Bit of a MS rant.  ( might have complained before. i donno )

I'm off a few days. People post in a 'shared' teams channel. It sends you an email.  "you have a message" but ZERO details. To force you to login and use their freaking product.  No.  its also why i tell people if we are on fire, txt me do NOT use teams. 

So for the last 2 days teams ( web ) had no spell check.

Now its back. and guess what. they changed it to be like OWA left click ..  arrgh. F- Microsoft 

Windows 10 NUC Print server ( long story, a fairly recent Linux update, wont work now native so had to go back to win10 to print ).

"do you want to opt into backup bla bla bla ( full screen ) .  No. "reject"

Then another "you should enable backups"   grrr 

Regardless of operating system I am surprised that you have a print server at all.  Most people just print straight to the printer over IPP (or LPD or JetDirect for older printers) unless they're part of a huge corporate network that needs a server-managed queue.

Thankfully, I'm now daily-driving Linux at work again.  After ten years of having to deal with Windows ... I am back home.  Viva las penguinistas.

In the beginning there was no way to print from Linux, it required firmware ( really.. as dumb as it sounds.. it did ) to be pushed to the printer every time it prints, which was only possible via windows and their proprietary drivers.  Eventually cups and stuff supported it so the 'print server' went into the closet.

Fast forward a couple of years and after some recent Linux updates this spring, i cant print anymore.  Its usb, and keeps disconnecting, then connecting, repeat until i unplug it. Not even a print driver thing, but at the USB device level.

I dont print but perhaps 4 times a year.. so it wasn't worth spending too much time on it to figure out what happened and if it could be undone, or go out and buy a more friendly one.. I still had the print server/nuc in the closet, so it was trivial to 'fix'. ( i saved it, just in case ).  if need ever changes, ill go out and get one that 'just works'. 

Thu Dec 11 2025 20:28:45 UTC from IGnatius T Foobar

Regardless of operating system I am surprised that you have a print server at all.  Most people just print straight to the printer over IPP (or LPD or JetDirect for older printers) unless they're part of a huge corporate network that needs a server-managed queue.

Thankfully, I'm now daily-driving Linux at work again.  After ten years of having to deal with Windows ... I am back home.  Viva las penguinistas.

They don't.

And ya its old. I think it was their first USB desktop sized laser printer? Or at least one of the first. But, like mentioned wasn't to be replaced over time with new stuff as its used so rarely and since 'made' it work it was good enough.    its old enough HP no longer sells toner cartridges for it ( as far as i could tell anyway ) and had to go with a 3rd party clone cartridge a couple of years ago when it *finally* ran out.  

Fri Dec 12 2025 03:57:03 UTC from IGnatius T Foobar

Ok, so you have a shit printer. I didn't think they made "winprinters" anymore.

I feel like with MS printer queues - you're trying too hard - if you have if/true statements to make it work. I don't script, I'm a Windows admin - it sucked - but never if/true statement suckage. 

Usually it was just mapping it by IP rather than named server. 

Mon Dec 15 2025 00:48:05 UTC from darknetuser

I have many nice stories about printer drives developed by ofshored teams.


if (true); then (...)

Also lots of

while (true); do
if(condition); then break
(...)

We've gotta give Apple credit where it's due.  Once driverless printing and IPP Everywhere and Mopria became a thing, Apple basically said to printer manufacturers "you're going to support this if you want to be able to print from an iPhone or iPad"

But yes, if you're trying to send a print job to a printer on a different network than the one you're on, a bit of help is needed.

I do it so naturally - I don't event realize the ridiculous hoops I'm jumping through just to get things to work. I got my newly refreshed i7 v5 Surface back on all my printers in 15 minutes of when I needed them. Which is once in a blue moon.

Again,  this is what pisses me off... I am really good at IT, but can't get hired. Reasons. I'm sure.

Wed Dec 24 2025 15:41:31 UTC from IGnatius T Foobar

We've gotta give Apple credit where it's due.  Once driverless printing and IPP Everywhere and Mopria became a thing, Apple basically said to printer manufacturers "you're going to support this if you want to be able to print from an iPhone or iPad"

But yes, if you're trying to send a print job to a printer on a different network than the one you're on, a bit of help is needed.