Re: [seul-edu] Samba and printing

[Dan Kolb <dankolb@ox.compsoc.net>]

"Culp, David" wrote:
> 
> Wow, our school sys admin is thinking of using Linux in a server role at our
> school and asked me a few questions.  Unfortunatly I could not give him a
> definite answer.  Here is the situation: He wants a print server.  Each
> teacher (over 60) will be getting an HP deskjet printer.  He wants the Linux
> box to act as a print spooler for all 60 printers.  Basically when a teacher
> wants to print it gets spooled on the Linux box and printed to the correct
> printer.  Dont ask me why he wants to do it this way, but he does.  I use
> Samba at home on my small network but the set up is a bit different then he
> is proposing. Can Samba do this?????

Er, that's not quite the point. If they're deskjet printers, they're
only going to have parallel ports. You're *not* going to get 60 LPT
ports into any Linux box. I think it's possible to get network->parallel
port converters from HP, but they cost lots of money. Then it's easy
enough to get Samba to print to the appropriate IP address (printer).
If each teacher is going to get their own printer, why not just connect
it directly to their box?
It really comes down to, it's not a limitation of Samba, but a physical
limitation of almost any computer (huge mainframes might work <g>).

Dan
-- 
dankolb@ox.compsoc.net  Oxford University Computer Society Secretary

--I reserve the right to be completely wrong about any comments or 
  opinions expressed; don't trust everything you read above--