--- /dev/null
+
+!==
+!== PRINTER_DRIVER.txt for Samba release 2.2.0 14 Sep 2000
+!==
+==========================================================================
+ Gerald Carter <jerry@samba.org> 14 Sep 2000
+===========================================================================
+
+Introduction
+============
+Beginning with the 2.2.0 release, Samba now supports the native Windows
+NT printing mechanisms implemented via MS-RPC (i.e. the SPOOLSS named
+pipe). Previous versions of Samba only supported the LanMan printing
+calls.
+
+The additional functionality provided by the new SPOOLSS support
+includes:
+
+ o Support for downloading printer driver files to
+ Windows 95/98/NT/2000 clients upon demand.
+ o Uploading of printer drivers via the Windows NT
+ Add Printer Wizard (APW) or the Imprints tool set
+ o Support for the native MS-RPC printing calls such
+ as StartDocPrinter, EnumJobs(), etc... (See the MSDN
+ documentation for more information on the Win32
+ printing API)
+ o Support for NT Access Control Lists (ACL) on
+ printer objects
+ o Improved support for printer queue manipulation through
+ the use of an internal database for spooled job information.
+
+
+Configuration
+=============
+
+In order to support the uploading of printer driver files, you
+must first configure a file share named [print$]. The name of
+this share is hard coded in Samba's internals so the name is
+very important (print$ is the service used by Windows NT
+print servers to provide support for printer driver download.
+
+<aside>
+ Previous versions of Samba recommended using a share named
+ [printer$]. This name was taken from the printer$ service
+ created by Windows 9x clients when a printer was shared.
+ (Windows 9x printer servers always have a printer$ service
+ which provides read-only access via no password in order to
+ support printer driver downloads).
+
+ However, the initial implementation allowed for a parameter
+ named 'printer driver location' to be used on a per share basis
+ to specify the location of the driver files associated with that
+ printer. Another parameter named 'printer driver' provided a
+ means of defining the printer driver name to be sent to the
+ client.
+
+ These parameters, including 'printer driver file', are being
+ depreciated and should not be used in new installations.
+ For more information on this change, you should refer to the
+ "Migration" section of this document.
+</aside>
+
+You should modify the server's smb.conf file to create the
+following share (of course, some of the parameter values,
+such as 'path' are arbitrary and should be replaced with
+appropriate values for your site):
+
+ [print$]
+ path = /usr/local/samba/printers
+ guest ok = yes
+ browseable = yes
+ read only = yes
+ write list = ntadmin
+
+The requirement for 'guest ok = yes' depends upon how your
+site is configured. If users will be guaranteed to have
+an account on the Samba host, then this is a non-issue.
+
+In order for a Windows NT print server to support the
+downloading of driver files by multiple client architectures,
+it must create subdirectories within the [print$] service
+which correspond to each of the supported client architectures.
+Samba follows this model as well.
+
+Next create the directory tree below the [print$] share for
+each architecture you wish to support.
+
+ [print$]-----
+ |-W32X86 ; "Windows NT x86"
+ |-WIN40 ; "Windows 95/98"
+ |-W32ALPHA ; "Windows NT Alpha_AXP"
+ |-W32MIPS ; "Windows NT R4000"
+ |-W32PPC ; "Windows NT PowerPC"
+
+
+These directories should be owned by an administrative account.
+Currently this must initially be an "root" account (uid = 0).
+
+!== The Windows NT APW
+
+Once you have created the required [print$] service and associated
+subdirectories, simply log onto the Samba server using a root account
+from a Windows NT 4.0 client. Navigate to the "Printers" folder
+on the Samba server. You should see an initial listing of printers
+that matches the printer shares defined on your Samba host.
+
+<aside>
+ It is possible on a Windows NT print server to have printers
+ listed in the Printers folder which are not shared. Samba does
+ not make this distinction. By definition, the only printers of
+ which Samba is aware are those which are specified as shares in
+ smb.conf.
+
+ Another interesting side note is that Windows NT clients do
+ not use the SMB printer share, but rather can print directly
+ to any printer on another Windows NT host using MS-RPC. This
+ of course assumes that the printing client has the necessary
+ privileges on the remote host serving the printer. The default
+ permissions assigned by Windows NT to a printer gives the "Print"
+ permissions to the "Everyone" well-known group.
+</aside>
+
+The initial listing of printers in the Samba host's Printers
+folder will have no printer driver assigned to them. The way
+assign a driver to a printer is to view the Properties of the
+printer and either
+
+ o Use the "New Driver..." button to install a new printer
+ driver, or
+ o Select a driver from the popup list of installed drivers.
+ Initially this list will be empty.
+
+If you wish to install printer drivers for client operating
+systems other than "Windows NT x86", you will need to use the
+"Sharing" tab of the printer properties dialog.
+
+Assuming you have connected with a root account, you will
+also be able modify other printer properties such as
+ACLs and device settings using this dialog box.
+
+
+!== Imprints
+
+The Imprints tool set provides a UNIX equivalent of the Windows
+NT Add Printer Wizard. For complete information, please refer
+to the Imprints web site at http://imprints.sourceforge.net/
+This section will only provide a brief introduction to the features
+of Imprints.
+
+What is Imprints?
+
+ Imprints is a collection of tools for supporting the goals of
+
+ o Providing a central repository information regarding
+ Windows NT and 95/98 printer driver packages
+ o Providing the tools necessary for creating the Imprints
+ printer driver packages.
+ o Providing an installation client which will obtain
+ and install printer drivers on remote Samba and Windows
+ NT 4 print servers.
+
+
+Creating Printer Driver Packages
+
+ The process of creating printer driver packages is beyond
+ the scope of this document (refer to Imprints.txt also included
+ with the Samba distribution for more information). In short,
+ an Imprints driver package is a gzipped tarball containing the
+ driver files, related INF files, and a control file needed by the
+ installation client.
+
+The Imprints server
+
+ The Imprints server is really a database server that may
+ be queried via standard HTTP mechanisms. Each printer entry
+ in the database has an associated URL for the actual
+ downloading of the package. Each package is digitally signed
+ via GnuPG which can be used to verify that package downloaded
+ is actually the one referred in the Imprints database. It is
+ **not** recommended that this security check be disabled.
+
+The Installation Client
+
+ The Imprints installation client comes in two forms.
+
+ o a set of command line Perl scripts
+ o a GTK+ based graphical interface to the command
+ line perl scripts
+
+ The installation client (in both forms) provides a means
+ of querying the Imprints database server for a matching
+ list of known printer model names as well as a means to
+ download and install the drivers on remote Samba and Windows
+ NT print servers.
+
+ The basic installation process is in four steps and perl code
+ is wrapped around smbclient and rpcclient.
+
+ foreach (supported architecture for a given driver)
+ {
+ 1. rpcclient: Get the appropriate upload directory
+ on the remote server
+ 2. smbclient: Upload the driver files
+ 3. rpcclient: Issues an AddPrinterDriver() MS-RPC
+ }
+
+ 4. rpcclient: Issue an AddPrinterEx() MS-RPC to actually
+ create the printer
+
+
+!== The printer driver name space problem
+
+ One of the problems encountered when implementing the Imprints
+ tool set was the name space issues between various supported
+ client architectures. For example, Windows NT includes a driver
+ named "Apple LaserWriter II NTX v51.8" and Windows 95 calls
+ its version of this driver "Apple LaserWriter II NTX"
+
+ The problem is how to know what client drivers have been
+ uploaded for a printer. As astute reader will remember that
+ the Windows NT Printer Properties dialog only includes space
+ for one printer driver name. A quick look in the Windows NT
+ 4 system registry at
+
+ HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Print\Environment
+
+ will reveal that Windows NT always uses the NT driver name.
+ The is ok as Windows NT always requires that at least the Windows
+ NT version of the printer driver is present. However, Samba
+ does not have the requirement internally. Therefore, how can
+ you use the NT driver name if is has not already been installed?
+
+ The way of sidestepping this limitation is to require that all
+ Imprints printer driver packages include both the Intel Windows
+ NT and 95/98 printer drivers and that NT driver is installed
+ first.
+
+
+Migration to 2.2.x
+=============================
+
+Given that printer driver management has changed
+(we hope improved :) ) in 2.2.0 over prior releases,
+migration from an existing setup to 2.2.0 can follow
+several paths.
+
+<WARNING>
+ The following smb.conf parameters are considered to be
+ depreciated and will be removed soon. Do not use them
+ in new installations
+
+ 'printer driver file' (G)
+ 'printer driver' (S)
+ 'printer driver location' (S)
+</WARNING>
+
+
+Here are the possible scenarios for supporting migration:
+
+ o If you does not desire the new Windows NT
+ print driver support, nothing needs to be done.
+ All existing parameters work the same.
+
+ o If you want to take advantage of NT printer
+ driver support but does not want to migrate the
+ 9x drivers to the new setup, the leave the existing
+ printers.def file. When smbd attempts to locate a
+ 9x driver for the printer in the TDB and fails it
+ will drop down to using the printers.def (and all
+ associated parameters). The make_printerdef tool
+ will also remain for backwards compatibility but will
+ be moved to the "this tool is the old way of doing it"
+ pile.
+
+ o If you instal a Windows 9x driver for a printer on
+ your Samba host (in the printing TDB), this information will
+ take precedence and the three old printing parameters
+ will be ignored (including print driver location).
+
+ o If you want to migrate an existing printers.def file into
+ the new setup, the current only solution is to use the
+ Windows NT APW to install the NT drivers and the 9x
+ drivers. (comment: this could possibly be scripted using
+ smbclient and rpcclient, but I haven't had time --jerry)
+
+
+
+
+!== end of PRINTER_DRIVER2.txt =======================================
+!=====================================================================
git.samba.org / kai / samba.git / commitdiff