Accessing Windows Printer from Linux

In an organization the printers can be connected to windows. SO there should be some way to connect to the windows printer from linux. CUPS enables you to connect to windows printer. This is a small documentation on how I did it make possible.

I am running my machine on debian lenny 5.0. First I installed cupsys.cupsys-bsd, cupsys-client on my machine using package manager apt.

Then once it is installed you can manage the CUPS using web browser. Access it using the url : http://localhost:631/admin

1. Then added the printer by clicking add printer.
2. This will take you to another page where you need to provide the name you like to use, Location and description.
3. Once you click on Continue you will reach another place where you will be asked to select the printer.
4. For me it was HP laser jet. Next you will be asked to give device url.
There for me it was socket://hostname:9100
5. You will get information on this from the link Network Printers ont he same page.
6. Once you forward it will ask you to provide the manufacturer for the printer which was HP for me.
7. Then you will be asked to select driver. I selected the first one.
8. This will prompt you to add username and password which is the root and root password of machine respectively.

This will add the printer.
Give a test page to print in order to verify if the add was successful.
For fedora also the same way with one difference. For fedora the cups will be already installed. The rest is the same.
Enjoy printing!!!!!

Change the port of ekiga

Ekiga is an SIP phone which is running on the default port of 5060. If you want to change the port, you have to do the following. When you will need to change the port?? The default port for SIP is 5060. So when you are running the SIP server or more than one SIP clients you will need to change the port. Using GUI you can change the port like this.

Either you can take the terminal and type :

$ gconf-editor

Or you can go to Applications -> System Tools -> Configuration Editor

which open you configuration editor window. In this traverse to apps-> ekiga->port

and change the port.

How to connect system to LCD projector

System Specifications
Operating system : Ubuntu (Linux)
Graphics card : Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller

Steps for Setting up the system
Edit the xorg.conf file

Location of the xorg.conf file is /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Open the file and edit the section device like this :

Section "Device"
Identifier "Intel Corporation Mobile 915GM/GMS/910GML Express Graphics Controller"
Driver "intel"
BusID "PCI:0:2:0"
Option "MonitorLayout" "NONE,LFP+CRT"
Option "DevicePresence" "true"
Option "CheckLid" "false"
EndSection

Installing tool

Now you need to install a tool to switch your display between the LCD display and your monitor.

sudo aptitude install i810switch

will install two tools called i810switch and i810rotate.

i810switch : Two commands can be used to switch your display. crt is the display on projector. so,

i810switch crt on

will switch to crt. Then,

i810switch crt off

will switch off the display on projector screen.

One more tool can be used,

i810rotate

which will switch on and switch off the display.

Firefox starts in offline mode

I am using fedora 9 (sulphur), which I started to use a few days ago. On this I found that even though the network connection on the panel (up) as "no connection", the network is reachable. Also, I had issues with firefox and add/remove applications.

Firefox 3.0.5
The firefox 3.0.5 is found to be starting in the offline mode. So every time I had to go to the file-->offline and make it disabled so that I could access internet. This was found to be very awckward when I am in the office and working on something. Every time I had to do this.
Googling helped me to get the idea that it is the issue with network manager. Everyone was saying to disable the network manager and then the issue will be done which didn't work for me.
Another solution suggested was to edit the configuration of firefox. This can be done by typing the url about:config on the firefox.The url will give you a warning and by oversoming it you will proceed to the configuration. There you have to search for toolkit.networkmanager.disble and there you have to make it true (default will be false). This worked for me but not a general solution as the network manager is causing me problem in add/remove application too.

Further investigation revealed me that another sokution will work for the both.

Solution :
1. Open the System->Administration->Network which will the network configuration.
2. Select the edit for wired connection (or wireless) eth0 (eth0 for me).
3. In the General tab tick the check box saying Controlled by NetworkManager.
4. Click ok and exit.

Now if you restart firefox everything will work very fine.

Add/Remove

This application was giving the error saying that the network is not connected.
The same solution will work for add/remove apllication also.

Solution :
1. Open the System->Administration->Network which will the network configuration.
2. Select the edit for wired connection (or wireless) eth0 (eth0 for me).
3. In the General tab tick the check box saying Controlled by NetworkManager.
4. Click ok and exit.

Cheers !!!!