Setting Up a Network Printer
Before installing a network printer in a guest OS make sure that your primary OS and the virtual machine meet the following requirements:
- Networking in your primary operating system is configured.
- Virtual machine configuration includes the network adapter which is connected to a real network adapter of your computer. See the Network Adapter Options of your virtual machine; make sure that the Enabled and the Connect at startup options are selected in the Device Status group. In the Emulation group the Bridged Ethernet option should be selected and the real network interface should be chosen in the Network Adapters list.
- Networking in the guest OS is configured.
- User account from which you will setup printer has permissions to access the network printer.
In Linux or FreeBSD Guest Operating System
Make sure that the following components are installed in your guest Linux or FreeBSD system:
- Common UNIX Printing System (CUPS). Installation instructions can be found at CUPS site;
- Samba service. Installation instructions can be found at Samba site;
- A Web browser, since we consider controlling CUPS via web interface;
- Also you have to know the
root
password.
To add a network printer in a Linux or FreeBSD guest OS:
- Start your Linux or FreeBSD guest operating system.
- Start Common UNIX Printing System.
In the Terminal, issue the command:
/etc/init.d/cups start
- Start a Web browser and open either IP address of your virtual machine or
http://127.0.0.1:631
. - Select Printers in menu. Click the Add printer button below the list of available printers (if any).
- You are asked for
root
password. Enter it to be able to proceed. - In the Add New Printer screen enter the information for easy identification of the printer: an informative printer name, location, and description.
- In the Device for <Printer Name> screen select the
Windows Printer via Samba
. - In the Device URI for <Printer Name> screen specify the path to network printer in the following format:
smb://<computer name>/<printer name>
- In the Model/Driver for <Printer Name> screen select the model of your printer.
- CUPS performs installation. If installation is successful, the "
Printer <name> has been added successfully
" message is displayed.
In Windows Guest Operating System
To add a network printer in a Windows guest OS:
- Start the Windows guest operating system and log in the proper account.
- Open Windows Start menu, select Settings and then the Printers and Faxes (or simply Printers) item.
- Open the Add Printer Wizard:
In Windows 95/98/NT/ME/2000/2003 double-click the Add printer icon.
In Windows XP click the Add a printer link.
- In the Add Printer Wizard:
In Windows 2000/XP/2003:
- click Next in the first wizard's screen,
- in the Local or Network Printer screen, click A network printer, or a printer attached to another computer.
In Windows 98/ME:
- click Next in the first wizard's screen,
- the wizard's next screen asks: How is this printer attached to your computer? Click the Network printer option.
In Windows 95/NT:
- click Network printer/server.
- Continue an ordinary network printer installation.