[plug] [Plug] Print server setup query

[John Summerfield]

On Thu, 16 Jul 1998, Damion Hill wrote:

I use to lnow a bloke called Graham Hill, right here in Perth. He used to
race cars, like a couple of other (more famous) Graham Hills around the
place.


> Hi,
> 
> I've just 'converted' to Linux. "Just" being I started using it a week 
> ago and converted being I have one machine running it but my 
> primary box is Windoze95.
> 
> I have had the opportunity of turning my old clunker P166 at work

Watch it boy, Don't you insult my (much older) 486es or Pentiums (100,
133).

Any computer you get to play with is a nice computer.

 
> into a Linux box and I want to try to use it in a way that might 
> encourage a twist of departmental policy away from the increasing 
> reliance of NT.
> 
> Currently it is running as an unofficial departmental intranet server. I 
> am hoping I can develop it into a worthwhile resource so that the 
> manager will agree to an official status for it.
> 
> My aim is to run it as a print server as well as web server. Beyond 
> that... I'll have to see as my experience grows.

Samba works well as a print server. It's on your Linux CD or you can get
the latest by ftp from samba.anu.edu.au


> 
> 
> 1. I've noticed that a lot of the messages to this list have subjects 
> prefixed with "[plug]". Is this a convention or do I look silly 
> emulating it?

<g>

> 
> 2. Currently I'm running Redhat 4.2 on a P166 with 32Mb RAM and 
> around 2Gb HD with 64Mb as swap. No other partitions. This 
> machine is linked to the lan and everything is running smoothly.
> 
> I intend to move up to Redhat 5.1 next week for no reason other 
> than it doesn't matter if the box is offline for an indefinite time.

Read the guidelines on partitioning. You will most certainly want your
/home directories off the primary partition.

 
> Once this is up and running I will get Apache working again and 
> would like to run a Brother HL-10h printer from it. Please don't 
> shudder, I know it is a shocking printer but it doesn't do the high 
> volume stuff.
> 
> What would I have to do to get the box running as a print server for 
> a few Win95 machines?

Install Ghostscript. I don't recall seeing Brother mentioned but if the
Brother emulates an Epson it will work fine. Ghostscript allows you to
send postscript print files to the unix/samba printer and they're
translated to the printer's natice format. You can subsequently change the
printer, change the printer definition and tell nobody.

With the redhat print filters in place, you can also send plain text, the
printer's native print files and (but I've not tried) various other print
formats to the printer and get them all printed properly. 

> 
> I am prepared to experiment so any options would be appreciated. I 
> figure it will be a good place to start as I don't know enough to work 
> with yet.

Experimenting is the way to learn.

Cheers
John Summerfield who's lost his sig.