Just want it to work- File sharing + print server

  • I've been trying at this for weeks now. Perhaps Linux is just too complicated for me. Maybe I'm just too old?


    Anyway, I have an old laptop that I just want to be a file and print server. After trying many distros, lots of headaches, and reading SO MANY pages and forum posts on how to get things working, I've found omv to be ok, at least for the file sharing part.

    Now, the file sharing seems to work OK... (when it's not freezing up my computer when I browse the shares).


    I've spent so much time on this and have been unsuccessful to set up the print sharing part.

    I've managed to find a way to install "OMV-extras" and get docker running with ydkn/cups.


    Now I have no idea what to do. I can't seem to access any web interfaces on the server that are not on port 80. That cups docker thingie says to go to port 163? I don't know. I've read so much and still can't figure it out! Why is it so complicated?!


    I don't even know what info to give anyone to help me here.

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  • What are your laptop's specs (CPU, RAM, drives tec.)? How is it connected to your network (wifi? lan?)?


    I've set up several containers by now and don't use cups but this doesn't sound too complicated.

    After a little searching I would use this container as it is probably still maintained: https://github.com/chuckcharlie/cups-avahi-airprint


    So the general way I set up my containers:

    1. Set up docker including folders for config files: https://wiki.omv-extras.org/do…v6_plugins:docker_compose
    2. Create a separate folder for each application - would be "data" here: https://wiki.omv-extras.org/do…s:docker_compose#settings
    3. Create the container using provided docker compose files (sometimes in OMV GUI, sometimes in portainer ;) )

    I know, a very basic explanation but feel free to ask for further assistance/details.

    OMV7.x

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600G

    ASRock B550M Pro4

    Crucial DIMM 16GB

    Western Digital WD Blue SN570

    Seagate IronWolf 8TB/WD Red 8TB

    AeroCool CS-102

  • Thanks for the reply!


    My laptop is ok, a Core 2 Duo CPU T6500 @ 2.10GHz with 4 gigs ram, connected by ethernet (via USB adaptor, as onboard adaptor is only 100BaseT) and also has Wifi connection too). OMV is running off a USB flash drive (with flashmemory plugin), with the internal drive as my main storage. The USB ports are only USB 2, so I opted to use the internal drive as the main storage for speed. I managed to make rsync work to daily backup my internal drive to an attached external USB hard drive.


    One thing, that I think is about running it from a flash drive, is that startup takes forever. From power on to ready state is like 10 minutes at least I think.


    Step 1 seems easy enough, and I got this:

    34589-screenshot-2024-02-15-164303-png


    ------------------

    Step 2 for me is the equivalent of "draw the rest of the owl"
    34590-screenshot-2024-02-15-170246-png


    I'm supposed to put a yaml file here? Is there a huge list of yaml files I can't seem to find? I don't understand this. I've searched for cups and yaml and got so many different results I wouldn't know where to start. What are docker compose files, are those yaml files? Where are they and what are they used for? I can't seem to figure out what a portainer is.



    Before, through some console commands I was able to get this to show up in containers.


    34591-screenshot-2024-02-15-170314-png

  • update: I found a docker-compose.yml for cups as follows:


    Now I'm not sure what to do. I can't seem to find instructions part this point?

    Under Files i have clicked:

    Check:

    up:

    pull:


    Code
     500 - Internal Server Error
    Failed to execute command 'export PATH=/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin; export LANG=C.UTF-8; export LANGUAGE=; docker compose --file '/docker/CUPS quadportnick/CUPS quadportnick.yml' --env-file '/docker/CUPS quadportnick/CUPS quadportnick.env' --env-file '/docker/global.env' pull 2>&1': airprint Pulling airprint Warning WARNING: Some service image(s) must be built from source by running: docker compose build airprint 1 error occurred: * Error response from daemon: manifest for znetwork/synology-airprint:0.3 not found: manifest unknown: manifest unknown

    my problem has been, every time I try to follow any instructions for linux based things online, I always run into some error I can't seem to fix, or the instructions are out or date or for a different version of what I'm using, or perhaps I just don't understand them?

  • for CUPs documentation use : https://hub.docker.com/r/olbat/cupsd


    as cups.yml use:

    you need to define variable $ConfigPath


    in enviroment section:


    something like ConfigPath=/yourpathtopersistentdataonyourdisk


    to access to cups config webgui you only need to type on browser http://yournasip:631 and configure ( add) a printer.


    PD: previosly you need to create a net name my-net on compose webGUI:



    and use this net on all your containers to resolve names by container name.

  • raulfg3's approach is a little different than mine and I'm not sure wether I could work with his (though he is the pro and I am the noob :) ).


    What I would do:


    - In the folder you use for "data" in the docker compose settings create a folder "cups" with two subfolders "service" and "config". I usually make the "data" folder a shared folder so I can easily create accessable folders like "cups" using Windows File Explorer etc.

    - Copy this to your Compose - Files - Files section and adjust it to your personal settings!



    Remember: Change or adjust the 4 marked lines to your settings - if unsure ask again.



    You're half way there, only some little tweaks are needed :)


    I'm not sure why your paths are like /dev/sda/, using UUID is better as I know.

    Can you ssh into your server and share the output of

    Code
    ls -la /srv/

    OMV7.x

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600G

    ASRock B550M Pro4

    Crucial DIMM 16GB

    Western Digital WD Blue SN570

    Seagate IronWolf 8TB/WD Red 8TB

    AeroCool CS-102

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