[ale] linux-suse8.1 win98se samba hp ptal cups vmware (wthh!)

[Dow Hurst]

wthh=What the hell happened?

Yesterday I got started on the software config of a vmware win98se 
install printing to the local cups printer.  I just got back this 
morning after a long night of tracking down a init script problem along 
with other issues.  It seems that the ptal startup script that 
recognizes and configures the USB HP PSC2210 combo 
printer/fax/copier/scanner/coffeemaker doesn't work.  Some error in the 
config or order of scripts is forcing me on each reboot to manually run 
the "ptal-init setup" by hand to get the printer recognized.  I've tried 
having the printer plugged in at boot, not plugged in at boot, with 
printd and without printd (an option in the 
/etc/ptal/mlc:usb:PSC_2200_Series config file) to no avail.  Plus, I've 
found that since I really want to have the user get used to Linux and 
not Win98 as their main OS, I want to have the printer fully functional 
under Linux as a priority.  This means that I can't allow the vmware to 
capture that USB port away from Linux which it will do if you let it.  I 
want to leave the USB functionality in vmware for other items.  So, I've 
elected to print thru a HPDeskjet870c driver in win98 to a Samba export 
of the HP PSC 2210 printer/coffeemaker.  Besides the vagaries of windows 
networking, when you can't tell which interface is the one that needs 
configuring (vmware interfaces look identical, you have to guess with 
winipcfg), I finally found a samba config that worked so I could see the 
printer properly.  It was a combination of bridged and hostonly 
networking, but now that I think about it, I don't need the host-only 
networking.

My real question is:

What is the proper order of initialization for USB HP printers?  Do you 
initialize USB with the hotplug first or run ptal before the hotplug 
scripts run?  I know that cups needs ptal running with a recognized 
available printer before it will work properly.  The hotplug scripts are 
rather complex with configuration info for all types of USB devices and 
other hotpluggable devices.   I think that either a misconfiguration on 
my part with the hotplug scripts or the ptal init script is somehow 
blocking the ptal-init program from seeing the printer via USB.  If I 
run ptal-init setup by hand then the printer is seen immediately and 
easily configured.  So maybe something is wrong with the ptal init 
script.  You don't get much logging so it is hard to tell what is 
wrong.  I am more than a bit tired too so may have just made a stupid 
mistake as well!
Dow

-- 
__________________________________________________________
Dow Hurst                  Office: 770-499-3428
Systems Support Specialist    Fax: 770-423-6744
1000 Chastain Rd., Bldg. 12
Chemistry Department SC428  Email:dhurst at kennesaw.edu
Kennesaw State University         Dow.Hurst at mindspring.com
Kennesaw, GA 30144
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*Computational Chemistry is fun!*
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