Cannot get permision to configure print server

[CentaurHauler]

When I go to System Settings>Printers, enter Administrator Mode, and try to configure the Print Server, it asks me for a password that I cannot satisfy. I've tried this on 2 machines and I doubt I typoed on the password for both of them! Can someone give me a hint?

This is my first experiment with Linux of any kind, and I'm slowly working my way through trying to share it on my home network. I've struggled through getting sharing to work by editing smb.conf (hacking, as I don't know squat about what the settings do), as neither the Networking or Sharing GUI in Systems Settings seem to do anything helpful. Now the only piece left is to get the printer shared!

[penguin.ch]

Re: Cannot get permision to configure print server

Hmmm ... and how about http://localhost:631/admin instead?

[CentaurHauler]

Re: Cannot get permision to configure print server

Well, I can get in there and do some things, but for instance I cannot delete a printer - I get an authorization dialog for the site CUPS at localhost asking for username and password, but it does not accept anything I give it. I've been consistent with the username and passord I've set up, so I've no idea what it wants. Seems to be the same problem as going in through KDE system settings.

[penguin.ch]

Re: Cannot get permision to configure print server

O.k., then back to square one: does [Alt][F2] kdesu kcontrol work?

[CentaurHauler]

Re: Cannot get permision to configure print server

Nope, same results. Apparently, the problem is with whatever CUPS wants as a username/password, not with the method of getting in there.

[CentaurHauler]

Re: Cannot get permision to configure print server

Well, I found this on the web (entered in terminal as root):

root@machine[user]# ps -fu cupsys
UID PID PPID C STIME TTY TIME CMD
root@machine[user]# ps -ef |grep cups
lp 6494 1 7 13:12 ? 00:00:11 /usr/sbin/cupsd
root 7087 6043 0 13:15 pts/3 00:00:00 grep cups
root@machine[user]# adduser lp shadow
Adding user `lp' to group `shadow'...
Done.
root@machine[user]# /etc/init.d/cupsys restart
* Restarting Common Unix Printing System: cupsd [ ok ]
root@machine[user]#

Only vaguely aware of what it means - mostly just typing in the magic characters, but it got me in under my regular username/password.

Now I can share the printer with my other Kubuntu machine, but not yet with my XP machine - it sees it and installs, but shows it as "access denied, unable to connect"

[aiiee]

Re: Cannot get permision to configure print server

CUPS wants what you've entered as a 'sudo' password, if you haven't accidentally mucked it up yet by trying to set a password in CUPS. This is one of the worst bits of software in linux, just the security part, the rest of CUPS has always worked for me. Try the sudo password, try just hitting enter for the password. I don't know how to fix it, and after 3 months with an earlier version of kubuntu, I just gave up. In fiesty, I just used my sudo password and it worked, I got in. Some things are really screwed up in linux, and no one really cares enough to fix it. For a good look at the apathy level on this, go look at the CUPS web site forum. Lots of posts on the problem, and noooo responses. idiots.

[CentaurHauler]

Re: Cannot get permision to configure print server

Actually, the fix I entered did solve the problem, I just needed to re-boot everyone. I'm beginning to understand the nature of the problem, and it is inherent in Linux. I was looking for an integrated package with a good GUI, but Linux is a collection of independent software, just like in the old DOS days. You can layer a GUI on top of it, but it must be quite a job to keep it integrated when the parts are changing independently. Tracking down files to type in obscure tests strings is NOT my idea of a good time, and I had avoided Linux until recently because I was waiting for a truly integrated, GUI-configurable package. I'm a little skeptical now that it will ever get much better than this, but who knows.

Anyway, file and print sharing is working now. I just need to figure out why the printing is so awfully slow - probably just need to spend several more hours searching the web for obscure character strings to stick in the cups.conf files, or some such.

[gypsy98101]

Re: Cannot get permision to configure print server

Actually, the printing is probably slow because you are using the open source print driver. I use a brother printer and just used the driver that came with the kubuntu install. Before I used the driver directly from Brother, but it needed a special ltp driver with another CUPS wrapper and I had some difficulty installing it. When I finally got it going, it was GREAT, very fast. But when I hosed that system and reinstalled kubuntu, I was too lazy to get the proprietary driver set up. So I'm limping along with the slow open source one.

[Shabakthanai]

Re: Cannot get permision to configure print server

It is a presumption for me to try to help, because I am so new, nonetheless, the way you worded your problem appeared that you were more at my skill level that that of an administrator. If you are trying to make changes on a company computer, you will need the authority of the company's Administrator. I am sure they will help you, nonetheless, if you don't know the password to get in to make changes, and that would be required to change settings, you will have to have help from your superior. If you are on your own computer, at some point you were probably asked to make a password to enter the administrator area of the computer. If so, you probably entered your most secure password at that time. If you haven't tried that password, do so. It may work. Are you using KDE? If so, you are probably using Adept. I had a similar problem when I was learning that aspect of Linux. I hope this will help you. If not, I hope someone with a little experience will step in and help. My ultimate solution was to format and reinstall the OS, until I learned a little more. At least the computer would work with me until I screwed up again. Hasn't happened yet, but I too am trying to solve a myriad of problems.