If you're looking for something to do, go for it. If you want a print server that just works, go on eBay and get an old jetdirect server (or go off brand - belkin comes to mind) for <$20.
For your project, you'll need to figure out how to or get a installer that sends everything out the serial port (assuming you can't plug an external monitor up). Then, there's a printer and samba howto at tldp. I don't know your network setup but assuming a sane setup, you should be able to see everything and print just fine. On Sep 3, 2011 10:48 AM, <kei...@strucktower.com> wrote: > I am only minimally familiar with Linux, or networking. > > I have four laptops (various ages and OS's) and one old desktop in my > house. My only printer is attached to a seldom-used Windows desktop (big > and slow and noisy) on the third floor. When anyone wants to print, which > is rare (once every two weeks?) we have to go upstairs, boot the desktop, > go back to the laptop and send to the shared printer, go back upstairs to > power down the desktop, then return to wherever we first were. > > For some time now I have been wondering how I might cheaply put a > low-energy-use low-noise print server in the basement that runs 24/7 and > takes up little space. Going to the basement to retrieve the occasional > print would be less problem, especially if the print server was already > ready. > > Then recently the display on one of my old Dell C610 laptops died. One > minute or so after booting the display would just completely white-out. I > decided to use the hard drive and memory for some other project and was > going to throw out the old Dell. But then I vaguely remembered past > readings on the Internet from people who say they run servers without > monitors or even keyboards... > > Hmm. Is it possible to boot a minimal Linux OS from a cdrom on this broken > display Dell (with 256M ram) that would enable me to use it as a print > server? I would use a wired Ethernet connection to the hub in the > basement. > > Hmm. I'm thinking- would I first need to boot with an attached external > monitor to configure the Bios to use the external monitor? (chicken or > egg?) > > Since the display doesn't work, can I completely detach it? Or will the > Bios/OS complain? > > Can I somehow boot from a rescue cdrom or Live-CD of some kind that would > allow me to connect and configure its OS via the network? Or, how can I > build my own bootable cdrom that would allow this? (The Bios will not > allow booting from USB.) I'd have to install the printer driver, which is > not native to Linux builds (Brother HL2040). > > Which native Linux software would I need to run to accomplish this sort of > thing- Samba? What else? > > Seems like this would be a fun project and I would learn a lot, if I can > find a tutorial, website, or detailed hints... > > Thanks, > Keith Ostertag > > > > > -- > To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-user-requ...@lists.debian.org > with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org > Archive: http://lists.debian.org/d2cbf324c7fa1c5379136cc8a5520ba5.squir...@webmail.strucktower.com >
