I have never had any problems sharing out a USB printer attached to a server as long as there is a native driver, but also i have used the CUPS admin before to achieve the same result.....maybe i take that back in panther server i had issues but not on 10.4 server.......



[ Reply to This | # ]

Count me in the no problems column also. My Leopard server was upgraded from Tiger though, so perhaps something stuck from that. I have two, non-postcript, USB printers on it that share fine and are controllable from Server Admin.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Yes, but who in their right mind would buy a non-postscript printer? You are begging for trouble.


Sheldon

[ Reply to This | # ]

Most printers don't do PostScript. If one doesn't need PostScript, it vastly increases the number of printer models one can choose from. I know PostScript is "better" (and literally better for people who need it), but most non-PostScript printers are fine for most people.

[ Reply to This | # ]

We use a Canon MP-610 multi-function printer (USB) and it works fine with just the normal Print Server setup. The trick is to use it with IPP protocol only and make sure that under LPR "Show name in Bonjour" is enabled even though LPR is NOT enabled.... That should work for any USB printer, just make sure you download and install the drivers as Leopard Server doesn't have the drivers installed as default like Leopard Client does. With the Canon, we had to make sure everyone had the newest drivers too to match the server. As for scanning, we have a generic "scanner" user that we can use "screen sharing" with to scan. That way anyone can scan docs and save them to a shared location and access their files too. It is an "Advanced Server" installation, not "Standard" or "WorkGroup".

Hope that helps...
Bobbi Style
:-)

---
Mac muzak maniac

[ Reply to This | # ]

I'm sharing my USB printer and now I'm trying to have my girlfriend's PC (Windows) laptop to print to it.

I tried many things and yet I was not successful.

Tried adding a TCP/IP port pointing to my Leopard computer IP address within my network with and without the LPR option and the queue name. However, it seemed to be able to detect if the queue was valid or not, which lead me to believe that it would print, but didn't.

I also saw that my printer was added automatically to the SAMBA shares as \\myLeopardIP\MyPrinterName (by typing the console command "smbclient -L localhost") ; tried that too, it almost hanged the PC, but it added it. But still couldn't print to it.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks !

- shdw -

[ Reply to This | # ]

Have you tried Bonjour for windows available from Apple?



[ Reply to This | # ]

Thanks for pointing out, I didn't even know it existed.

I will try that tonight !

- shdw -

[ Reply to This | # ]

It works on desktops and laptops too.

[ Reply to This | # ]

I was trying to use a MF-4150, which uses its own custom USB driver. This worked like a charm. Leopard server was able to see the printer without the hint, but the correct driver never showed up - it always defaulted to "generic postscript." I could never get the driver selected when using LPR or IPP either, which was sort of odd.

Without the Canon driver, I couldn't duplex. So now I can use my el-cheapo laser printer with the Canon USB driver. Nice!

[ Reply to This | # ]

Does this also work with a Fax-Modem on the Leopard Server? Publishing it brings no error, but how to add it with a client?

[ Reply to This | # ]

I'd just like to say a massive thank you for this post!

I was trying just about everything I could think of via scouring the internet for any clues to get our canon i9950 working over bonjour on our Leopard network at home.

It just got really boring having to pass the USB plug to each other each time we wanted to print.

I was looking into making my own .ppd file to suit our printer correctly.

But then google finally delivery this link to me!!

I just absolutely can't believe Apple haven't turned this on by default in their appropriation of CUPS!!! Please change this for your next big-cat-release apple (or sooner)!

Thanks again!



[ Reply to This | # ]

WARNING: I just tried this on my new Xserve and as soon as I checked the box in CUPS, Safari locked up. Then, my Preferences locked up. So I rebooted. Now, when I try to login in, the whole machine just freezes.

So, thanks for that... and buyer beware.

[ Reply to This | # ]