Best Network Print Server? Linux?

[joshwa]

I need to setup a new print server, one that will successfully cope with printing PDF documents without crashing the rest of the server...

I've used Server 2003 and as a print server it seems pretty flaky...

I've heard Linux is great as a print server, but which distribution should I use, and will it seemlessly integrate into an AD system?

Can I switch over a printer from server 2003, keep the same name, and users be none the wiser?

Thanks in advance

Josh

[aidanjt]

Nearly any distro will do what you want here, but they're all equally painful to add to an AD domain and configuring CUPS. That said, openSUSE provides clickity click configuration, which is handy for people who are new to the idea of using Linux and are put off with the idea of editing configuration files.

[joshwa]

Does sus have the apt get feature? as that could be handy if I needed to add anything.

[Jay]

no, suse has yast but not apt-get. You can use the following to add apt-get though

http://susewiki.org/index.php?title=Install-apt4suse

[SiM]

Go for ubuntu

[aidanjt]

Does sus have the apt get feature? as that could be handy if I needed to add anything.

openSUSE has it's own package manager called zypper, the syntax is just as easy, but if you need to install debian packages over rpm packages for some reason or another, you can install apt utilities on it.

[Jay]

Go for ubuntu

I have to agree with this. I have used Suse, Mandrake, Red Hat, Ubuntu and a few others and I find that Ubuntu is the best out the lot.

[aidanjt]

Having used more distros than I care to imagine, I find they (mainstream distros) all suck equally. So far the 'easiest' distro I've used is arch, but it's not perfect either.

[Haris]

I'd forget using a computer as a print server altogether. I was in the same spot as you not long ago and then discovered the D-Link DPR-1260.

Connects 4 usb printers into a router and doese all the serving for you. No need to have a computer switched on to print.

[Jay]

I don't think this will be for home use (just guessing)

[aidanjt]

Plus, those little things have virtually no spooling capacity.

[Haris]

Oh ok, if it's for an industry solution than scratch that idea

If it's for SOHO than it's worth a look.

[joshwa]

It would be needed for 100+ IP printers with a mixture of HP, Brother, NRG printers, mostly HP though. Just seeing what would be the best option.

[aidanjt]

heh, definately a job for CUPS then.

[Jay]

In otherwords use Ubuntu.

[Moby-Dick]

the only problem that springs to mind with using a *nix print server is driver availability ?

have you got suitable drivers for all the printers you use ?

if so then it could work , although as mentioned AD integration is going to hurt.

it may well be easier to resolve the problems with the windows printers ?