Setting up Samsung ML-1740 in OpenVZ VE

This is a quick walkthrough for setting up Samsung ML-1740 (or other Samsung laser printers) through USB port in Debian Linux OpenVZ VE . This adds on my previous guide and present a shorter walkthrough than the one in http://wiki.openvz.org/USB_Printing_in_VE

On HN:


Make sure the printer is on and connected to the usb port.

# aptitude install usbutils
# lsusb

Make sure the printer is listed in lsusb's output.
If this is the first USB printer connected to HN, then there should be /dev/usb/lp0.
Make sure /dev/usb/lp0 uid is "root" and gid is "lp" and the permission is at least 660 (u=rw,g=rw).


# vzctl set 555 --devnodes usb/lp0:rw --save


Now enter the VE:

# vzctl enter 555

Make sure there is /dev/usb/lp0 in VE (exported by HN). Make sure the permission is the same as in HN, owner user "root" and group "lp", and permission is at least 660.

# aptitude install cups splix
If you already have CUPS installed, restart it because the printer has to be powered on and plugged in before CUPS is started for it to see the printer.



# ${webbrowser} http://localhost:631

Go to "Administration", "Add printer", Enter name and click "Continue".
Next there's a device selection. Your printer should be listed there. My printer was listed as "Samsung ML-1740 USB #1 (Samsung ML-1740)".
If your printer is not there, the more likely causes are incorrect permission and/or CUPS started before the printer is up.

Select your Samsung model on the next screen and keep pressing "Continue".
You're done.

I'll never use JFS for root FS anymore

I love JFS, but I'm not going to use it for root FS anymore.

One of the computers had JFS for its root FS. The computer crashed. The filesystem became dirty and refused to be mounted rw until it is fsck-ed. Unfortunately, the fsck program for JFS exists only as a userland tool (kernel cannot do it) and Debian's standard initramfs image does not have fsck.jfs. So the root fs was mounted ro and, as a result, several important services, including ssh, failed to start.

It was a good thing that the computer was downstair. I just went downstair and used a rescue CD to fsck.jfs the volume. I had 3 rescue CDs: trinity 3.3, knoppix 6.2 and system rescue disk 1.3.2. Only the last one has fsck.jfs.

From now on, I'll be using JFS only for data volumes.