Certified Linux Administrator Printing

Printing
 

Printer Configuration Tool allows users to configure a printer. This tool helps maintain the printer configuration file, print spool directories, print filters, and printer classes.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 uses the Common Unix Printing System (CUPS). If a system was upgraded from a previous Red Hat Enterprise Linux version that used CUPS, the upgrade process preserves the configured queues.

Using Printer Configuration Tool requires root privileges. To start the application, select System (on the panel) => Administration => Printing, or type the command system-config-printer at a shell prompt.

Printer Configuration Tool

Figure 33.1. Printer Configuration Tool

The following types of print queues can be configured:

  • AppSocket/HP JetDirect — a printer connected directly to the network through HP JetDirect or Appsocket interface instead of a computer.

  • Internet Printing Protocol (IPP) — a printer that can be accessed over a TCP/IP network via the Internet Printing Protocol (for example, a printer attached to another Red Hat Enterprise Linux system running CUPS on the network).

  • LPD/LPR Host or Printer — a printer attached to a different UNIX system that can be accessed over a TCP/IP network (for example, a printer attached to another Red Hat Enterprise Linux system running LPD on the network).

  • Networked Windows (SMB) — a printer attached to a different system which is sharing a printer over an SMB network (for example, a printer attached to a Microsoft Windows™ machine).

  • Networked JetDirect — a printer connected directly to the network through HP JetDirect instead of a computer.

Important

If you add a new print queue or modify an existing one, you must apply the changes for them to take effect.

Clicking the Apply button prompts the printer daemon to restart with the changes you have configured.

Clicking the Revert button discards unapplied changes.

Adding a Local Printer

To add a local printer, such as one attached through a parallel port or USB port on your computer, click the New Printer button in the main Printer Configuration Tool window to display the window in Figure 33.2, “Adding a Printer”.

Adding a Printer

Figure 33.2. Adding a Printer

Click Forward to proceed.

Enter a unique name for the printer in the Printer Name field. The printer name can contain letters, numbers, dashes (-), and underscores (_); it must not contain any spaces.

You can also use the Description and Location fields to further distinguish this printer from others that may be configured on your system. Both of these fields are optional, and may contain spaces.

Click Forward to open the New Printer dialogue (refer to Figure 33.3, “Adding a Local Printer”. If the printer has been automatically detected, the printer model appears in Select Connection. Select the printer model and click Forward to continue.

If the device does not automatically appear, select the device to which the printer is connected (such as LPT #1 or Serial Port #1) in Select Connection.

Adding a Local Printer

 

Samba with CUPS Printing Support

Samba allows client machines to share printers connected to the Samba server. In addition, Samba also allows client machines to send documents built in Linux to Windows printer shares. Although there are other printing systems that function with Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CUPS (Common UNIX Print System) is the recommended printing system due to its close integration with Samba.

Simple smb.conf Settings

The following example shows a very basic smb.conf configuration for CUPS support:

[global] 
load printers = Yes 
printing = cups 
printcap name = cups  
[printers] 
comment = All Printers 
path = /var/spool/samba/print 
printer = IBMInfoP 
browseable = No 
public = Yes 
guest ok = Yes 
writable = No 
printable = Yes 
printer admin = @ntadmins  
[print$] 
comment = Printer Drivers Share 
path = /var/lib/samba/drivers 
write list = ed, john 
printer admin = ed, john

Other printing configurations are also possible. To add additional security and privacy for printing confidential documents, users can have their own print spooler not located in a public path. If a job fails, other users would not have access to the file.

The print$ share contains printer drivers for clients to access if not available locally. The print$ share is optional and may not be required depending on the organization.

Setting browseable to Yes enables the printer to be viewed in the Windows Network Neighborhood, provided the Samba server is set up correctly in the domain/workgroup.

 

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