Ok I went through this with a WinXP guest, and eventually figured it out. Now doing this from a Fedora 12 host, still with WinXP guest. From my post on the fedora list:
> Has anyone figured out how to create a printer instance to print from a
> VirtualBox WinXP guest (on F10) to a network attached printer?
>
> The docs did not help, nor did google. One 'answer' stated to enter
> //servername/printers/myprinter as the URI, with the implication that
> servername is the host computer the printer is connected to, and
> 'myprinter' is some descriptor of the actual printer.
>
> This seems a little disconnected when dealing with a network capable
> printer (all puns intended).
>
> In F10 my printer is called Netprinter2 and accessed as
> lpd://192.168.1.12/dummy (It's an HP3955 MFC). Various combinations of
> this info produced only an error box to the effect that Windows could
> not find a printer...
> Can anyone help?
Recap: Host computer is Fedora 10, guest is Windows XP
The problem is to create a network printer instance inside the guest.
Answering my own question:
There are TWO DIFFERENT routes to getting printing working depending
upon how the printer is connected to the network: that is, what sort of
print server it is attached to.
If you can access the print server using
http://192.168.1.11:631, follow #1
below.
If you access the print server without adding a port number, then follow #2.
***************************
#1) Attached to a print server using cups/lpd/lpp
Use the 'network printer' option in the Printer Wizard.
For my HP-1320 LaserJet connected using an SMC one-port print server, the server interface is
http://192.168.1.11:631 and the device URI in Fedora (host) is lpd:192.168.1.11/dummy.
The WinXP guest printer uses:
http://192.168.1.11:631/PASSTHRU
where PASSTHRU is the 'name' of the print server port.
You end up with a TCPIP port 'named'
http://192.168.1.11:631/PASSTHRU
and a printer named 'unknown on
http://192..' etc. (there seems to be no
way to name this printer).
***************************
#2 Attached to a print server using hplip or some other method.
Do NOT use 'network printer': use 'Local Printer' and create a TCPIP
port for this printer. Under Fedora this printer shows up as
'socket:192.168.1.12:9100' and the browser interface to the server is
accessed directly with
http://192.168.1.12.
Since my HP LaserJet MFC 3055 uses tcpip port 9100, I created a port
9100 and configured the port settings to 'RAW' (not LPD). You can name
this printer whatever you want.
In both cases, I was able to install printer specific drivers during the
course of the printer creation. Luckily, I had downloaded (and
extracted) the postscript drivers prior to attempting the printer
creation. I selected 'Have Disk' and then found and selected the 'inf'
file to start the driver installation.
****************
Then go into the printer setup section of your program, and set up the
printer as desired.
Enjoy
Along the way, I discovered that you MUST have a floppy disk in the
floppy drive BEFORE mounting it in Fedora, BEFORE the disk will be
recognized in the WIN guest. I also discovered that a USB key must be
mounted first under Fedora too.
Geoff