Step-by-step – Samba Printer Sharing LXLE Guide

GNU/Linux LXLE Sharing Samba Printer Guide

Hi! This tutorial will guide you step-by-step on How to Share on Network a CUPS Printer with Samba Server in LXLE LTS GNU/Linux Desktops.

And to Share Wifi LXLE Printer with Samba you may first see How to Setup a Network CUPS Printer in LXLE.

Samba is an Open-Source implementation of the SMB/CIFS Networking Protocol used in Windows environments for shared services such as File and Printer access and Active Directory.

Moreover, Samba is composed by two components as the smbd and the nmbd Servers.

smbd is the Server Daemon that provides Filesharing and Printing SServices to Windows clients.

Where nmbd is a Server that understands and can reply to NetBIOS over IP name service requests, like those produced by SMB/CIFS Clients such as Windows 95/98/ME, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP and LanManager Clients.

Finally, as an alternative and easy solution look to the CUPS Bonjour IPP Network Printer Sharing Setup Guide.

1. 1. Launching Terminal

   Open a Shell Terminal emulator window
   Ctr+Alt+t on Desktop
   (Press “Enter” to Execute Commands)

   
   In case first see: Terminal QuickStart Guide.
   And Update LXLE Apt Repository:

   sudo apt update

   Authenticate with the User Admin Pass.
   If Got “User is Not in Sudoers file” then see: How to Enable sudo.

2. 2. Installing Network Printer

   How to Install Network Printer in GNU/Linux Desktops

   Installing Wi-fi CUPS Printer in Linux

3. 3. Installing Samba Server

   Now to Setup Samba Server on LXLE
   Simply play:

   sudo apt install samba samba-common-bin

   Next to Start the Samba Server Service run:

   sudo systemctl start smbd nmbd

   Possibly to Start it at Boot:

   sudo systemctl enable smbd nmbd

   Last, to check it’s running:

   systemctl status smbd

4. 4. Configuring Samba

   Then to Configure Samba Server
   So first edit the main configuration file with nano Editor:

   sudo nano /etc/samba/smb.conf

   Enable the following two entries:

   browseable = yes
   guest ok = yes
   

   Use Ctrl+w to Search for “browseable” on nano.
   Eventually for large Printing best to enable the spoolssd service, adding to the “[global]” Section:

   rpc_server:spoolss = external
   rpc_daemon:spoolssd = fork
   

   Last use Ctrl+x to Save & Exit from nano Editor!
   Finally, Restart Samba with:

   sudo systemctl restart smbd nmbd

5. 5. Adding Samba Printer

   Follow to Add Samba-shared Printer in Windows Client
   First, Open file explorer and enter the IP address of the LXLE computer in the address bar like:

   \\192.168.0.110

   In case to find your LXLE machine IP Network Address issue in Terminal:

   ifconfig

   And then the printer should be discovered and listed, here below the Windows 10 Setup example:
   
   Now Double-click the Printer to Add it to your Windows system.
   And the again select the OK button to choose a Driver to install:
   
   Congratulations, finally the Printer should be successfully added to your Windows system!