Samba as a print server

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Another common way to network Ubuntu and Windows computers is to configure Samba as a print server. This will allow it to share printers installed on an Ubuntu server, whether locally or over the network.

Just as we did in using Samba as a file server, this section will configure Samba to allow any client on the local network to use the installed printers without prompting for a username and password.

If your environment requires stricter Access Controls see Share Access Control.

Install and configure CUPS

Before installing and configuring Samba as a print server, it is best to already have a working CUPS installation. See our guide on CUPS for details.

Install Samba

To install the samba package, run the following command in your terminal:

sudo apt install samba

Configure Samba

After installing samba, edit /etc/samba/smb.conf. Change the workgroup attribute to what is appropriate for your network:

workgroup = EXAMPLE

In the [printers] section, change the guest ok option to ‘yes’:

browsable = yes
guest ok = yes

After editing smb.conf, restart Samba:

sudo systemctl restart smbd.service nmbd.service

The default Samba configuration will automatically share any printers installed. Now all you need to do is install the printer locally on your Windows clients.