can I share a printer?

[davidwillis]

I am new to linux, and not much better at networking. Both of my computers have kubuntu 6.06. My main one is connected to the printer, and then I have my laptop. The only connection is that it connects to the internet through the wireless router (the same one my main computer is plugged into). Is there a way to share the printer? I was able to get it to work in windows (both running xp), but am having a hard time with linux. I don't know how to set up my printer to be able to share it on the network, and then I don't know how to access it with my laptop.

Thanks.

[OU812]

Re: can I share a printer?

Your printer is connected to the router? It should be possible to share it. I have a printserver that I got working with linux (I have two computers hooked up to with internet cables and my printer is hooked into it with a usb cable). I googled the make and model of the printserver and found a how-to on linux on the first page. Give it a try with the make and model of your router, and the keyword linux (maybe even throw in cups).

john

[davidwillis]

Re: can I share a printer?

No, my printer is hooked directly to my main computer (usb). Then my main computer is connected to the router by my network card.

Thanks. I will try a search tomorrow. I am going to bed tonight. I tried a few searches, but I was doing linux network printer. I mostly got how to connect a linux machine to a windows network printer.

[davidwillis]

Re: can I share a printer?

I am still trying to figure this out, and have another question. When I go into the print server > confingure server, it asked you to login. When I use my user name, and password it does not work. What do you put in there? I also tried root (I figured that would not work since kubuntu does not us a root in the normal way).

[randcoop]

Re: can I share a printer?

There's no reason to use the printserver approach. Most people simply use Samba, which is a Linux networking program.

So on both computers, use Adept to install Samba (if you don't know how to install software, respond to that effect and it can be easily explained).

Once samba is running on both computers, you'll use the command:

sudo kcontrol

from a terminal to run kcontrol. In Kcontrol, you'll see Internet/Samba. From there, it's quite easy to set up shares, including print shares (you can share your files between the two computers as well as printers).

[davidwillis]

Re: can I share a printer?

There's no reason to use the printserver approach.  Most people simply use Samba, which is a Linux networking program.

So on both computers, use Adept to install Samba (if you don't know how to install software, respond to that effect and it can be easily explained).

Once samba is running on both computers, you'll use the command:

sudo kcontrol

from a terminal to run kcontrol.    In Kcontrol, you'll see Internet/Samba.  From there, it's quite easy to set up shares, including print shares (you can share your files between the two computers as well as printers).

Thanks, for some reason I thought Samba was for networking with a windows computer. So I was looking for a linux network. Ok, now I at least know where to start looking. There is a lot of info on Samba.

[randcoop]

Re: can I share a printer?

You don't have to use samba to network two linux computers. You do have to use it to include Windows computers on your network. But it works very well with linux networks, especially if you want to share more than just files. If all you want to share are files, then NFS will work "out of the box" between linux computers. But if you want to share a printer that is attached to a computer, then you'll need samba.

Again, it's not hard to install or use. To install, just run:

sudo apt-get install samba

at the command line of a terminal (konsole).

[davidwillis]

Re: can I share a printer?

You don't have to use samba to network two linux computers. You do have to use it to include Windows computers on your network. But it works very well with linux networks, especially if you want to share more than just files. If all you want to share are files, then NFS will work "out of the box" between linux computers. But if you want to share a printer that is attached to a computer, then you'll need samba.

Again, it's not hard to install or use. To install, just run:

sudo apt-get install samba

at the command line of a terminal (konsole).

Thanks. I got it working now.

[michellembrodeur]

Re: can I share a printer?

Greetings

I did everything the other user above me did. even set the printer in samba to use cups.

Now when I send a print job, it shows up ont he system with the printer but last like 3 seconds and is gone.

But a normal print jobs last as long as it takes to print the job.

So I can send the file but it does not print it.

Any suggestions, anyone.

Thanks all