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#1 2004-06-22 17:40:22

fideli
Member
From: Edmonton
Registered: 2004-06-20
Posts: 48

local printing or windows print server?

hi everyone,

i've just migrated from gentoo to arch (mainly because i accidentally deleted my partition and didn't want to compile everything again, but anyway), and i must admit, i'm a little hesitant to install my printer again.  i have an hp deskjet 3550.  i used to have a dual-boot win winxp, and at the time i used that mostly for printing as i was migrating to gentoo.  i always noticed that the printer was slower in linux, and that it used up more ink, while it was blazing fast and crisp in windows.  not to mention that it was easier to set up as well.  but dual-booting into windows just to print sounded a little silly.

so i was wondering if it was a feasible idea to get an old old laptop to serve as my windows print server and print from there from linux.  what would be involved and would it make a big difference?  on the other hand, perhaps there are ways to finetune my printer in linux.  i used cups and kde's printing utility so i believe that all the options were exposed to me from there.  what else can i do?  if anyone has any thoughts or opinions on the issue, that would be great.  thanx!


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#2 2004-06-22 17:49:20

Dusty
Schwag Merchant
From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
Registered: 2004-01-18
Posts: 5,986
Website

Re: local printing or windows print server?

Did you use the gimp-print drivers last time you had it running under Linux? Those drivers should allow you to configure the resolution and such. (Assuming they exist for your printer).  I assume the reason it's slower and using more ink is that it's printing at a higher resolution.

I haven't set up a printer or gimp print in Arch before, so I don't know how hard it is. Nobody ever complains, so it can't be too terribly difficult. wink

Dusty

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#3 2004-06-22 18:14:41

fideli
Member
From: Edmonton
Registered: 2004-06-20
Posts: 48

Re: local printing or windows print server?

i used cups last time.  no, the gimp-print drivers do not support the hp 3550.  i tried various dpi values and such, and i don't think my printer has very many options.

as for the windows print server option, i read that i would need to use samba and cups in order to use that.  would the printer use the windows driver to print or would it use the ppd file that cups would use?  if it uses cups, then it would be a pointless venture, savvy?


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#4 2004-06-22 18:39:12

Dusty
Schwag Merchant
From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
Registered: 2004-01-18
Posts: 5,986
Website

Re: local printing or windows print server?

I suspect either configuration (cups drivers or windows drivers) should be possible using Samba. I would think you don't *need* cups though.  Basically what you want to do is copy the files to the Windows print spool somehow,  rather than forwarding directly to the printer.

I don't have any experience with this; somebody else will be able to give clearer advice.

Dusty

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#5 2004-06-22 19:29:05

deepfreeze
Member
From: NJ
Registered: 2002-12-27
Posts: 86

Re: local printing or windows print server?

I have this same configuration (printer is attached to windows box and I print from my Arch box to the printer) using cups / samba.  There is an excellent CUPS how-to on the Arch wiki that I used to set it up and it went very very smoothly and I have no problems.  Actually, the how-to in the wiki was the first time in 2 years of using linux that I was able to successfully print to a windows box, so I highly recommend following it.  BTW, I have a HP PSC500 and everything comes out looking very sharp.


My hovercraft is full of eels.

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#6 2004-06-22 20:26:39

fideli
Member
From: Edmonton
Registered: 2004-06-20
Posts: 48

Re: local printing or windows print server?

ya, i saw the wiki article.  thanks!  i think i'll try installing and testing the printer locally before i drop some unneeded cash on a print server.  perhaps it was a gentoo thing :twisted: .


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