters 0'| grep  ir85wm
+
+root# rpcclient transmeta -N -U'root%secret' -c 'enumprinters 0'| grep  ir85wm
         printername:[ir85wm]
-
 

 An alternative command could be this: 
-
-
-# rpcclient transmeta -N -U'root%secret' -c 'getprinter ir85wm' 
+
+root# rpcclient transmeta -N -U'root%secret' -c 'getprinter ir85wm' 
         cmd = getprinter ir85wm
         flags:[0x800000]
         name:[\\transmeta\ir85wm]
         description:[\\transmeta\ir85wm,ir85wm,DPD]
         comment:[CUPS PostScript-Treiber for WinNT/2K/XP]
-
 

 BTW, you can use these commands, plus a few more, of course,
 to install drivers on remote Windows NT print servers too!
-

**The printing `*.tdb` Files**

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + Some mystery is associated with the series of files with a tdb-suffix appearing in every Samba installation. They are connections.tdb, @@ -2465,12 +2311,12 @@ tdb-suffix appearing in every Samba installation. They are ntprinters.tdb, sessionid.tdb and secrets.tdb. What is their purpose? -

Trivial DataBase Files

A Windows NT (Print) Server keeps track of all information needed to serve its duty toward its clients by storing entries in the Windows "Registry". Client queries are answered by reading from the registry, Administrator or user configuration settings are saved by writing into -the Registry. Samba and Unix obviously don't have such a kind of +the Registry. Samba and UNIX obviously don't have such a kind of Registry. Samba instead keeps track of all client related information in a series of *.tdb files. (TDB = Trivial Data Base). These are often located in /var/lib/samba/ @@ -2478,7 +2324,7 @@ or /var/lock/samba/ . The printing related files are ntprinters.tdb, printing.tdb,ntforms.tdb and ntdrivers.tdb. -

Binary Format

*.tdb files are not human readable. They are written in a binary format. "Why not ASCII?", you may ask. "After all, ASCII configuration files are a good and proofed tradition on UNIX." @@ -2491,7 +2337,7 @@ same time. The file format of Samba's *.tdb files allows for this provision. Many smbd processes may write to the same *.tdb file at the same time. This wouldn't be possible with pure ASCII files. -

**Losing `*.tdb` Files**

It is very important that all *.tdb files remain consistent over all write and read accesses. However, it may happen that these files do get corrupted. (A @@ -2501,13 +2347,12 @@ etc.). In cases of trouble, a deletion of the old printing-related *.tdb files may be the only option. You need to re-create all print related setup after that. Or you have made a backup of the *.tdb files in time. -

Using tdbbackup

Samba ships with a little utility which helps the root user of your system to back up your *.tdb files. If you run it with no argument, it prints a little usage message:
- -# tdbbackup +root# tdbbackup Usage: tdbbackup [options] <fname...> Version:3.0a @@ -2518,32 +2363,30 @@ with no argument, it prints a little usage message:
Here is how I backed up my printing.tdb file:
- -# ls - . browse.dat locking.tdb ntdrivers.tdb printing.tdb share_info.tdb - .. connections.tdb messages.tdb ntforms.tdb printing.tdbkp unexpected.tdb - brlock.tdb gmon.out namelist.debug ntprinters.tdb sessionid.tdb +root# ls +. browse.dat locking.tdb ntdrivers.tdb printing.tdb +.. share_info.tdb connections.tdb messages.tdb ntforms.tdb +printing.tdbkp unexpected.tdb brlock.tdb gmon.out namelist.debug +ntprinters.tdb sessionid.tdb - kde-bitshop:/var/lock/samba # tdbbackup -s .bak printing.tdb +root# tdbbackup -s .bak printing.tdb printing.tdb : 135 records - kde-bitshop:/var/lock/samba # ls -l printing.tdb* +root# ls -l printing.tdb* -rw------- 1 root root 40960 May 2 03:44 printing.tdb -rw------- 1 root root 40960 May 2 03:44 printing.tdb.bak -

CUPS Print Drivers from Linuxprinting.org

CUPS ships with good support for HP LaserJet type printers. You can install the generic driver as follows: -
- -lpadmin -p laserjet4plus -v parallel:/dev/lp0 -E -m laserjet.ppd - +
+root# lpadmin -p laserjet4plus -v parallel:/dev/lp0 -E -m laserjet.ppd
-The -m switch will retrieve the +The -m switch will retrieve the laserjet.ppd from the standard repository for not-yet-installed-PPDs, which CUPS typically stores in /usr/share/cups/model. Alternatively, you may use --P /path/to/your.ppd. +-P /path/to/your.ppd.
The generic laserjet.ppd however does not support every special option for every LaserJet-compatible model. It constitutes a sort of "least @@ -2555,6 +2398,7 @@ best used for each printer. Its database is kept current by the tireless work of Till Kamppeter from MandrakeSoft, who is also the principal author of the foomatic-rip utility.
Note
+ The former "cupsomatic" concept is now be replaced by the new, much more powerful "foomatic-rip". foomatic-rip is the successor of cupsomatic. cupsomatic is no longer maintained. Here is the new URL @@ -2565,7 +2409,7 @@ not work with PPDs generated for the old cupsomatic. The new-style PPDs are 100% compliant to the Adobe PPD specification. They are intended to be used by Samba and the cupsaddsmb utility also, to provide the driver files for the Windows clients also! -
foomatic-rip and Foomatic explained
+
foomatic-rip and Foomatic explained
Nowadays most Linux distros rely on the utilities of Linuxprinting.org to create their printing related software (which, BTW, works on all UNIXes and on Mac OS X or Darwin too). It is not known as well as it @@ -2582,7 +2426,7 @@ its Foomatic< database. Currently there are 245 drivers in the database: many drivers support various models, and many models may be driven by different drivers; it's your choice! -
690 "perfect" Printers
+
690 "perfect" Printers
At present there are 690 devices dubbed as working "perfectly", 181 "mostly", 96 "partially" and 46 are "Paperweights". Keeping in mind that most of these are non-PostScript models (PostScript printers are @@ -2593,7 +2437,7 @@ doesn't also scan and copy and fax under GNU/Linux: then this is a truly astonishing achievement. Three years ago the number was not more than 500, and Linux or UNIX "printing" at the time wasn't anywhere near the quality it is today! -
How the "Printing HOWTO" started it all
+
How the "Printing HOWTO" started it all
A few years ago Grant Taylor started it all. The roots of today's Linuxprinting.org are in the first Linux Printing @@ -2607,7 +2451,7 @@ hardware and driver zoo that made up Linux printing of the time. This database became the core component of today's Foomatic collection of tools and data. In the meantime it has moved to an XML representation of the data. -
Foomatic's strange Name
+
Foomatic's strange Name
"Why the funny name?", you ask. When it really took off, around spring 2000, CUPS was far less popular than today, and most systems used LPD, LPRng or even PDQ to print. CUPS shipped with a few generic "drivers" @@ -2630,7 +2474,7 @@ developments available for CUPS;
It made available a lot of addit to CUPS users (because often the "traditional" Ghostscript way of printing was the only one available);
It gave all the advanced CUPS options (web interface, GUI driver configurations) to users wanting (or needing) to use -Ghostscript filters.
cupsomatic, pdqomatic, lpdomatic, directomatic
+Ghostscript filters.
cupsomatic, pdqomatic, lpdomatic, directomatic
CUPS worked through a quickly-hacked up filter script named cupsomatic. cupsomatic ran the printfile through Ghostscript, constructing automatically the rather complicated command line needed. It just @@ -2664,8 +2508,8 @@ Foomatic up to versions 2.0.x required (ugly) Perl data structures attached the Linuxprinting.org PPDs for CUPS. It had a different "*omatic" script for every spooler, as well as different printer configuration files.. -
7.13.1.5.The Grand Unification -achieved...
+
The Grand Unification +achieved...
This all has changed in Foomatic versions 2.9 (Beta) and released as "stable" 3.0. This has now achieved the convergence of all *omatic scripts: it is called the foomatic-rip. @@ -2700,7 +2544,7 @@ sizes for many printers; and it will support printing on media drawn from different paper trays within the same job (in both cases: even where there is no support for this from Windows-based vendor printer drivers). -
Driver Development outside
+
Driver Development outside
Most driver development itself does not happen within Linuxprinting.org. Drivers are written by independent maintainers. Linuxprinting.org just pools all the information, and stores it in its @@ -2713,7 +2557,7 @@ the work is currently done in three projects. These are:
Omni -- a Free Software project by IBM which tries to convert their printer driver knowledge from good-ol' OS/2 times into a modern, modular, -universal driver architecture for Linux/Unix (still Beta). This +universal driver architecture for Linux/UNIX (still Beta). This currently supports 437 models.
HPIJS -- a Free Software project by HP to provide the support for their own range of models (very mature, printing in most cases is perfect and @@ -2723,8 +2567,8 @@ effort, started by Michael Sweet (also lead developer for CUPS), now directed by Robert Krawitz, which has achieved an amazing level of photo print quality (many Epson users swear that its quality is better than the vendor drivers provided by Epson for the Microsoft -platforms). This currently supports 522 models.
Forums, Downloads, Tutorials, Howtos -- also for Mac OS X and -commercial Unix
+platforms). This currently supports 522 models.

Forums, Downloads, Tutorials, Howtos -- also for Mac OS X and +commercial UNIX

Linuxprinting.org today is the one-stop "shop" to download printer drivers. Look for printer information and tutorials or solve printing problems in its popular forums. But @@ -2744,7 +2588,7 @@ of the Foomatic project. Till Kamppeter from MandrakeSoft is doing an excellent job in his spare time to maintain Linuxprinting.org and Foomatic. So if you use it often, please send him a note showing your appreciation. -

Appendix

**Printing from CUPS to Windows attached -Printers**

**Printing from CUPS to Windows attached +Printers**

From time to time the question arises, how you can print to a Windows attached printer from Samba. Normally the local connection -"Windows host <--> printer" would be done by USB or parallel +from Windows host to printer would be done by USB or parallel cable, but this doesn't matter to Samba. From here only an SMB connection needs to be opened to the Windows host. Of course, this printer must be "shared" first. As you have learned by now, CUPS uses @@ -3142,33 +2964,29 @@ is in the CUPS backend directory. This resides usually in file there. It should be a symlink to smbspool which file must exist and be executable:

-
- # ls -l /usr/lib/cups/backend/   
- total 253
- drwxr-xr-x    3 root     root          720 Apr 30 19:04 .
- drwxr-xr-x    6 root     root          125 Dec 19 17:13 ..
- -rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root        10692 Feb 16 21:29 canon
- -rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root        10692 Feb 16 21:29 epson
- lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root            3 Apr 17 22:50 http -> ipp
- -rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root        17316 Apr 17 22:50 ipp
- -rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root        15420 Apr 20 17:01 lpd
- -rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root         8656 Apr 20 17:01 parallel
- -rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root         2162 Mar 31 23:15 pdfdistiller
- lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root           25 Apr 30 19:04 ptal -> /usr/local/sbin/ptal-cups
- -rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root         6284 Apr 20 17:01 scsi
- lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root           17 Apr  2 03:11 smb -> /usr/bin/smbspool
- -rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root         7912 Apr 20 17:01 socket
- -rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root         9012 Apr 20 17:01 usb
-
-# ls -l `which smbspool`
- -rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root       563245 Dec 28 14:49 /usr/bin/smbspool
-
+root# ls -l /usr/lib/cups/backend/
+total 253
+drwxr-xr-x    3 root     root          720 Apr 30 19:04 .
+drwxr-xr-x    6 root     root          125 Dec 19 17:13 ..
+-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root        10692 Feb 16 21:29 canon
+-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root        10692 Feb 16 21:29 epson
+lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root            3 Apr 17 22:50 http -> ipp
+-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root        17316 Apr 17 22:50 ipp
+-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root        15420 Apr 20 17:01 lpd
+-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root         8656 Apr 20 17:01 parallel
+-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root         2162 Mar 31 23:15 pdfdistiller
+lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root           25 Apr 30 19:04 ptal -> /usr/sbin/ptal-cups
+-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root         6284 Apr 20 17:01 scsi
+lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root           17 Apr  2 03:11 smb -> /usr/bin/smbspool
+-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root         7912 Apr 20 17:01 socket
+-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root         9012 Apr 20 17:01 usb
+
+root# ls -l `which smbspool`
+-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root       563245 Dec 28 14:49 /usr/bin/smbspool

If this symlink doesn't exist, create it:

-
-# ln -s `which smbspool` /usr/lib/cups/backend/smb
-
+root# ln -s `which smbspool` /usr/lib/cups/backend/smb

smbspool has been written by Mike Sweet from the CUPS folks. It is included and ships with Samba. It may also be used with print @@ -3185,9 +3003,8 @@ the Windows host, etc.

To install a printer with the smb backend on CUPS, use this command:

-
-# lpadmin -p winprinter -v smb://WINDOWSNETBIOSNAME/printersharename -P /path/to/PPD
-
+root# lpadmin -p winprinter -v smb://WINDOWSNETBIOSNAME/printersharename \
+  -P /path/to/PPD

The PPD must be able to direct CUPS to generate the print data for the target model. For PostScript printers just use @@ -3196,13 +3013,7 @@ what can you do if the printer is only accessible with a password? Or if the printer's host is part of another workgroup? This is provided for: you can include the required parameters as part of the smb:// device-URI. Like this: -

-
- smb://WORKGROUP/WINDOWSNETBIOSNAME/printersharename 
- smb://username:password@WORKGROUP/WINDOWSNETBIOSNAME/printersharename
- smb://username:password@WINDOWSNETBIOSNAME/printersharename
-
-

smb://WORKGROUP/WINDOWSNETBIOSNAME/printersharename
smb://username:password@WORKGROUP/WINDOWSNETBIOSNAME/printersharename
smb://username:password@WINDOWSNETBIOSNAME/printersharename

Note that the device-URI will be visible in the process list of the Samba server (e.g. when someone uses the ps -aux command on Linux), even if the username and passwords are sanitized @@ -3213,337 +3024,41 @@ doesn't require a password! Printing will only work if you have a working netbios name resolution up and running. Note that this is a feature of CUPS and you don't necessarily need to have smbd running (but who wants that? :-). -

More CUPS filtering Chains

The following diagrams reveal how CUPS handles print jobs. -

-#########################################################################
-#
-# CUPS in and of itself has this (general) filter chain (CAPITAL
-# letters are FILE-FORMATS or MIME types, other are filters (this is
-# true for pre-1.1.15 of pre-4.3 versions of CUPS and ESP PrintPro):
-#
-# SOMETHNG-FILEFORMAT
-#      |
-#      V
-#     somethingtops
-#      |
-#      V
-# APPLICATION/POSTSCRIPT
-#      |
-#      V
-#     pstops
-#      |
-#      V
-# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-POSTSCRIPT
-#      |
-#      V
-#     pstoraster   # as shipped with CUPS, independent from any Ghostscipt
-#      |           # installation on the system
-#      |  (= "postscipt interpreter")
-#      V
-# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-RASTER
-#      |
-#      V
-#     rastertosomething  (e.g. Gimp-Print filters may be plugged in here)
-#      |   (= "raster driver")
-#      V
-# SOMETHING-DEVICE-SPECIFIC
-#      |
-#      V
-#     backend
-#
-#
-# ESP PrintPro has some enhanced "rastertosomething" filters as compared to
-# CUPS, and also a somewhat improved "pstoraster" filter.
-#
-# NOTE: Gimp-Print and some other 3rd-Party-Filters (like TurboPrint) to
-#       CUPS and ESP PrintPro plug-in where rastertosomething is noted.
-#
-#########################################################################
-

-#########################################################################
-#
-# This is how "cupsomatic" comes into play:
-# =========================================
-#
-# SOMETHNG-FILEFORMAT
-#      |
-#      V
-#    somethingtops
-#      |
-#      V
-# APPLICATION/POSTSCRIPT
-#      |
-#      V
-#    pstops
-#      |
-#      V
-# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-POSTSCRIPT ----------------+
-#      |                                          V
-#      V                                         cupsomatic
-#    pstoraster                                  (constructs complicated
-#      |  (= "postscipt interpreter")            Ghostscript commandline
-#      |                                         to let the file be
-#      V                                         processed by a
-# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-RASTER                    "-sDEVICE=s.th."
-#      |                                         call...)
-#      V                                          |
-#    rastertosomething                            V
-#      |    (= "raster driver")     +-------------------------+
-#      |                            | Ghostscript at work.... |
-#      V                            |                         |
-# SOMETHING-DEVICE-SPECIFIC         *-------------------------+
-#      |                                          |
-#      V                                          |
-#    backend <------------------------------------+
-#      |
-#      V
-#    THE PRINTER
-#
-#
-# Note, that cupsomatic "kidnaps" the printfile after the
-# "APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-POSTSCRPT" stage and deviates it gh
-# the CUPS-external, systemwide Ghostscript installation, bypassing the
-# "pstoraster" filter (therefore also bypassing the CUPS-raster-drivers
-# "rastertosomething", and hands the rasterized file directly to the CUPS
-# backend...
-#
-# cupsomatic is not made by the CUPS developers. It is an independent
-# contribution to printing development, made by people from
-# Linuxprinting.org. (see also http://www.cups.org/cups-help.html)
-#
-# NOTE: Gimp-Print and some other 3rd-Party-Filters (like TurboPrint) to
-#       CUPS and ESP PrintPro plug-in where rastertosomething is noted.
-#
-#########################################################################
-

-#########################################################################
-#
-# And this is how it works for ESP PrintPro from 4.3:
-# ===================================================
-#
-# SOMETHNG-FILEFORMAT
-#      |
-#      V
-#     somethingtops
-#      |
-#      V
-# APPLICATION/POSTSCRIPT
-#      |
-#      V
-#     pstops
-#      |
-#      V
-# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-POSTSCRIPT
-#      |
-#      V
-#     gsrip
-#      |  (= "postscipt interpreter")
-#      V
-# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-RASTER
-#      |
-#      V
-#     rastertosomething  (e.g. Gimp-Print filters may be plugged in here)
-#      |   (= "raster driver")
-#      V
-# SOMETHING-DEVICE-SPECIFIC
-#      |
-#      V
-#     backend
-#
-# NOTE: Gimp-Print and some other 3rd-Party-Filters (like TurboPrint) to
-#       CUPS and ESP PrintPro plug-in where rastertosomething is noted.
-#
-#########################################################################
-

-#########################################################################
-#
-# This is how "cupsomatic" would come into play with ESP PrintPro:
-# ================================================================
-#
-#
-# SOMETHNG-FILEFORMAT
-#      |
-#      V
-#    somethingtops
-#      |
-#      V
-# APPLICATION/POSTSCRIPT
-#      |
-#      V
-#    pstops
-#      |
-#      V
-# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-POSTSCRIPT ----------------+
-#      |                                          V
-#      V                                         cupsomatic
-#    gsrip                                       (constructs complicated
-#      |  (= "postscipt interpreter")            Ghostscript commandline
-#      |                                         to let the file be
-#      V                                         processed by a
-# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-RASTER                    "-sDEVICE=s.th."
-#      |                                         call...)
-#      V                                          |
-#    rastertosomething                            V
-#      |   (= "raster driver")      +-------------------------+
-#      |                            | Ghostscript at work.... |
-#      V                            |                         |
-# SOMETHING-DEVICE-SPECIFIC         *-------------------------+
-#      |                                          |
-#      V                                          |
-#    backend <------------------------------------+
-#      |
-#      V
-#    THE PRINTER
-#
-# NOTE: Gimp-Print and some other 3rd-Party-Filters (like TurboPrint) to
-#       CUPS and ESP PrintPro plug-in where rastertosomething is noted.
-#
-#########################################################################
-

-#########################################################################
-#
-# And this is how it works for CUPS from 1.1.15:
-# ==============================================
-#
-# SOMETHNG-FILEFORMAT
-#      |
-#      V
-#     somethingtops
-#      |
-#      V
-# APPLICATION/POSTSCRIPT
-#      |
-#      V
-#     pstops
-#      |
-#      V
-# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-POSTSCRIPT-----+
-#                  +------------------v------------------------------+
-#                  | Ghostscript                                     |
-#                  | at work...                                      |
-#                  | (with                                           |
-#                  | "-sDEVICE=cups")                                |
-#                  |                                                 |
-#                  |         (= "postscipt interpreter")             |
-#                  |                                                 |
-#                  +------------------v------------------------------+
-#                                     |
-# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-RASTER >-------+
-#      |
-#      V
-#     rastertosomething
-#      |   (= "raster driver")
-#      V
-# SOMETHING-DEVICE-SPECIFIC
-#      |
-#      V
-#     backend
-#
-#
-# NOTE: since version 1.1.15 CUPS "outsourced" the pstoraster process to
-#       Ghostscript. GNU Ghostscript needs to be patched to handle the
-#       CUPS requirement; ESP Ghostscript has this builtin. In any case,
-#       "gs -h" needs to show up a "cups" device. pstoraster is now a
-#       calling an appropriate "gs -sDEVICE=cups..." commandline to do
-#       the job. It will output "application/vnd.cup-raster", which will
-#       be finally processed by a CUPS raster driver "rastertosomething"
-#       Note the difference to "cupsomatic", which will not output
-#       CUPS-raster, but a final version of the printfile, ready to be
-#       sent to the printer. cupsomatic also doesn't use the "cups"
-#       devicemode in Ghostscript, but one of the classical devicemodes....
-#
-# NOTE: Gimp-Print and some other 3rd-Party-Filters (like TurboPrint) to
-#       CUPS and ESP PrintPro plug-in where rastertosomething is noted.
-#
-#########################################################################
-

-#########################################################################
-#
-# And this is how it works for CUPS from 1.1.15, with cupsomatic included:
-# ========================================================================
-#
-# SOMETHNG-FILEFORMAT
-#      |
-#      V
-#     somethingtops
-#      |
-#      V
-# APPLICATION/POSTSCRIPT
-#      |
-#      V
-#     pstops
-#      |
-#      V
-# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-POSTSCRIPT-----+
-#                  +------------------v------------------------------+
-#                  | Ghostscript        . Ghostscript at work....    |
-#                  | at work...         . (with "-sDEVICE=           |
-#                  | (with              .            s.th."          |
-#                  | "-sDEVICE=cups")   .                            |
-#                  |                    .                            |
-#                  | (CUPS standard)    .      (cupsomatic)          |
-#                  |                    .                            |
-#                  |          (= "postscript interpreter")           |
-#                  |                    .                            |
-#                  +------------------v--------------v---------------+
-#                                     |              |
-# APPLICATION/VND.CUPS-RASTER >-------+              |
-#      |                                             |
-#      V                                             |
-#     rastertosomething                              |
-#      |   (= "raster driver")                       |
-#      V                                             |
-# SOMETHING-DEVICE-SPECIFIC >------------------------+
-#      |
-#      V
-#     backend
-#
-#
-# NOTE: Gimp-Print and some other 3rd-Party-Filters (like TurboPrint) to
-#       CUPS and ESP PrintPro plug-in where rastertosomething is noted.
-#
-##########################################################################
-

Trouble Shooting Guidelines to fix typical Samba printing -Problems

-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. -

Win9x client can't install driver: For Win9x clients require the printer names to be 8 +
Figure 19.17. Filtering chain 1
Figure 19.18. Filtering chain with cupsomatic
Note
+Gimp-Print and some other 3rd-Party-Filters (like TurboPrint) to +CUPS and ESP PrintPro plug-in where rastertosomething is noted. +

Common Errors

Win9x client can't install driver

For Win9x clients require the printer names to be 8 chars (or "8 plus 3 chars suffix") max; otherwise the driver files won't get transferred when you want to download them from -Samba.

testparm

Run testparm: It will tell you if -smb.conf parameters are in the wrong -section. Many people have had the "printer admin" parameter in the -[printers] section and experienced -problems. "testparm" will tell you if it sees -this.

"cupsaddsmb" keeps asking for a root password in a -neverending loop

Have you security = user? Have +Samba.

"cupsaddsmb" keeps asking for root password in + neverending loop

Have you security = user? Have you used smbpasswd to give root a Samba account? You can do 2 things: open another terminal and execute smbpasswd -a root to create the account, and continue with entering the password into the first terminal. Or break out of the loop by hitting ENTER twice (without trying to type a -password).

"cupsaddsmb" gives "No PPD file for printer..." -message (but I swear there is one!)

Have you enabled printer sharing on CUPS? This means: +password).

"cupsaddsmb" gives "No PPD file for printer..." + message while PPD file is present

Have you enabled printer sharing on CUPS? This means: do you have a <Location /printers>....</Location> section in CUPS server's cupsd.conf which doesn't deny access to the host you run "cupsaddsmb" from? It could be an issue if you use cupsaddsmb remotely, or if you use it with a --h parameter: cupsaddsmb -H -sambaserver -h cupsserver -v printername. -

Is your +-h parameter: cupsaddsmb -H + sambaserver -h cupsserver -v printername. +

Is your "TempDir" directive in cupsd.conf set to a valid value and is it writeable? -

I can't connect client to Samba printer.

Use smbstatus to check which user +

Client can't connect to Samba printer

Use smbstatus to check which user you are from Samba's point of view. Do you have the privileges to write into the [print$] -share?

I can't reconnect to Samba under a new account -from Win2K/XP

Once you are connected as the "wrong" user (for -example as "nobody", which often occurs if you have map to -guest = bad user), Windows Explorer will not accept an +share?

Can't reconnect to Samba under new account + from Win2K/XP

Once you are connected as the "wrong" user (for +example as "nobody", which often occurs if you have +map to guest = bad user), Windows Explorer will not accept an attempt to connect again as a different user. There won't be any byte transfered on the wire to Samba, but still you'll see a stupid error message which makes you think that Samba has denied access. Use @@ -3556,61 +3071,59 @@ indicating a renewed connection attempt? Shut all Explorer Windows. This makes Windows forget what it has cached in its memory as established connections. Then re-connect as the right user. Best method is to use a DOS terminal window and first -do net use z: \\SAMBAHOST\print$ /user:root. Check +do net use z: \\GANDALF\print$ /user:root. Check with smbstatus that you are connected under a different account. Now open the "Printers" folder (on the Samba server in the Network Neighbourhood), right-click the printer in question and select -Connect...

Avoid being connected to the Samba server as the -"wrong" user

You see per smbstatus that you are +Connect...

Avoid being connected to the Samba server as the + "wrong" user

You see per smbstatus that you are connected as user "nobody"; while you wanted to be "root" or -"printeradmin"? This is probably due to map to guest = bad -user, which silently connects you under the guest account, +"printeradmin"? This is probably due to +map to guest = bad user, which silently connects you under the guest account, when you gave (maybe by accident) an incorrect username. Remove -map to guest, if you want to prevent -this.

Upgrading to CUPS drivers from Adobe drivers on -NT/2K/XP clients gives problems

First delete all "old" Adobe-using printers. Then +map to guest, if you want to prevent +this.

Upgrading to CUPS drivers from Adobe drivers on + NT/2K/XP clients gives problems

First delete all "old" Adobe-using printers. Then delete all "old" Adobe drivers. (On Win2K/XP, right-click in background of "Printers" folder, select "Server Properties...", select -tab "Drivers" and delete here).

I can't use "cupsaddsmb"on a Samba server which is -a PDC

Do you use the "naked" root user name? Try to do it -this way: cupsaddsmb -U DOMAINNAME\\root -v -printername (note the two backslashes: the first one is -required to "escape" the second one).

I deleted a printer on Win2K; but I still see -its driver

Deleting a printer on the client won't delete the +tab "Drivers" and delete here).

Can't use "cupsaddsmb" on Samba server which is + a PDC

Do you use the "naked" root user name? Try to do it +this way: cupsaddsmb -U DOMAINNAME\\root -v +printername> (note the two backslashes: the first one is +required to "escape" the second one).

Deleted Win2K printer driver is still shown

Deleting a printer on the client won't delete the driver too (to verify, right-click on the white background of the "Printers" folder, select "Server Properties" and click on the "Drivers" tab). These same old drivers will be re-used when you try to install a printer with the same name. If you want to update to a new driver, delete the old ones first. Deletion is only possible if no -other printer uses the same driver.

Win2K/XP "Local Security -Policies"

Local Security Policies may not +other printer uses the same driver.

Win2K/XP "Local Security + Policies"

Local Security Policies may not allow the installation of unsigned drivers. "Local Security Policies" may not allow the installation of printer drivers at -all.

WinXP clients: "Administrator can not install -printers for all local users"

Windows XP handles SMB printers on a "per-user" basis. +all.

WinXP clients: "Administrator can not install + printers for all local users"

Windows XP handles SMB printers on a "per-user" basis. This means every user needs to install the printer himself. To have a printer available for everybody, you might want to use the built-in IPP client capabilities of WinXP. Add a printer with the print path of http://cupsserver:631/printers/printername. Still looking into this one: maybe a "logon script" could automatically install printers for all -users.

"Print Change Notify" functions on -NT-clients

For "print change notify" functions on NT++ clients, +users.

"Print Change Notify" functions on + NT-clients

For "print change notify" functions on NT++ clients, these need to run the "Server" service first (re-named to File & Print Sharing for MS Networks in -XP).

WinXP-SP1

WinXP-SP1 introduced a Point and Print +XP).

WinXP-SP1

WinXP-SP1 introduced a Point and Print Restriction Policy (this restriction doesn't apply to "Administrator" or "Power User" groups of users). In Group Policy -Object Editor: go to User Configuration --> -Administrative Templates --> Control Panel --> +Object Editor: go to User Configuration, + Administrative Templates, Control Panel, Printers. The policy is automatically set to Enabled and the Users can only Point and Print to machines in their Forest . You probably need to change it to Disabled or Users can only Point and Print to these servers in order to make -driver downloads from Samba possible.

I can't set and save default print options for all -users on Win2K/XP

How are you doing it? I bet the wrong way (it is not +driver downloads from Samba possible.

Print options for all users can't be set on Win2K/XP

How are you doing it? I bet the wrong way (it is not very easy to find out, though). There are 3 different ways to bring you to a dialog that seems to set everything. All three dialogs look the same. Only one of them @@ -3650,13 +3163,13 @@ Do you see any difference? I don't either... However, only the last one, which you arrived at with steps "C.1.-6." will save any settings permanently and be the defaults for new users. If you want all clients to get the same defaults, you need to conduct these steps as -Administrator (printer admin in +Administrator (printer admin in smb.conf) before a client downloads the driver (the clients can later set their own per-user defaults by following the procedures A. or B. -above).

What are the most common blunders in driver -settings on Windows clients?

Don't use Optimize for +above).

Most common blunders in driver + settings on Windows clients

Don't use Optimize for Speed: use Optimize for Portability instead (Adobe PS Driver) Don't use Page Independence: No: always @@ -3668,8 +3181,8 @@ printer (Adobe PS Driver). For TrueType Download Options choose Outline. Use PostScript Level 2, if you are having trouble with a non-PS printer, and if -there is a choice.

I can't make cupsaddsmb work -with newly installed printer

Symptom: the last command of +there is a choice.

cupsaddsmb does not work + with newly installed printer

Symptom: the last command of cupsaddsmb doesn't complete successfully: cmd = setdriver printername printername result was NT_STATUS_UNSUCCESSFUL then possibly the printer was not yet @@ -3678,23 +3191,23 @@ Neighbourhood? Did it show up in rpcclient hostname -c 'enumprinters'? Restart smbd (or send a kill -HUP to all processes listed by smbstatus and try -again.

My permissions on +again.

Permissions on `/var/spool/samba/` get reset after each -reboot
Have you by accident set the CUPS spool directory to +reboot

Have you by accident set the CUPS spool directory to the same location? (RequestRoot /var/spool/samba/ in cupsd.conf or the other way round: /var/spool/cups/ is set as -path in the [printers] +path> in the [printers] section). These must be different. Set RequestRoot /var/spool/cups/ in -cupsd.conf and path = -/var/spool/samba in the [printers] +cupsd.conf and path = +/var/spool/samba in the [printers] section of smb.conf. Otherwise cupsd will sanitize permissions to its spool directory with each restart, and -printing will not work reliably.

My printers work fine: just the printer named "lp" +printing will not work reliably.

Printer named "lp" intermittently swallows jobs and spits out completely different -ones
It is a very bad idea to name any printer "lp". This -is the traditional Unix name for the default printer. CUPS may be set +ones

It is a very bad idea to name any printer "lp". This +is the traditional UNIX name for the default printer. CUPS may be set up to do an automatic creation of "Implicit Classes". This means, to group all printers with the same name to a pool of devices, and loadbalancing the jobs across them in a round-robin fashion. Chances @@ -3703,31 +3216,10 @@ receive his jobs and send your own to his device unwittingly. To have tight control over the printer names, set BrowseShortNames No. It will present any printer as "printername@cupshost" then, giving you a better control over what may happen in a large -networked environment.

How do I "watch" my Samba server?

You can use tail -f -/var/log/samba/log.smbd (you may need a different path) to -see a live scrolling of all log messages. smbcontrol smbd -debuglevel tells you which verbosity goes into the -logs. smbcontrol smbd debug 3 sets the verbosity to -a quite high level (you can choose from 0 to 10 or 100). This works -"on the fly", without the need to restart the smbd daemon. Don't use -more than 3 initially; or you'll drown in an ocean of -messages.

I can't use Samba from my WinXP Home box, while -access from WinXP Prof works flawlessly

You have our condolences! WinXP home has been -completely neutered by Microsoft as compared to WinXP Prof: you can -not log into a WinNT domain. It cannot join a Win NT domain as a -member server. While it is possible to access domain resources, users -don't have "single sign-on". They need to supply username and password -each time they connect to a resource. Logon scripts and roaming -profiles are not supported. It can serve file and print shares; but -only in "share-mode security" level. It can not use "user-mode -security" (what Windows 95/98/ME still can -do).

Where do I find the Adobe PostScript driver files -I need for "cupsaddsmb"?

Use smbclient to connect to any +networked environment.

Location of Adobe PostScript driver files necessary for "cupsaddsmb"

Use smbclient to connect to any Windows box with a shared PostScript printer: smbclient //windowsbox/print\$ -U guest. You can navigate to the W32X86/2 subdir to mget ADOBE* and other files or to WIN40/0 to do the same. -- Another option is to download the *.exe packaged -files from the Adobe website.

An Overview of the CUPS Printing Processes

Figure 19.15. CUPS Printing Overview

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