Re: Sharing Linux printer with Mac

[Chinook <chinook.nr@tds.net>]

Paul E Condon wrote:
> On Sat, Jan 21, 2006 at 01:36:26AM -0500, Chinook wrote:
>   
> > P4 with Debian Etch (testing), kernel 2.6.12-1-686,
> > Gnome desktop and USB attached printer and scanner
> >
> > PMac G5 running OS X Tiger (10.4.4)
> > ......................................................................................
> >
> > I've got my AppleTalk/zeroconf LAN setup working for file sharing -  
> > with netatalk and task-howl on the Linux box. 
> >
> >
> > When I had my printer connected to my Mac I could print to it from the 
> > Linux box with just CUPS whether the Mac AppleTalk connection with the 
> > Linux box was active or not.   Then I decided I wanted more desk space 
> > around my Mac and moved the printer to my Linux box.  Now I can print 
> > from my Linux box, but I can't seem to figure out how to print to it 
> > from my Mac :-P 
> >
> >
> > For once I'm finding the printer setup on my Mac the more difficult :-(  
> > I've tried it outside the AppleTalk connection by simply supplying an 
> > address of 192.168.2.69:631 and though the printer definition is 
> > accepted, actual printing says the printer is busy.  I've also tried it 
> > with the AppleTalk connection up, again supplying the same address, with 
> > the same results.  I've also tried variations of addresses without 
> > success. 
> >
> >
> > I'm sure I'm tripping over the obvious but what???  Is there a way to 
> > specify the Linux printer from my Mac outside AppleTalk?  Or if I need 
> > to through AppleTalk, do I need to further edit my Linux netatalk setup 
> > - maybe the papd.conf??? 
> >
> >
> > If I do need to (somehow) use the Linux printer with AppleTalk, there is 
> > another lesser question.  How do I ensure that the howl tools 
> > (mDNSResponder for advertising) start at login like afpd and atalkd.  
> >     
>
> Actually, afpd and atalkd are started at boot-up, which occurs before any
> login on a traditional UNIX system. All the boot-up scripts are stored in
> /etc/init.d on a Debian machine. They are invoked via soft-links in the
> in the several run-level directories /etc/rc[S0-6].d There is a lot of
> picky detail, which is well documented at www.debian.org. You can initiate
> anything by writing a shell script and installing it and links to it. Be
> sure to implement three commands, at least: start, stop, restart
>
>
>   
> > Following is the mDNSBrowse info if it's any help.
> >
> > I'm keeping notes on the detail steps in order to share the setup with 
> > anyone else they might help,  so if you want to see the detail steps 
> > I've taken so far I can send along the text file or put it up on my 
> > dotMac account for download. 
> >
> >     
>
> I, for one, am interested is learning how to get a printer on a Mac shared
> to a Linux box. I thought it would be easy, but I failed.
>
>   
And I thought it was Paul to the rescue :-)  No fair - you didn't answer 
my question first.

Aw what the heck ;')

I threw away that part of my notes (wouldn't you know)  but it seemed 
pretty easy at the time :-)

But I did find where Gary Kerbaugh (someone I trust) explained it to 
someone on the Unix forum.  It sounds about like what I did so I'm just 
copying his post for you.  Now you owe me :-)

.................................................................................

Hi Chris,
  I've not done this with a Mac but CUPS is CUPS. Open the 
/etc/cups/client.conf file on your Linux machine and change the 
ServerName line to point to your Mac. That may be all you have to do 
because the Mac's CUPS automatically adds the local printer for you. You 
may have to define a queue for it; I'm not sure but I don't think so. 
Also, you will probably have to authorize it on the Mac. The 
/etc/cups/cupsd.conf file on the Mac should have a line in it that look 
like:

Listen <Mac_IP>:631

where <Mac_IP> should be replaced by the IP address of your Mac, (not 
127.0.0.1) and similarly for <Linux_IP> below. Such a line should 
already exist for 127.0.0.1. Just copy-and-paste in a new copy of this 
line and change the IP address. Inside the definition of root directory 
you similarly may need to add an "Allow From" statement:

<Location />
  ...
  Allow From <Linux_IP>
</Location>

The directory definitions are modeled on similar definitions in Apache's 
httpd.conf file. There may be more that is necessary; I'll see if I can 
find more specific information that I've saved. If you have to do more, 
please post it to this thread so that there is complete documentation 
for others. Of course a consistent configuration depends on having 
static IP addresses on your local network.

  I'm not really surprised that you didn't find much if you searched 
for strings including Mac or Apple; this is a purely UNIX question. The 
CUPS administration documentation can be found online at cups.org or 
even on your own machine at http://localhost:631/ or on your drive in 
the /usr/share/doc/cups directory.
--
Gary
~~~~
  It's no surprise that things are so screwed up: everyone
  that knows how to run a government is either driving
  taxicabs or cutting hair.
        -- George Burns
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