Unable to add printer drivers to RMS database

(Last modified: 20Aug2003)

This document (10070612) is provided subject to the disclaimer at the end of this document.

fact

Novell NetWare 6

Novell NetWare 5.1

Novell NetWare 5

NDPS v3.0

NDPS v2.1

NDPS v2.0

Novell Distributed Print Services

Novell iPrint

symptom

Unable to add printer drivers to RMS database

When adding printer drivers to the Broker, INF file shows up, but no printers show up to install

iManage gives an error when trying to add a printer driver.

RMANSRVR is unable to parse the printer's INF file.

cause

Printer vendors are writing Windows 2000/XP printer drivers with new INF files.  There is a single INF that is used for multiple platforms.  These new INF files cannot be parsed by the RMANSRVR.NLM, and therefore the printer drivers cannot be added to the RMS database.

fix

The fix to this problem is included in NetWare 5.1 SP5, NetWare 6 SP2, and SP1 for the NT/2000/XP v4.83 client and SP1 for Win9x v3.32 client.  Both the client and server patches will need to be applied for the new INF file formats to be recognized and processed correctly.  If iPrint is being used, the NIPP.EXE that is included with the support packs will also fix the issue and will need to be installed onto workstations for these INF changes to be properly recognized and processed.  Again, the server (NetWare 5.1 or NetWare 6) and the client (Novell client or iPrint client) will need to be patched and/or updated.

The INF parser will need to be modified to allow for this change in INF file formats.  Currently the only workaround is to manually edit the INF file to conform to the old INF standards.  (See MSDN, October 2001 release)

The issue at hand is that, beginning with Windows XP, Microsoft changed the allowable way to create INF files.  These changes in the way INFs are formatted to include multiple OSes are called decorations.   In the past, the [Manufacturer] section of the INF was a single value and covered a single OS.  For example:

[Manufacturer]
"Manufacturer"=MFG

Later in the INF file, there would be a [MFG] section that would correspond to the [Manufacturer] label.


The INF files can now specify multiple OS platforms (see MSDN, January 2002 release) and has been changed to the following:

[Manufacturer]
"Manufacturer"=MFG,NT,NTx86.5.1

Later in the INF file, there could be a [MFG.NT] or [MFG.NTx86.5.1] section instead of a plain [MFG] section.


The change in INF format only affects vendors that have elected to create INF files that can be applied to multiple platforms.  Single platform INF files do not have the new formatting and should not be affected.  Only newer INF files (typically associated with Windows XP) are the ones that potentially can be affected.

document

Document Title:	Unable to add printer drivers to RMS database
Document ID:	10070612
Solution ID:	NOVL78558
Creation Date:	01May2002
Modified Date:	20Aug2003
Novell Product Class:	NetWare

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