Print Server

Another common use of Samba is to configure it to share printers installed, either locally or over the network, on an Ubuntu server. Similar to File Server, this section will configure Samba to allow any client on the local network to use the installed printers without prompting for a username and password.

For a more secure configuration see Share Access Control.

Installation

Before installing and configuring Samba it is best to already have a working CUPS installation. See CUPS for details.

To install the samba package, from a terminal enter:

$ sudo apt install samba

Configuration

After installing samba edit /etc/samba/smb.conf. Change the workgroup attribute to what is appropriate for your network:

   workgroup = EXAMPLE

In the [printers] section change the guest ok option to yes:

   browsable = yes
   guest ok = yes

After editing smb.conf restart Samba:

$ sudo systemctl restart smbd.service nmbd.service

The default Samba configuration will automatically share any printers installed. Simply install the printer locally on your Windows clients.

Resources

• For in depth Samba configurations see the Samba HOWTO Collection

• The guide is also available in printed format.

• O’Reilly’s Using Samba is another good reference.

• Also, see the CUPS Website for more information on configuring CUPS.

• The Ubuntu Wiki Samba page.