[TriLUG] Samba PDF Printing - bringing together past threads with a Solution!

[David McDowell]

Alright!!  Yeah!!  I have some great news!!  I can officially put the
Samba PDF thing to rest, at least for me.  Now (in my W2K3 AD
environment) I have the ability to setup a Linux based Samba PDF
printer which will output the PDF to the users home folder that is on
a w2k3 file server.  AND - the user can now install the printer even
with regular local user rights on his/her Windows XP Pro workstation.
I know some of you are way geekier than myself and have possibly
already done this, however, neither of these threads below were
concluded by anyone with final results.  SO, with a bit of spare time
and the necessity to get this working this way and documented, here's
what I have done to make it work.

These are the previous threads left with a few questions still
unanswerd... which begun with these messages (and I've listed the open
ended question if there was one):

1.  http://www.trilug.org/pipermail/trilug/Week-of-Mon-20060227/040818.html
Q:  How to get a FREE PDF printer using Samba?
A:  A working PDF printer, see Samba_PDF_printing.txt linked below

2.  http://www.trilug.org/pipermail/trilug/Week-of-Mon-20060320/041306.html
Q:  How do I easily deliver the printer drivers to regular local users
on the Windows XP workstations without having to be a local admin to
install the drivers?  "Shouldn't this work just like a shared windows
printer?"
A:  See the Samba_add_to_AD.txt file linked below

3.  http://www.trilug.org/pipermail/trilug/Week-of-Mon-20060807/043613.html
Q:  Why are some fonts not being printed?
A:  In your Windows XP PDF printer properties (using the HP Business
Inkjet 3000 PS driver) do this:
     a.  On the General tab, click on Printer Preferences
     b.  On the Layout tab, click Advanced
     c.  Under Graphic - TrueTypeFont select "Download as Softfont"
What this does is embed the font in the PDF, so your PDF file size
increases.  This was an issue for us b/c a user used check marks from
the WingDings font as bullets and without that setting, the bullets
were unable to be substituted via the default setting and were just
simply left out off the produced PDF.


So, if you feel like reading those threads for background info for
higher knowledge or you just want to kill time at the office, please
do!  In the end, here's the 2 sets of text files I have created to
bring together the above issues and threads:

http://www.turnpike420.net/linux/Samba_PDF_printing.txt
http://www.turnpike420.net/linux/Samba_add_to_AD.txt

Enjoy!!

If you have any questions or want to discuss, I'll try to answer what
I can.  (or if you see any errors in my docs as you try this yourself,
let me know so I can correct!)

Thanks,
David McD