Minor Samba issues

[Philip Lehman <lehman@gmx.net>]

I just installed Samba on a small server to act as a file and print
server for a Linux (printing only) and a Windows client (both).
Installing and configuring everthing took about ten minutes, SWAT is
amazing!

So basically everything works like it is supposed to, but there are
still some minor issues:

(1) Codepages

nmbd complains that it can't find the codepage file
/etc/samba/codepages/codepage.850. While browsing the docs and the man
pages, I found the manpage for make_smbcodepage. As far as I see I
have to construct the codepage files required by Samba from some text
or binary templates. But where do I get the templates from?

It seems like they don't come with the DEB and I didn't find anything
on ftp.samba.org either. The manpage for make_smbcodepage talks about
source/codepages, does this mean I have to get the source tarball?

2. Printing and extra blank pages

When printing from either client, I get an extra blank page after each
print job. This is mentioned in the docs but I'm only advised to check
the printer config on the server and the settings on the clients,
whatever that means.

Printing on the server locally with lpr -Plp (the command used by
Samba as well) does not produce any extra pages, so I assume the lpd
setup on the server side is fine.

(a) On the Windows box, the printer driver offers to send an extra
separator page, but this option is turned off. Not a Samba issue at
this point, but maybe someone has faced this before?

(b) On the Linux box, the setup is harder to debug; /etc/printcap uses
a magicfilter script as input filter, which basically does the usual
PS to PCL conversion (the printer is a non-PS HP LaserJet 5L) and
pipes its output to a script which adds "print -" and pipes on to
smbprint.

If I pipe a text file straight to the smb print script: no extra page.
If I connect the printer to the Linux box and print locally using the
same magicfilter file: no extra page. If I even connect the printer to
the windows box and use that as a print server for the Linux box (same
configuration on the Linux box, all I do is change the printer name):
no extra page. Huh?

Some configuration details for the Linux client are included below. I
would appreciate your thoughts and hints. TIA

### /etc/printcap
smb:\
        :lp=/dev/lpnull:\
        :sd=/var/spool/lpd/smb:\
        :if=/usr/local/share/magicfilter/lj5smb:\
        :af=/var/log/lp-acct:\
        :lf=/var/log/lp-errs:\
        :sh:pw#80:pl#72:px#1440:mx#0:

### /usr/local/share/magicfilter/lj5smb (excerpt)
[magic] gs [gs options] -sOutputFile=- - |
/usr/local/share/samba/smbprint

### /usr/local/share/samba/smbprint
(
  echo "print -"
  cat
) | /usr/bin/smbclient \\server\hp -P -U nobody -N

-- 
Philip Lehman <lehman@gmx.net>