CUPS from Vista

[Ross Boylan]

Is there a way to use CUPS from Vista without having the apparently non-existent CUPS driver for Vista?  The client machine already has a Windows specific driver appropriate for my printer.

How do I set up Vista to use CUPS?  I've tried setting up a network printer with http://mysystem:631 or http://mysystem:631/printers/Brother_HL-5150D_series_USB_1 as the http or IP address, but I always get a message that it can't connect.  I can see them with MSIE from the same machine, and after some manipulation they are in the local intranet zone (which supposedly allows RPC instead of http connections from Vista.)

I have Samba set up, but the Vista client uses 15-30% of my (linux) server CPU, mostly in samba but some in cups.  The cups error log shows an endless stream of messages like this:
D [06/Nov/2009:10:31:03 -0800] cupsdAcceptClient: 24 from localhost (Domain)
D [06/Nov/2009:10:31:03 -0800] cupsdReadClient: 24 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [06/Nov/2009:10:31:03 -0800] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [06/Nov/2009:10:31:03 -0800] Get-Printer-Attributes ipp:///printers/rawPrinter
D [06/Nov/2009:10:31:03 -0800] cupsdProcessIPPRequest: 24 status_code=0 (successful-ok)
D [06/Nov/2009:10:31:03 -0800] cupsdAcceptClient: 25 from localhost (Domain)
D [06/Nov/2009:10:31:03 -0800] cupsdCloseClient: 24
D [06/Nov/2009:10:31:03 -0800] cupsdReadClient: 25 POST / HTTP/1.1
D [06/Nov/2009:10:31:03 -0800] cupsdAuthorize: No authentication data provided.
D [06/Nov/2009:10:31:03 -0800] Get-Printer-Attributes ipp:///printers/rawPrinter
D [06/Nov/2009:10:31:03 -0800] cupsdProcessIPPRequest: 25 status_code=0 (successful-ok)
D [06/Nov/2009:10:31:03 -0800] cupsdCloseClient: 25

Despite these messages I can print.  The load isn't really workable, and so I'm hoping to use CUPS directly.

Also, CUPS does not seem to show up as a browseable service from either a Vista or a Mac client.  Here are parts of my config file:

LogLevel debug
# Administrator user group...
SystemGroup lpadmin

Port 631
Listen /var/run/cups/cups.sock

# Show shared printers on the local network.
Browsing On
BrowseOrder allow,deny
BrowseAllow all
BrowseAddress [::1]:631
BrowseAddress 127.0.0.1:631
BrowseAddress @IF(ethfast):631

# Default authentication type, when authentication is required...
DefaultAuthType Basic

# Restrict access to the server...
<Location />
  Order allow,deny
  Allow from 192.168.40.0/24
  AuthType None
</Location>

# Restrict access to the admin pages...
<Location /admin>
  Order allow,deny
</Location>

# Restrict access to configuration files...
<Location /admin/conf>
  AuthType Default
  Require user @SYSTEM
  Order allow,deny
</Location>

# Set the default printer/job policies...
<Policy default>
  # Job-related operations must be done by the owner or an administrator...
  <Limit Send-Document Send-URI Hold-Job Release-Job Restart-Job Purge-Jobs Set-Job-Attributes Create-Job-Subscription Renew-Subscription Cancel-Subscription Get-Notifications Reprocess-Job Cancel-Current-Job Suspend-Current-Job Resume-Job CUPS-Move-Job>
    Require user @OWNER @SYSTEM
    Order deny,allow
  </Limit>

  # All administration operations require an administrator to authenticate...
  <Limit CUPS-Add-Modify-Printer CUPS-Delete-Printer CUPS-Add-Modify-Class CUPS-Delete-Class CUPS-Set-Default>
    AuthType Default
    Require user @SYSTEM
    Order deny,allow
  </Limit>

  # All printer operations require a printer operator to authenticate...
  <Limit Pause-Printer Resume-Printer Enable-Printer Disable-Printer Pause-Printer-After-Current-Job Hold-New-Jobs Release-Held-New-Jobs Deactivate-Printer Activate-Printer Restart-Printer Shutdown-Printer Startup-Printer Promote-Job Schedule-Job-After CUPS-Accept-Jobs CUPS-Reject-Jobs>
    AuthType Default
    Require user @SYSTEM
    Order deny,allow
  </Limit>

  # Only the owner or an administrator can cancel or authenticate a job...
  <Limit Cancel-Job CUPS-Authenticate-Job>
    Require user @OWNER @SYSTEM
    Order deny,allow
  </Limit>

  <Limit All>
    Order deny,allow
  </Limit>
</Policy>

#
#

Clients are on the 192.168.40 network, connecting via the ethfast interface (typically with a wireless access point in between).

Server is Debian Lenny, cups 1.3.8, samba 3.2.5.