Managing a printer via linux vs. Windows

["Steve Garcia" <steve adzac com>]

Hi,

I have a small LAN of Windows machines being served by a RH 7.3
firewall/web/nat/smb/file/email server.
It's time to add a shared printer (HP LJIIIsi with HP j2550b JetDirect).  I
need to choose between hosting the printer
from the linux box or hosting it from a dedicated Windows98 box.

I have experience with the latter - letting a Windows98 peer share its
directly connected printer with the LAN.  It worked
quite well, with the only negative being that *everyone* who connected to
the LAN could print.  The current situation is for
a church office with many empty ethernet ports spread throughout the
building.  I would prefer to limit printing to the few
full time staff members in the building, and not let everyone who walks in
for a meeting be able to print.  An old win98 box
is available, so dedicating a box to this chore is not an issue.)

I have never setup printing via linux, but I know it certainly can be done.
I also know that Samba supports printer shares.
Is there a downside to choosing the linux box rather than a win98 box to
manage the printer?


Note that logistics prevent the printer from being directly connected (via
parallel port) to the linux box.  Even if I set up
a Samba share for the printer and use the share to limit printer access to a
subset of users, won't any random pc plugged
into the subnet with the appropriate (common) private ip address be able to
use the printer via the JetDirect box?


Steve