I now have a server running ubuntu.
Get the latest updates going apt-get update ; apt-get upgrade
Just try to get hardware like printers installed without looking for drivers initially. I found that ubuntu had support for my printer out of the box. The download from the manufacturer just muddied the water.
After setting up the printer and then samba I was able to use the printer from other boxes. Even my Mac could use it by selecting windows file sharing.
After installing samba you may need to add the users that can use it. Allow users access to samba using smbpasswd -La username.
