Arch Linux

pogeymanz

Member

Registered: 2008-03-11

Posts: 1,020

Best way to share Printer and files with two WinXP computers?

Let me begin by describing the topology here.

Arch Linux box is plugged into router.
2 Windows XP boxes are wirelessly connected to router.
1 Windows machine is plugged to the printer.

Here is what I would like to do ideally:
Have all three computers able to print. This printer is also a scanner with no Linux scanner driver (the generic Lexmark printer driver does work in Linux). Is it possible to use it as a scanner from my Linux machine anyway?

Also, I'd like to be able to do the closest thing to dropbox between the three computers where they can all just share a directory. It doesn't have to automatically sync or anything like that. Just being able to access it would be great.

What is the most effective way to do these things? I know that Samba should allow me to print from Linux, but I know very little about networking and even less about multi-OS networking.

Cyrusm

Member

From: Bozeman, MT

Registered: 2007-11-15

Posts: 1,053

Re: Best way to share Printer and files with two WinXP computers?

from what I understand, the best way to go about this is to have samba installed and configured on all of the machines.  I've never dealt with it, so I'm afraid I can't be anymore specific about getting the exact set-up that you are looking for.  but I know that using samba is the most popular method for multi-os networking. and includes features for file and printer sharing.

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Hofstadter's Law:
           It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law.

broch

Banned

From: L.A. California

Registered: 2006-11-13

Posts: 975

Re: Best way to share Printer and files with two WinXP computers?

personally I prefer to use lpd for printers: it is lighter and more universal than samba as it is supported by any networked standalone printer (which in addition will give you more flexibility as you can hook up printer anywhere in the network, no need to keep it close to the computer) and in the case that samba (e.g. after update) fails, I can print. samba for sharing in mixed unix/windows setup for file sharing.

Cyrusm

Member

From: Bozeman, MT

Registered: 2007-11-15

Posts: 1,053

Re: Best way to share Printer and files with two WinXP computers?

Just for fun, I went ahead and networked up my box with samba so that all of the windows machines on my network could print from my printer.  I would definitely say samba is the way to go, configurations was easy enough, it did take a little trouble shooting to get things the way I wanted it.  but now I have a centralized printer/sharedrive for my entire network.  yay.  only took about half an hour, and most of that was trouble-shooting on the windows boxes.

---

Hofstadter's Law:
           It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law.

wriggary

Member

Registered: 2009-06-30

Posts: 65

Re: Best way to share Printer and files with two WinXP computers?

As far as a quick and easy Samba setup goes, I'd heartily recommend webmin.  Easier to understand than SWAT and a heck of a lot quicker than writing your own smb.conf

pogeymanz

Member

Registered: 2008-03-11

Posts: 1,020

Re: Best way to share Printer and files with two WinXP computers?

Okay. Thanks. I guess Samba is the way to go and I will try it with webmin to set it up. I'm not doing anything too fancy, so quick set up should be good.

pierissimo

Member

Registered: 2010-03-07

Posts: 3

Website

Re: Best way to share Printer and files with two WinXP computers?

I use ipp protocol, works great.
It does not require drivers on network pc that use the printer.
I recommend it

pogeymanz

Member

Registered: 2008-03-11

Posts: 1,020

Re: Best way to share Printer and files with two WinXP computers?

So, I set it all up and finally got the printer working (had to install lib32 stuff and lexmark driver from AUR), but I can mount and view files on the Windows machines, but I can't edit them or put new files into the shared directory.

This is how I mount it:

sudo mount -t cifs //DESKTOP/SharedDocs Dell/ -o workgroup=HOME,ip=192.168.0.101

But I don't have permission to change anything in the Dell directory.

On the windows machine, I looked at the shared folder options and the little box that says "allow network users to change my shared files" is checked.