openSUSE drivers,printers, network questions

[Tearose]

I now have openSUSE 10.3 installed and working. The computer is a HP Compaq nx9110 laptop. I would like to be able to print to a network printer in our office. I have no idea how to tell it where to find the printer. I also don't know how to access the server, or join the network the way I would with Windows.

This laptop has a wireless card installed, but when I push the wireless button, the blue light doesn't come on. I don't know if this is a hardware issue (card not working) or a linux issue (OS doesn't recognize wireless card). I also have no idea how to find a Linux driver for the wireless card, assuming the card works.

Can anyone help with these issues?

 

[pentode]

To connect to a Windows network, you'll need to get familiar with Samba. Check your distribution's documentation or Google Linux Samba. For printing on a printer connected to a Windows network, you'll probably need CUPS installed, which it probably already is. Again, check your distro's on-line user guide or Google Linux CUPS.

First you'll have to get the network connection sorted. Assuming you have a wired Ethernet connection available - does this work and can you access the Internet using the wired connection? If so, it's just of matter of getting Samba configured so you can log into the Windows network and then see if you can find the printers using CUPS. The first test page will definitely be the hardest.

For wireless - you'll have to figure out which wireless card and chipset you have by checking the PCs specs and then the wireless NICs spec to find the chipset. Once you have that, do a Google search for Linux Wireless plus the chipset name (e.g. Atheros). Probably need to download the Linux driver and then get it compiled for your kernel. If there's no native Linux driver, the last-resort fallback is to use ndiswrapper and the Windows drivers.

The samba stuff shouldn't be too bad, the printers a little more complicated and the wireless may take a fair amount of research plus trial and error.

Good luck.

 

[Tearose]

No problem with getting connected to the internet, got Samba, have CUPS. But it's not helping. I don't where to find samba to configure it. I extracted the zipped files but I don't know where they went. When I try to see the network, it shows Windows network, and when I click on that it's empty. If I could get it to show me the server, I can get the printer from there. (I'm not going to deal with the wireless till I can print.)Thanks,
Jill

 

[DonQuichote]

Doesn't Suse have a package system to install software? Just use it and leave the basic installation to your distribution.

 

[Tearose]

The software is installed, but I can't see or join the network with it. I'm hoping the problem is simply that I don't know how to do it, as I'm not familiar with Linux, and that someone can tell me what I need to do.

 

[IRudebwoy]

YaST2. Use it to configure your system. Opensuse has a lot of documentation in the help center. I hope you like reading.

BTW, YaST2 is the all-in-one management tool for opensuse.

 

[pentode]

Maybe this will help get you started:

http://julien.herbin.ecranbleu.org/samba_client_howto/