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print server in Mandriva


mada726
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I'm planning to set up a print server to share all of my three computers in my household. We recently got a wireless router in our house and we set up two wireless-G USB adapters for our two systems.

 

These two systems that are equipped with Wireless-G adapters are my Pentium 3 computer at 500Mhz and the Celeron D system at 2.66 Ghz. They both run on Windoze XP with SP2 of course.

 

As for the third computer, I'm running on a Pentium 4 at 1.4Ghz. I'm also running Windoze XP, though I'm planning to install Mandriva on my system in the future - until I can find another hard drive to put it on though.

 

My question is, what is the exact requirements on setting up a print server on Mandriva? I haven't found a disused computer in my sighting somewhere as far as I know. I have two USB printers and one parallel port printer. Call me crazy, but that's all I got....

 

I found that idea from these websites:

http://pigtail.net/LRP/printsrv/

http://www.howtoforge.com/samba_setup_ubuntu_5.10 < Although that has nothing to do with Mandriva, this link is loosely based on my own idea and the proposal.

 

So, what's your advice folks? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

- P.S. refer to my diagram attached.

 

[moved from Hardware by spinynorman]

post-10890-1137725872_thumb.jpg

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It really shouldn't be too hard. When you set up Mandriva get your printer configured, usually it's pretty automatic, but some printers that don't have good Linux support can be problems (folks have had problems with some Lexmark printers and multifunction printers, check on this board or do a google). You will have to set up Windows and Linux talking to each other and that's Samba on Linux. If it's only printer sharing you should be able to get a shared printer set up in MCC (Mandriva Control Center). On the Windows end you will have to add a printer on a LAN. I've not had any problems doing this with Windows XP and Windows 2000. You will need to install the printer drivers on Windows.

Potential problems may come with the wireless router, but I have no experience with wireless and have a 4 computer wired network with a mix of Mandriva and Windows XP and 2000 with the printer on Mandriva 2006, an old HP USB printer.

I wouldn't get too worried about Samba stuff for a printer. It gets more complicated with file sharing because of permissions, users, etc. Make sure you don't have firewalls blocking you. Generally routers have decent firewalls so you don't need to put up much else (I'm not the most paranoid of folks).

Hope this helps. Go for it.

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Well, based on your advice, I'm still trying to find a disused computer somewhere in order to make that machine into a Mandriva print server. By the way, what are the exact computer requirements in order to have a fully-functionned print server? What are the drawbacks?

 

As for the printer, I'm going to use the Lexmark Z705. It's been storing in my closet and hasn't been used ever since. It's a USB-based printer and it's an inkjet.

 

I heard about CUPS (Common Unix Printer System), but I don't know how that works.

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Well, based on your advice, I'm still trying to find a disused computer somewhere in order to make that machine into a Mandriva print server. By the way, what are the exact computer requirements in order to have a fully-functionned print server? What are the drawbacks?

One drawback of using a dedicated computer as a printserver is that it has to be on all the time. If your Linux box is on 24/7, you can use it as a printserver - samba will take care of making printers connected to your box available to other PCs on the LAN.

 

A better option (consistent with your design) is to buy a WIFI router with built-in printserver. This setup is the easiest to configure. Such routers come with a software for automated setup under Windows, and Linux natively supports LAN printing. If you already have the router, you can buy a standalone printserver with a couple of USB ports and a parallel port, so you can connect all your printers to it, and hook up it to the router via wireless or wired link.

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