dagadaga
asked on
How to Print from Unix Locally
Dear Experts,
Our main office is located at Los Angeles. We have a SCO Unix server located in our New York brach office.
Our Accounting Department (located in Los Angeles) usually logs into the New York Server and do their work.
The problem they have is that whenever they generate printout, the output come out of the printer in our New York Office instead of Los Angeles Office.
I would appreciate if anyone can advice a cost effective way to enable our accounting users to print in the Los Angeles Office.
Dagadaga
Our main office is located at Los Angeles. We have a SCO Unix server located in our New York brach office.
Our Accounting Department (located in Los Angeles) usually logs into the New York Server and do their work.
The problem they have is that whenever they generate printout, the output come out of the printer in our New York Office instead of Los Angeles Office.
I would appreciate if anyone can advice a cost effective way to enable our accounting users to print in the Los Angeles Office.
Dagadaga
If you have a network printer, or printer connected a local unix box, use ahoffmanns approach.
In case you want to use a printer connected to a pc another approach is needed.
Which kind of printer is used?
In case you want to use a printer connected to a pc another approach is needed.
Which kind of printer is used?
elfie means Samba, right ?-)
Last month i found a much more simplier way.
install/activate the print services (NT) on your pc.
enable the registry key(or add) passthroughprinting (should look up correct name).
create a printer on your pc with a defautl driver (passthrough will not use the driver) a name it (eg) localprint.
Now your pc acts like a network-printer box. Thus on unix create it with lpadmin -p pcprinter -s ip!localprint
install/activate the print services (NT) on your pc.
enable the registry key(or add) passthroughprinting (should look up correct name).
create a printer on your pc with a defautl driver (passthrough will not use the driver) a name it (eg) localprint.
Now your pc acts like a network-printer box. Thus on unix create it with lpadmin -p pcprinter -s ip!localprint
elfie, you mean "Simple TCP/IP printing Protocol" in the Services control panel (sorry forgot the exact name, it's way to long ago I've seen it).
But you're right, NT can be used as print server directly.
BTW, w2k supports the IPP (IP Print Protocol) too.
But you're right, NT can be used as print server directly.
BTW, w2k supports the IPP (IP Print Protocol) too.
Yep.
But you need the passthrough registry key. Otherwise the windows driver takes over, and messes up the print file( on NT)
But you need the passthrough registry key. Otherwise the windows driver takes over, and messes up the print file( on NT)
ASKER
Thank you ahoffmann and elfie for your feedback!! Our Accounting Department uses Windows 98 and a software called WinFacet (similar to telnet) to logs into the Unix Box in New York.
Is there anyway to use Simple TCP/IP printing Protocol on Windows98 platform?
dagadaga
Is there anyway to use Simple TCP/IP printing Protocol on Windows98 platform?
dagadaga
I'm currently using Win2000. and never used win98.
The key you need to add to the registry is "SimulatePassThrough". The servcie we added is LPD
articles can be found at tecnet.microsoft.com, and search for SimulatePassThrough.
I didn't found any article about win98...
maybe ahoffmann ...
The key you need to add to the registry is "SimulatePassThrough". The servcie we added is LPD
articles can be found at tecnet.microsoft.com, and search for SimulatePassThrough.
I didn't found any article about win98...
maybe ahoffmann ...
If your printers are "networked" (directly connected to your LAN in LA (or connected to a printserver that is attached to the LAN), you _might_ be in luck and be able to define a "remote printer" in NY/SCO that prints directly to the queue on the printer device (HP JetDirect (except the "non-IP" ones), axis etc support this). (points to ahoffman in that case).
I haven't used WinFacet (isn't that backwards? FacetWin I think I've heard of... uhm, lossy memory;-), but ... in the olden days, terminal emulation programs sometimes had (very) arcane ways to provide "screenprinters". Wether such is possible in WinFacet, I hesitate to say.
To say more, we'd need more information on the topology/infrastructure of your network(s and how they interconnect. VPN over internet? Leased line? This might tell us wether firewall rules (or somesuch) need adjustment to allow the diverse printing protocols/methods to function.
Also some details on the printers, and how they are "attached" would be nice.
-- Glenn
I haven't used WinFacet (isn't that backwards? FacetWin I think I've heard of... uhm, lossy memory;-), but ... in the olden days, terminal emulation programs sometimes had (very) arcane ways to provide "screenprinters". Wether such is possible in WinFacet, I hesitate to say.
To say more, we'd need more information on the topology/infrastructure of your network(s and how they interconnect. VPN over internet? Leased line? This might tell us wether firewall rules (or somesuch) need adjustment to allow the diverse printing protocols/methods to function.
Also some details on the printers, and how they are "attached" would be nice.
-- Glenn
as I said: there is a Simple TCP/IP available, AFAIK on W98 too, which allows TCP/IP printing directly.
Sorry, don't have Windoze handy, so cannot give detailed instructions.
As GNS said, we need more details on the topology.
Can you ping the printer from a command.exe on w98?
Sorry, don't have Windoze handy, so cannot give detailed instructions.
As GNS said, we need more details on the topology.
Can you ping the printer from a command.exe on w98?
ASKER
Thank you elfie, Glen and ahoffmann for your help.
Yes Glenn you are right, it's called FacetWin ^__^
As for the network topology, sorry I don't know much about ther terminology and can't provide much helpful information. All I know is that we use telnet via the Internet to log into the NY Unix box. And the printer is connected to the computer via a switch.
ahoffmann, I went to control panel, networking, and I saw TCP/IP dial up Adapter and TCP/IP network card. Is this the place you were talking about?
dagadaga
Yes Glenn you are right, it's called FacetWin ^__^
As for the network topology, sorry I don't know much about ther terminology and can't provide much helpful information. All I know is that we use telnet via the Internet to log into the NY Unix box. And the printer is connected to the computer via a switch.
ahoffmann, I went to control panel, networking, and I saw TCP/IP dial up Adapter and TCP/IP network card. Is this the place you were talking about?
dagadaga
Ouch, I really hope you are using a VPN tunnel or somesuch, or else that the information is "real unimportant"... You should advise someone with authority and responsibility for both sites that you may have a potential leak of information there, and (apart from that issue) a possibly "hackable" telnet port open.
If you don't have that kind of security measure (VPN tunneling (ESP), builtin cryptographic measures (very doubtful that you would have that) or the like), the "network printing" problem is really beside the point.
Any method to gain the "local print" functionality would give a possible "listener" not only the screen information of the telnet session, but also the actual "printed" reports. And possibibility to "distort" the said reports. Not good, don't you agree?
Not bl**dy likely to happen either, you might say?! Well, one can never know for sure, and that usually is risk enough.
Not the answers you wanted, to questions you didn't ask, but nevertheless true.
The remote printing problem is rather easy in comparision:
If the LA printer is attached to a Win98 box with a printer cable, you can either try to use FacetWin's (possibly nonexistant) feature for "screenprinting" to a local printer OR go with the suggestion (by elfie and ahoffman) to turn the Win98 box into a "printerserver".
If it is networked, peruse the network attachment equipments manual to gain knowledge of which network "remote printer" protocol(s) it support(s), and implement the "easiest one for SCO", whichever that may be (as per ahoffmans suggestion).
To be more specific, more information is essntial.
But as I said, you possibly have more pressing problems.
-- Glenn
If you don't have that kind of security measure (VPN tunneling (ESP), builtin cryptographic measures (very doubtful that you would have that) or the like), the "network printing" problem is really beside the point.
Any method to gain the "local print" functionality would give a possible "listener" not only the screen information of the telnet session, but also the actual "printed" reports. And possibibility to "distort" the said reports. Not good, don't you agree?
Not bl**dy likely to happen either, you might say?! Well, one can never know for sure, and that usually is risk enough.
Not the answers you wanted, to questions you didn't ask, but nevertheless true.
The remote printing problem is rather easy in comparision:
If the LA printer is attached to a Win98 box with a printer cable, you can either try to use FacetWin's (possibly nonexistant) feature for "screenprinting" to a local printer OR go with the suggestion (by elfie and ahoffman) to turn the Win98 box into a "printerserver".
If it is networked, peruse the network attachment equipments manual to gain knowledge of which network "remote printer" protocol(s) it support(s), and implement the "easiest one for SCO", whichever that may be (as per ahoffmans suggestion).
To be more specific, more information is essntial.
But as I said, you possibly have more pressing problems.
-- Glenn
> .. I went to control panel, networking, and I saw TCP/IP dial up Adapter and TCP/IP network
no, that's the wrong place.
Control Panel -> Network is the one you need. There should be a Services tab (this is NT, but should be similar in w98), and there are
Microsoft TCP/IP Printing
and
Simple TCP/IP Services
the later you need to use the printer if it is a IP-printer, or if it is connected to the remote SCO box.
no, that's the wrong place.
Control Panel -> Network is the one you need. There should be a Services tab (this is NT, but should be similar in w98), and there are
Microsoft TCP/IP Printing
and
Simple TCP/IP Services
the later you need to use the printer if it is a IP-printer, or if it is connected to the remote SCO box.
(thoughtful pause simulation) ahoffman, these things do differ between NT and W9X. There are no "services" as such in Win98. Nor is there a ControlPanel->Network.
What _is_ available to make a W98 box act as a "printserver" is smb-printing (over TCP/IP). This should not be attempted over the internet. If traffic is VPN tunneled, that is another matter. There is also the question wether the SCO box support smb-printing (well, of course there is Samba....).
You'll have to "add" the "service" "Microsoft file and print sharing", configure that (and the "bonus" "microsoft login client"), and enable "File and print sharing"->"Share printers to other hosts" or whatever on the W98s ControlPanel->Networking. The actual strings might differ (a lot:-) since they come solely from my admittedly lossy memory (RALM;-). There is no TCP/IP print support readily accessible in W98. Third-party products do exist (LP+ comes to mind).
I just spent a few moments rereading this question, and realized that neither elfie, nor you ahoffman has really checked wether the promised functionality is present in the W98 graphical DOS-shell, elfie even admits to never having used it (this explains a lot to me, I was thinking I've lost my grip on what is "feasible" in a W9X environment). Well, I have used it, and in fact get forced to use it (by my PHB) on a regular basis.
I've checked the above (on a swedish version, so the strings are probably slightly wrong (as stated above)), and my "findings" pan out.
Anyway, this _is_ a sidetrack, since dagadaga should do some serious work on the uncertain network situation first!
-- Glenn
What _is_ available to make a W98 box act as a "printserver" is smb-printing (over TCP/IP). This should not be attempted over the internet. If traffic is VPN tunneled, that is another matter. There is also the question wether the SCO box support smb-printing (well, of course there is Samba....).
You'll have to "add" the "service" "Microsoft file and print sharing", configure that (and the "bonus" "microsoft login client"), and enable "File and print sharing"->"Share printers to other hosts" or whatever on the W98s ControlPanel->Networking. The actual strings might differ (a lot:-) since they come solely from my admittedly lossy memory (RALM;-). There is no TCP/IP print support readily accessible in W98. Third-party products do exist (LP+ comes to mind).
I just spent a few moments rereading this question, and realized that neither elfie, nor you ahoffman has really checked wether the promised functionality is present in the W98 graphical DOS-shell, elfie even admits to never having used it (this explains a lot to me, I was thinking I've lost my grip on what is "feasible" in a W9X environment). Well, I have used it, and in fact get forced to use it (by my PHB) on a regular basis.
I've checked the above (on a swedish version, so the strings are probably slightly wrong (as stated above)), and my "findings" pan out.
Anyway, this _is_ a sidetrack, since dagadaga should do some serious work on the uncertain network situation first!
-- Glenn
Glenn, you're right that I didn't check on W98 graphical DOS (LOL), but still said before that I have no access, sorry.
Anyway, I'd configured TCP/IP remote printing to UNIX a couple of years ago. There is something similar to NT's "Simple TCP/IP printing" for W9x too, just can't remember all these DOSish things ...
Samba might be the simplest solution, 'cause it does not require a W9x printserver.
dagadaga, after giving more details on your network topology, you probably ask this question to in some of the M$ topic areas.
Anyway, I'd configured TCP/IP remote printing to UNIX a couple of years ago. There is something similar to NT's "Simple TCP/IP printing" for W9x too, just can't remember all these DOSish things ...
Samba might be the simplest solution, 'cause it does not require a W9x printserver.
dagadaga, after giving more details on your network topology, you probably ask this question to in some of the M$ topic areas.
Ah yes, NT and W2K (and probably XP) give quite a few more "builtin" options, amongst others LPD, which is kind of simple to setup on a UNIX host;-).
It's been quite sime time (8-10 years?) since I last touched SCO Unix, and back then (if memory serves me) it used some abominably contrary and difficult lpshedish print system. Things might have improved, but what I'm saying is that dagadaga might be limited in his/her options not only on the recieving side, but also on the sending side.
I just visited http://www.facetcorp.com/, and looked through the "FAQ" (low on info, high on hype, thus the quotemarks). I'm leaning more and more to the solution for dagadaga to lie within the FacetWin client/server app.
I'll look through the manual (available from the above link) sometime monday, when I'm at work (better than dialup connection). Anyone else want to dive in, please do.
-- Glenn
It's been quite sime time (8-10 years?) since I last touched SCO Unix, and back then (if memory serves me) it used some abominably contrary and difficult lpshedish print system. Things might have improved, but what I'm saying is that dagadaga might be limited in his/her options not only on the recieving side, but also on the sending side.
I just visited http://www.facetcorp.com/, and looked through the "FAQ" (low on info, high on hype, thus the quotemarks). I'm leaning more and more to the solution for dagadaga to lie within the FacetWin client/server app.
I'll look through the manual (available from the above link) sometime monday, when I'm at work (better than dialup connection). Anyone else want to dive in, please do.
-- Glenn
ASKER
Ahoffmann, thanks for the Samba advice, but we can't really do it at this time. Our accounting dept just want "quick fixes" so they can get their work done.
Glenn, thank you for point out the potential leakage of current our network structure. Too bad our management simply does not realize its importance and only wanted to get the accounting dept to print remotely. (their policy: if nobody complains, don't do it)...
I also tried to search on the link Glenn suggested, and I did find something on http://www.facetcorp.com/fw_remote.html. It just said Remote users can print from their UNIX applications to their local PC.. But the instructions were left out.
I will continue my search and I'd appreciate should anyone can provide more info on this issue!
dagadaga
Glenn, thank you for point out the potential leakage of current our network structure. Too bad our management simply does not realize its importance and only wanted to get the accounting dept to print remotely. (their policy: if nobody complains, don't do it)...
I also tried to search on the link Glenn suggested, and I did find something on http://www.facetcorp.com/fw_remote.html. It just said Remote users can print from their UNIX applications to their local PC.. But the instructions were left out.
I will continue my search and I'd appreciate should anyone can provide more info on this issue!
dagadaga
AFAIK Samba is the quickest solution, 'cause you just need an hour or two for configuration on the server (hope that applies to SCO too:); else you need to admin all your W98
just another remark. I needed to print from a solaris box onto printers connected to a win/nt. When we just installed printer sharing (and not the passthrough), the pc always though it should use his own printer driver.
This resulted in printouts which were always 'garbage', unreadeble, or in incorrect formats.
In case you have remote printout how look different than the locally printed forms, first think about the pc-printer-driver adding some print sequences.
This resulted in printouts which were always 'garbage', unreadeble, or in incorrect formats.
In case you have remote printout how look different than the locally printed forms, first think about the pc-printer-driver adding some print sequences.
Well then, if management can't be bothered with security, they deserve what they will get:-).
Found this blurb in a success story:
?FacetWin provides us with the ability to turn a printer that would
otherwise be limited to printing from PC applications only, into a
UNIX system printer too,? he continued.
So some digging in the ol' manual should give something.
More food for thought: http://www.facetcorp.com/tnotes/facetwin/tn_fw_rlpadmin_fct.html
FacetWin uses CIFS/SMB for file/print sharing (Seems to be no real need for Samba...), so all that need be done is to "share out" the printers as per my advice above, and then run the fct_rlpadmin on the SCO side. All this should be in the FacetWin Administrators Guide (or whatever it's called).
"Seeing is believing..."
-- Glenn
Found this blurb in a success story:
?FacetWin provides us with the ability to turn a printer that would
otherwise be limited to printing from PC applications only, into a
UNIX system printer too,? he continued.
So some digging in the ol' manual should give something.
More food for thought: http://www.facetcorp.com/tnotes/facetwin/tn_fw_rlpadmin_fct.html
FacetWin uses CIFS/SMB for file/print sharing (Seems to be no real need for Samba...), so all that need be done is to "share out" the printers as per my advice above, and then run the fct_rlpadmin on the SCO side. All this should be in the FacetWin Administrators Guide (or whatever it's called).
"Seeing is believing..."
-- Glenn
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ASKER
Glen, Thank you for your solution! We can finally print!!
ahoffmann and elfie, thank you for your participation too.
dagadaga
ahoffmann and elfie, thank you for your participation too.
dagadaga
First check your SCO which printing system it uses (man lpr, man lpd, ps -ef|grep lp, etc.). Then define a remote printer in your LA department and use this printer as your default if logged in from LA department.