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neilw · May 27, 2003, 05:45 PM

I'm in a short-term contracting job, and the environment is of the standard windows-only variety. I'm there with my PowerBook and can't for the life of me get my machine to print to the local Samba-connected printer.

I've created the necessary symlink (sudo ln -s /usr/bin/smbspool /usr/libexec/cups/backend/smb) and restarted the CUPS server (sudo killall -HUP cupsd). I've mounted the printer with the URL smb://name: password@workgroup/server/printername. I've also tried it without the username and password.

In all cases, when I print, the status window for the printer says "Unable to connect to Samba server; will try again in 60 seconds", or something like that. I'm at my wits' end, and the local IT support can offer only the most limited support since they have no clue about Macs. The "clear text password" issue has been mentioned, but I'm of the belief that the Mac is already set up to work correctly (i.e., use clear text passwords).

Can anyone offer me any hints? I'm not going to be there that long, so if I'm going to figure this out at all, it needs to be quickly.

Apple needs to make this much more straightforward. Right from holding down "Option" with "Add printer, it looks like they're trying to discourage you from doing this. Isn't it an obvious thing to want to do?

Graymalkin · May 27, 2003, 06:48 PM

Grab the latest gimp-print driver set from sourceforge, install the package. Open up Print Center and click the Add Printer button while holding down the Option key. In the menu go down to Advanced and then in the next dropdown menu select Windows Printer via SAMBA. Type in the device name of the shared printer (CanonBub in my case), then type in the URI of the printer. Select the model, the gimp-print package has a metric buttload of CUPS drivers for various printers, ones OSX doesn't support by default. Select the Manufacturer and Model printer you're printing to and click the Add button.

As long as you've got a CUPS driver for the printer you really shouldn't have many problems. Despite using Canon's drivers I could never get my Canon S400 shared via Samba on my Windows XP system to print. Once I got the gimp-print package everything worked out fine.

AFAIK you can type in your user name and password for the printer in the URI string to access the printer. On my home system I just enabled Guest Login but on a production system that probably isn't the best idea.

neilw · May 27, 2003, 07:02 PM

In this case the printer is an HP LaserJet 4V, for which an Apple driver and CUPS driver both exist (I've tried both). So is there any reason for me to need Gimp-Print?

I followed the exact procedure you described. I feel like maybe the URI is wrong, but don't get any useful feedback to indicate what the problem is. I know I've entered the info as given to me by the IT folks.

Are there any tools to help isolate the problem?

Graymalkin · May 28, 2003, 01:16 AM

I mentioned gimp-print because I didn't know what printer you were trying to connect to. OSX doesn't exactly come with an exhaustive list of CUPS drivers which makes printing to Windows shares in different environments less than easy at times.

The URI could indeed be wrong, you ought to check with a working Windows system to make sure. You might also want to try using an IP address instead of a NetBIOS name if the computers on the network have IP addresses assigned to them.

pimephalis · May 28, 2003, 01:26 PM

Have you tried printing to the printer host's IP address rather than to the name? I have found that this often resolves those sorts of 'non-connect' problems.

Have you tried pinging the machine hooked up to the laserjet? Can you try to see if your ports for samba are open (on your end and on theirs)? IIRC the ports are 137-139.

When I run in to these sorts of problems, I first make sure that I can get a ping to the right address. After that I try to see if I can hit the computer with the right ports. Then, finally, I try printing again. Doing this sort of progressive check can often help isolate the source of the problem.

Xeo · 01:36 PM

I've spent the last couple hours trying to get SMB printing to work through a Win2K box.

Right now, the printer is shared and I can print through a 2nd Win2K box just fine.

I cannot connect to the Win2K box via SMB using the SMB name and workgroup. I can connect via IP in the form:

smb://username:password@ip-address/share-name

On the same network, subnet, and even switch, there is a Mac OS X Server running SMB services. I *can* connect to that computer using the computer name in the form:

smb://server/share

IP works as well.

Using smbclient, I can use "smbclient -L servername" and get information about the Mac OS X Server computer. I can use "smbclient -U username -L ip-address" to get information about the Win2K box. I cannot use the server name to connect to the Win2K box.

My main concern is getting printing to work, but I'm also wondering why I cannot connect to my Win2K box using the server name and workgroup information.

Here is what I have done:

1) Added a WINS server and Workgroup to my OS X client with the .nsmbrc file.
2) I used "ln -s /usr/bin/smbspool /usr/libexec/cups/backend/smb" to enable the advanced printer option of "Windows Printer via Samba"
3) Updated to the lastest samba using instructions at this Mac OS X Hints page.

I tried adding the printer via Print Center and the CUPS web interface but cannot get it to work.

I know I have the correct PPD for this printer.

I have instructions in front of me that makes this printer and Win2K print server software work with OS X. Everything works as expected until the end. When I try to print a test page, I get the following error:

"cli_session_request() failed..."

Does anyone know what this means and how I can fix it? I think that if I could get SMB working to the Win2K box using server name and workgroup info, somehow I could get around this problem. I don't know. I'm lost.

Please help if you know anything about SMB printing or connecting.

I thought I could use these instructions to connect via LPR instead of SMB, but I couldn't get that to work either. Besides, I cannot print directly to the printer as those instructions want me to. I need to print to the virtual printer in the Win2K box so the print server software on the 2K box kicks in and takes over.

I'm trying to print to an Encad NovaJet 750 plotter.

[edit: I didn't realize this very similar thread was started so I merged my thread into this.]

Xeo · May 28, 2003, 01:38 PM

Originally posted by neilw:
In all cases, when I print, the status window for the printer says "Unable to connect to Samba server; will try again in 60 seconds"

I had this problem too. I got around it by updating samba using this Mac OS X Hints page.

Give it a shot. Maybe you will have better luck than me.

neilw · May 28, 2003, 03:50 PM

Hmm, this is getting interesting now. What a pity this is such a chore. Anyway, Xeo wrote:

I cannot connect to the Win2K box via SMB using the SMB name and workgroup. I can connect via IP in the form:

smb://username: password@ip-address/share-name

So ip-address is the address of the print server? All the references I could find suggested that the format was

smb://username: password@workgroup/server/share-name

I will definitely give that a try though.

I had this problem too. I got around it by updating samba using this Mac OS X Hints page.

I will try that as well. Will post an update when I either succeed or fail.

Thanks!

engaged · May 28, 2003, 04:59 PM

Someone posted his experiences in this forum here.

Maybe you've already read it, if not I hope it's of some help.

Xeo · May 28, 2003, 06:47 PM

Originally posted by engaged:
Someone posted his experiences in this forum here.

Maybe you've already read it, if not I hope it's of some help.

I hadn't read that yet. I tried getting printing over IP to work but couldn't. I think I skipped one or two of those steps though so I will give it a shot in the morning.

Here's hoping...