This actually isn’t as difficult as you might think! With a few open source utilities and some additions bundled on the Windows CD you can make this happen with very little effort. The magic revolves around three applications and windows service to enable Unix printing on Windows.
The key concept is sending your print job to the Windows server as a Unix print job, then redirecting your print job through a postscript emulator, into your actual Windows printer via it’s Windows driver. I know it sounds complex but it’s much simpler than you think.
The tools you need are GhostScript, GhostView and RedMon, all of which are available here. You need to download the latest version of these tools and install them before you go any further. Note: If you are on a Windows XP SP2 box you will need to configure your Windows Firewall to allow traffic through port 515.
Step 1: Create Your Redirected Printer Port
Go to the add new printer wizard, begin adding a new local printer, and instead of using an existing port, create a new port, select "Redirected" (This option won’t be available if you haven’t already installed RedMon), select the default port name and Choose Apple Color LW 12/660 PS. Give this printer a unique name, select "Do not share this printer", skip the test page and finish.
Step 2: Configure your Redirected Printer Port
In the dialog box for printers you should see your new printer. Right click it, choose properties, and go to the "Ports" tab and select "Configure Port." You should configure it like this.
Fill it in exactly like above with the exception of the printer name "HP DeskJet 722C", this has to be the exact name of the printer you are wanting to print to exactly as it appears in the print dialog. Your path to gsprint.exe might also be different, be sure to browse to it’s location to make sure. Click ok.
Go back to the "General" tab and print a test page to make sure your redirect is working properly.
Step 3: Configure Unix Printing Services
Go to your control panel, add/remove programs, add Windows components, Other Network File and Print Services, and select "Print Services for Unix." Insert your disk or browse to your i386 folder if you copied it locally, and let it finish installing.
Step 4: Installing your LPR Printer
Go back to the Printer dialog, add printer again, and select local printer yet again. This time create a new port of the type LPR and configure it with the IP Address and name of your printer.
If you are using DHCP and the address of your print server changes frequently, you might want to use the computer name. I personally would recommend against this.
Select the same Apple printer we chose before, Name the printer something like GhostLPR, and share this printer with the same name. Provide the location details and print a test page to make sure your LPR printer is talking to your redirected postscript emulator correctly.
Step 5: Configure Your Printer in OS X
Open the Printer Setup Utility located in the Applications/Utilities folder on your Mac, and select Add. On the detail page, Choose "Line Printer Daemon – LPD." Enter the address or host name you used earlier for your Print Server, select the LPR Printer Name you chose for the Queue, give it a name and location, and lastly select the same apple printer that we chose in the first printer setup in Windows.
Now, test print from a Mac Application. If you followed these steps you should be able to print easy peasy. I used a Canon printer with a Windows 2003 server from a Mac using OS 10.4 with no problems at all. Enjoy!
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Hey. Good write up.
Have you tried Bonjour for Windows though? I haven’t got a windoze box to try it but I think it should work. You should also be able to just add Windows printers from the Add Printer dialog (selecting Windows Networks or something like that)
Dom, I did a little reading, looks like Bonjour is for going the other way. To allow Windows machines to print to Apple hosted Bonjour capable printers:
The Bonjour Printer Wizard is also included and allows Windows computers to print to Bonjour networked printers, including USB shared printers connected to the AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express Base Stations. Since Apple first launched Bonjour in 2002, every major maker of network printers has adopted Bonjour. With the Bonjour Printer Wizard, computers using Windows can also experience the benefits of effortlessly discovering and printing to these Bonjour printers.
MacOS can also print using SMB printers and using the IP printing protocol (supported by Windows 2000 and up). Neither of these methods require you to install anything; just to enable printer sharing on the Windows side.
why not just install bonjour on your windows machine and use that? its much easier and works faster too withoug silly scripts