The default printing service in nearly every major Linux distribution today is the Common UNIX Printing Service (CUPS). Any Linux system that includes CUPS offers the CUPS Web-based admin- istrative interface for configuring CUPS printing. It also offers configuration files in the /etc/cups directory for configuring printers and the CUPS service (cupsd daemon).

In Fedora systems, you can configure your printer with the Printer Configuration windows avail- able in both K Desktop and GNOME environments. A variety of drivers makes it possible to print to different kinds of printers, as well as to printers that are connected to computers on the network. You can set up your computer as a Linux print server, and you can also have your computer emulate an SMB (Windows) print server. After your network is configured properly and a local printer is installed, sharing that printer over the network as a UNIX or SMB print server is not very complicated.

Running a File Server

Most networked computers are on the network in the first place so that users can share information. Some users need to collectively edit documents for a project, share access to spreadsheets and forms used in the daily operation of a company, or perform any number of similar file-sharing activities. It also can be efficient for groups of people on a computer network to share common applications and directories of informa- tion needed to do their jobs. By far the best way to accomplish the centralized sharing of data is through a file server.

A centralized file server can be backed up, preserving all stored data in one fell swoop. It can focus on the tasks of getting files to end users, rather than running user applications that can use client resources. And a centralized file server can be used to control access to information -- security settings can dictate who can access what.

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