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Contents
1. Debian Printing (CUPS)
1. Installation
2. Add Printer
3. Example, kyocera printer

4. Printer Status
5. Print to a PDF

2. No Printer Drivers
1. Brother

2. Canon (PPD)
3. HP

4. Kyoceramita (PPD)

3. Alternative Automatic Configuration

1. system­config­printer (formally 'printconf')

2. HP printer setup with 'hp­setup'

3. HP LaserJet 10xx printer setup with 'printer­driver­foo2zjs'

4. Printer Sharing

1. CUPS as Print Server for Windows Machines

2. CUPS and Samba

3. Printer sharing using Macintosh as the client and Debian as the server
5. Printing Pictures

6. Other printing Systems

7. External links

8. See also

Debian Printing (CUPS)

Keywords: Linux Printing, Debian, cups system, HP Linux and Image
software, Install, Add , Change Printers, Print Server.

The Common UNIX Printing System (or CUPS) is a printing system and
general replacement for lpd and other older systems. The CUPS Debian
packages forms a nice, powerful and relatively easy to use printing
system on Debian. ( http://www.cups.org/)
Installation

Install Software:

aptitude update
aptitude install cups cups-client

Start the software:

/etc/init.d/cups start

Add Printer

Now you can add a printer by going to

http://localhost:631/

and adding a printer via the Administration screen. If you get a

permission error, try adding yourself to the group lpadmin. E.g. if you are
user "tom":

sudo usermod -a -G lpadmin tom

[OPTIONAL]If you are in server environment and you do not have a

browser like Firefox, you will need to install a text browser like lynx or
elinks.

aptitude install lynx-cur

or
 aptitude install elinks

Now go with the text browser to the same address as specified

before.

elinks http://localhost:631/

Follow the instructions you see on the screen. Set the default printer.

Example, kyocera printer

Type in:

elinks http://localhost:631/
 Click on Do Administration Task, then Add New Printer,

Name: kyocera9520

Location: Back Room

Description: High output printer

Click Continue
Click on !AppSocket/HP JetDirect
If you have a network printer that you can directly print to, select:

LPD/LPR Host Printer

Then change a device URI to one of the examples:

socket://hostname:9100

Then select Make.Then Model. If your model is not there, you can try
picking similar printer number/driver and it should work.
When done go back to original menu. Click on Set Default Printer
Done. Anything below is optional

Printer Status

Is the printer running?

lpstat -r

What is the default printer?

lpstat -d
 Printer queue

lpq

Print to a PDF

You may not have a physical printer but need to get a document ready to
print then you could to a PDF file.

First you'll need to install cups­pdf by running the following:

aptitude install cups-pdf

Once completed you need to setup the printer in Gnome as follows. Go

to:

System--> Administration--> Printing

This will bring up a list of printers and in here you'll see an icon Add
Printer

Now follow the steps as defined below:

Select "Local Printer" and use a "detected printer --

> PDF printer".

Manufacturer --> Generic,

Model --> postscript color printer rev4,

Driver --> Standard

Apply

Finally you'll get a PDF folder in your Home.

CUPS Administration
 CUPS can also be administered via its web interface (
http://localhost:631). You will be asked for the root user login and
password.
Any other setting can be done through the easy web interface or
using a print settings program as root:

http://localhost:631/

Options include: pause, resume, cancel print jobs, etc.

[Optional]You can also login to the web interface as any user in the
"lpadmin" group

No Printer Drivers
Most of the more common printer should already have drivers in cups
system. For the newer or more commercial once see the manufacture
website. You should look for the PPD file of your printer model. The PPD
file describes the capabilities of the printer. For a comprehensive review
and database of printer models, drivers and PPD files see
http://www.linuxprinting.org

Brother

cupswrapper driver
For some printers you can download and install Linux­brprinter­
installer

Canon (PPD)

For copier/printer/scanner like Imagerunner 5065

1. Download the PPD drivers:

http://downloads.canon.com/cpr/software/imagerunner/PPD_v241.exe
2. Run it using wine. This will unzip the PPD to temp folder. Find your
printer and use the QX PPD drivers.

HP
Install hplip package. For new printers, it may be necessary to download
and install hplip directly from the project web site. Check your printer
here: HPLIP supported printers. This page will show the version of
hplip required by your model. Setup the printer by running hp-setup
(see below).

Kyoceramita (PPD)

Kyocera PPD drivers

Above Information merged from Lucasmanual.com Printing Section

Alternative Automatic Configuration

system­config­printer (formally 'printconf')

system­config­printer is a printer administration tool which first

appeared in Fedora and later in Debian and Ubuntu. The purpose of the
tool is to configure a CUPS server (often the local machine) using the
CUPS API. The tool is written in Python, using pygtk for the graphical
parts and with some Python bindings (pycups) for the CUPS API.

It is largely the same as using the CUPS web interface for configuring
printers, but has the advantage of being a native application rather than
a web page.

HP printer setup with 'hp­setup'

hp­setup is included with HP Linux Imaging & Printing project package

DebPkg: hplip and performs setup of USB, parallel, and network
printers and All­in­Ones. Network printers are automatically detected via
mDNS (aka Bonjour on Macs). Using hp­setup to install printer also
enables hp utilities for checking ink/toner level and printer maintenance.
Run 'hp-check -r' to troubleshoot printing or scanning issues.

HP LaserJet 10xx printer setup with 'printer­driver­

foo2zjs'

Install CUPS, driver and non­free firmware downloader:

 $ sudo apt-get install cups printer-driver-foo2zjs

hannah-foo2zjs

Download non­free firmware with gui:

$ sudo hannah-foo2zjs

Re­plug USB connection to printer in order to execute

/lib/udev/rules.d/85-hplj10xx.ruleswhich download
firmware to printer.

Visit http://localhost:631/admin and push to "Add new printer" button.

Your model will be present. Check it and push "Next". Find .pddsetting
by selecting HP and your printer model next with
Foomatic/foo2zjs-z1variation. Set default preference (like paper
size). Print test page!

Printer Sharing
CUPS as Print Server for Windows Machines

You can setup CUPS to allow Windows machines to print to a CUPS

server using an http address.

First, install the DebPkg: samba package. When you are asked to use
WINS, say yes.

$ aptitude install samba

Next setup your /etc/cups/cupsd.conffile.

# Our private connection we listen to

Listen *:49631

# Allow machines on local network to use printers

 <Location /printers>
Order allow,deny

Allow 192.168.0.*

Allow 192.168.1.*

</Location>

This will listen on port 49631 from any network. You may use some other
port number besides 631. Note that the dynamic and/or private ports as
specified by the IANA are in the range 49152 through 65535. Also,
this will only allow computers from the local network to print to the CUPS
printers.

Next, restart the CUPS daemon

$ /etc/init.d/cups restart

Now on each Windows machine, Choose that you want to install a

network printer and that you want to install a printer on the Internet or
home/office network. The URL you will use should be:

http://<cups_server_hostname>:49631/printers/<printer

_name>

Lastly, the driver to install is in the Genericsection labeled MS

Publisher Color Printer.

CUPS and Samba

This section needs updating as you can setup print server via samba
print sharing just by uploading drivers.

When printing to windows printers in an NT domain using SMB the

Device URI should read

smb://username:password@domain/server/printername
This allows Samba to authenticate against a domain controller for acces
to the printer queue.

When printing to a Debian CUPS printer from a machine that connects

through Samba, you may need to set up a CUPS class to get things
to work.

Printer sharing using Macintosh as the client and

Debian as the server

You have a printer on a debian machine and you want to share it with a
Macintosh, so that the Mac can print to the Debian­based printer. Try
this:

1. Use cups to set up the printer on Debian as described above. The

Gnome tool for printer configuration works well, and the 100% bullet­
proof way is to use the browser­based CUPS configuration.

2. On the Mac (OS X 10.4+) start Print and Faxfrom

System Preferences. Use the + button to add a printer.

3. Look first in the "Default" tab. If the automagic printer­sharing has

worked, and your Mac is connected to the local network properly, then
the Debian­based printer should already be visible in the list. Just select
it and use the recommended print driver. Your results may vary but you
can't go to far wrong if you pick a driver that matches the one you are
using on Debian. So, for example, you might like to try using Gutenprint
drivers at both ends.

4. If your printer is not visible in the Default tab, then try adding it on the
"IP" tab. Pick IPP as the protocol, give the plain IP address of the server
in the address box, and in the Queue box put "printers/<debian­queue­
name>". Put whatever helps you identify the printer in the Name and
Location boxes, and choose a printer driver than matches what you used
to set up the printer on Debian. Finally cross your fingers, hold your
breath, recite a prayer/spell/incantation, and press the Add button.

As they say: your mileage may vary.

Printing Pictures
Professional looking photos may be obtained when using high quality
glossy photo paper on an inkjet printer but care must be taken when
submitting the print job. Printing from The Gimp image manipulation
program produces very good results. The print dialog will vary
depending upon the printer used. The most important settings are type
of paper, glossy photo or whatever sort you are using, and image type,
"photograph". The size of the printed image is adjusted in the printer
dialog as well.

Other printing Systems

Debian has several alternatives available for printing:

CUPS. (Instructions above.) The newer Common UNIX Printing

System (or CUPS) is a printing system and general replacement for
lpd and the like. It supports the Internet Printing Protocol (IPP), and
has its own filtering driver model for handling various document
types.
LPR. The still commonly used traditional printing system is called lpr
which works quite well if you have a postscript printer. Otherwise,
it is not very simple to set up and doesn't provide much control for
users on the printer settings per print job.
RLPR Remote line printer spooling system.
DebPkg: xpp is designed to be able to take the same command­line
arguments as BSD­lpr and SysV­lp so most apps won't realize the
difference if you create a symbolic link from /usr/bin/lpr(or
/usr/bin/lp) to /usr/bin/xpp. This way, whenever an
application sends off a print job to the lpr(or lp) program, xppwill
launch its GUI so that you can select the options that you would like
for this job.

These alternatives are maintained by different groups. But there is a lot

of collaboration and coordination between them, which occurs on the
debian­printing list.

External links
 DebianPkg: system­config­printer ­ Gnome's printers configuration .
PPD File Structure Specification
http://tldp.org/HOWTO/Printing­HOWTO
http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Debian­and­Windows­Shared­
Printing/
http://www.linuxprinting.org
HP All­in­One setup and support ­ Ubuntu Community Wiki

See also
Teams/Printing
Teams/CUPS

SystemAdministration | CategoryPrinter