Printer Sharing in FC3

[akonstam at trinity.edu]

On Tue, Jun 14, 2005 at 07:57:52AM -0700, Steve & Julie Croteau wrote:
> On Tuesday 14 June 2005 02:47 am, Boris Glawe wrote:
> > Steve & Julie Croteau wrote:
> > >Greetings,
> > >Attempting to print share with two FC3 boxes behind a router without
> > > success. I'm very new to this so be gentle.  Does anyone know where I can
> > > find a simple 'how to' on this subject?  I haven't been able to find one.
> > >
> > >Thanks,
> > >Steve
> >
> > Printing is done with cups on FC.
> > cups is client/server based. That means, that the client sends it's
> > print job over the network to the print server, which prints the document.
> >
> > There's actually no difference whether your machine is both the client
> > and the print server (as it usually is on workstations) or whether you
> > as a client ask another machine, which functions as a print server.
> >
> > I don't know the details in the configuration, but you will find the
> > necessary files in /etc/cups. I think, you will have to edit
> > /etc/cups/client.conf . Change the directive "ServerName" to your
> > machines name - or better: it's ip-address.
> >
> > The server has to allow access to the port 631 (631 is the IPP port.
> > IPP=Internet Printing Protocol). I hope you know how to open ports,
> > otherwise ask again.
> >
> > If you want to know any details about errors, watch the logfiles in
> > /var/log/cups
> >
> > greets Boris
> 
> Thanks Boris!
Since I have been beating this topic to death for the last three or
four days let me throw my oar into the discussion (a mixed metaphor if
I ever heard one).
Ok, sharing printers changes complexity depending on what kind of
protocol you use. If you are using the lpd protocol of (cups-lpd)
printers are shared by default and no configuration of a cups
configuration file is needed. Here it is really easier to use
system-config-printing and here is the confusing part (unless they
have fixed this bug) do not configure your printers to be explicitly
shared.

Printers can also be configured using the cups command line commands
like lpadmin, lpoptions, enable, etc. but this takes a bit of
concentration and carefully reading the CUPS System Administration
Manual.

The deceptively simple option is using the CUPS web interface: 
localhost:631 . The process is somewhat straight forward. However, you
have to be clear about the different printing protocols: lpd, ipp,
parallel (for local printers) etc. The only real problem when you open
the cups web interface you will be able to see all the printers
defined on your subnet which is broadcast by the cups system and you
will have to keep straight which are defined on which machine.

I would recommend system-config-printer unless you need a device
driver not included or accessible by that system like the HP 3500
Color Laser printer.
-- 

=======================================================================
How come we never talk anymore?
-------------------------------------------
Aaron Konstam
Computer Science
Trinity University
telephone: (210)-999-7484