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<TITLE>Networking HP PPA DeskJet Printers using SAMBA.: Configuring the Printer Host.</TITLE>
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<H2><A NAME="s2">2. Configuring the Printer Host.</A></H2>
<P>
<H2><A NAME="ss2.1">2.1 Configuring a Linux/Unix Host to share a PPA printer using Samba.</A>
</H2>
<P>It is assumed that <CODE>pnm2ppa</CODE> is installed and working
to provide local printing services on the Host, and that
<CODE>lpr</CODE> will invoke a full set of print filters, as
(e.g.) in Red Hat 6.2. The PPA printer is installed with
the printer name <CODE>lp</CODE>, and
<CODE>samba</CODE> is assumed to be installed. General Samba configuration
issues involving security levels, network password, etc, are outside the
scope of this document (see the SMB-HOWTO). You must log in as
<CODE>root</CODE> to configure Samba.
<P>Here is a sample entry setting up two public printer shares
in the Host's <CODE>/etc/smb.conf</CODE> file.
The printer HP722C-PPA is for printing by a Client that sends
PPA output from <CODE>pnm2ppa</CODE> or the HP drivers across
the network, and HP722-PS is for Clients that produce PostScript
output:
<BLOCKQUOTE><CODE>
<PRE>
[HP722C-PPA]
comment = HP 722C printer on Linux (PPA input)
path = /var/tmp
printer name = lp
writable = yes
public = yes
printable = yes
print command = lpr -l -r -h -P %p %s
[HP722C-PS]
comment = HP 722C printer on Linux (Postscript input)
path = /var/tmp
printer name = lp
writable = yes
public = yes
printable = yes
print command = lpr -r -h -P %p %s
</PRE>
</CODE></BLOCKQUOTE>
The only differences besides the names are that the print command
for HP722-PPA uses the "<CODE> -l </CODE>"
"pass-through" option so print filters are not applied.
The <CODE>path</CODE> entry uses <CODE>/var/tmp</CODE> because this is (presumably)
a world-readable and -writable area for temporary files.
<P>After editing <CODE>/etc/smb.conf</CODE> to include these entries,
save it, and test its syntax with Samba's <CODE>testparm</CODE> utility.
Then restart samba
(run "<CODE>/etc/rc.d/init.d/smb restart</CODE>" on Red Hat).
<P>
<P>
<P>
<H2><A NAME="ss2.2">2.2 Configuring a Windows Host to share a PPA printer with non-Windows Clients.</A>
</H2>
<P>The Host is assumed to be a Window 98 system, and the PPA
printer is assumed to be a HP722C installed with the native HP
PPA drivers supplied on HP's installation CD. Some details may vary
on other Windows versions.
<P>First set up a shared printer that can accept PPA input
from both networked Windows Clients, and from
networked non-Windows Clients
that use <CODE>pnm2ppa</CODE>.
<P>
<UL>
<LI><B>IMPORTANT!</B>:
A PPA printer attached to a Windows Host shared with a
Client running pnm2ppa has the following limitation:
<UL>
<LI> <B>Bi-Directional communication between the Windows Host and the printer
must be disabled.</B></LI>
</UL>
If it is not done,
<B>a General Protection Fault</B> will usually occur on
the Windows Host when pnm2ppa sends
output to the
shared printer. (A "Hpfbkg06" error occurs,
and the printer becomes nonfunctional until
the Windows system is rebooted.)
Disabling bi-directional communication appears to be a minor inconvenience:
according to HP, the print quality is unaffected,
but the
"advanced features of the Status Monitor"
will no longer send reminders to align the print cartridges
after a new cartridge is installed, or
send error messages
associated with the ink cartridges
or the banner lever.</LI>
</UL>
<P>You may be able to avoid disabling bi-directional communication
by using an emulated Postscript
printer to serve non-Windows Clients <B>without</B> using <CODE>pnm2ppa</CODE>
(see below).
<P>To turn off bi-directional communication between the Windows Host
and the printer, open the <B>Settings/Printers</B> folder,
then right-click on the printer icon, and open the <B>Properties</B>
dialog. Select the <B>Details</B> tab, and click on
<B>Spool Settings</B>, then choose the setting
"<B>Disable bi-directional support for this printer</B>".
If you have any difficulties, try rebooting Windows after the change,
or see HP's support document
<A HREF="http://www.hp.com/cposupport/printers/support_doc/bpd06455.html">http://www.hp.com/cposupport/printers/support_doc/bpd06455.html</A> about disabling bi-directional communication.
<P>To set up the Host to share the printer, right-click on its
icon in the <B>Settings/Printers</B> folder, and select <B>Sharing</B>,
then assign it a Share Name like HP722C-PPA , and enter a Comment
Line like "HP 722C printer on Windows 98 (PPA input)".
<P>You may now also wish to set up an emulated Postscript printer that
accepts Postscript input from the Client,
and prints it using HP's PPA drivers
<B>running on the Host, instead of on the Client.</B>
See the section
<A HREF="PPA_networking-4.html">Emulating a PostScript printer on a Windows Host</A><P>If you have installed and successfully tested the emulated printer,
set it up for sharing on the network.
Right-click on its
icon in the <B>Settings/Printers</B> folder, and select <B>Sharing</B>,
then assign it a Share Name like HP722C-PS, and enter a Comment
Line like "HP 722C printer on Windows 98 (PostScript input)".
<P>The emulated printer will appear like a Postscript printer to
the Clients. If it provides acceptable printing services to
the non-Windows clients, you will not need to connect <CODE>pnm2ppa</CODE>
printers to HP722C-PPA, and will be able to re-enable bi-directional
communication between the HP drivers and the printer.
(However, the extra processing involved in the emulation may be
unacceptably slow, or turn out to use too much of the host's CPU)
<P>
<P>
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