Sharing a printer

[Reinhold Rumberger]

On Tuesday 13 April 2010, Lisi wrote:
> On Tuesday 13 April 2010 16:50:18 NW wrote:
> > We have three computers at home. The desktop is linked by cable
> > to the router. The two laptops access the internet via wifi
> > from the router.
> > 
> > There is one printer connected to the desktop by cable. It
> > occurs to me that there should be a way for the laptops to
> > access the printer via the network.
> > 
> > I have been looking around via google, and getting more and more
> > confused. It can't be too difficult surely. Can anyone start me
> > off please? I know that there are such things as a wifi enabled
> > printer and a printer server etc. Am I asking to much to expect
> > to have the laptops send a print command to the desktop
> > computer which would act as a printer server I suppose.
> > 
> > More info: desktop Kubuntu Hardy. One laptop Mint 7 Xfce. The
> > other laptop Windows XP.
> 
> Provided that you have the relevant packages loaded (cups client
> and cups server), CUPS will do this for you automatically.  Or
> should I say automagically?  ;-)

Are you saying that cups, in its default configuration, will announce 
and make available any printer you have connected to your computer? 
That would seem rather risky to me...

  --Reinhold