How do I print from SLED/SLES through a windows machine

[dpruane]

I have a muliple set up with a HP Deskjet 9300 plugged directly through a win xp computer. I can print through it from other windows machines but not the Linux computers.
I have the Linux driver for the HP installed and the system tells me its sent a test page to the printer - then nothing !

I can ping/see the windows computers on the network, so this is probably finger trouble on my part - where am I going wrong ?

Many thanks

[D-cat]

Sometimes (okay, actually often) Windows drivers and Linux drivers are not on the same page, so printing from a Linux machine to a Windows server via Samba is a crap shoot.

On the Windows machine, install "Unix Print Services", this will install a "print to file" driver that by default sends outputs to PDF files, however, you can configure it to send output to any other printer you have installed, like your HP. Share this "Printer". Next, tell your Linux box to print to that queue (as generic postcript) on LPR instead of the HP on Samba. The desired effect is the Windows computer will accept the postscript print job via the PDF printer driver, then redirect it to the HP. Some reference material:
How to Add Print Services for Unix on your Windows 2000/XP