how do i install a printer?

[aj2004]

please forgive me if this very simple question has already been answered. all i would like to know is how to install a printer under slackware 9.1. my printer is an Epson Stylus 440 and is connected locally to my computer via the parallel port. i just installed CUPS, but i have no idea how to actually install my printer. i have searched for a couple hours, trying to find a simple how-to for installing a printer, but all i found was info on how to print where a printer is already installed. :mad: if the Epson Stylus 440 is not supported for whatever reason, then a (if any) generic, text-only setup will do.

My system:
cpu: amd duron 1.3ghz
ram: 512mb ddr
vid: sis650_740
mobo: L7som
os: Slackware Linux 9.1
wm: KDE3

[mdwatts]

Checkout www.linuxprinting.org to see if your printer is supported.

Open a browser and type http://localhost:631/ to get the CUPS printer adminstration page.

[aj2004]

correction: my printer is an Epson Stylus COLOR 440... and it says it works perfectly. the recommended driver is the Gimp-Print one. i'm home from school at lunch right now, so i'll install the driver after school and see how it goes. but, is there a special way i have to install the driver? or does it automatically find my "drivers directory" for me? and after that, how do i make CUPS find my printer?

[mdwatts]

First check to see if you already have the required packages installed on your system.

Also see if Slackware has any online documentation to help with setting up and configuring printers. Most distro do.

You will need to start the CUPS service. I'm not sure how that is done as I don't use Slack.

[MMYoung]

Originally posted by mdwatts
You will need to start the CUPS service. I'm not sure how that is done as I don't use Slack.
To start the cups service in Slackware log in as root and type the following:

ls -l /etc/rc.d

Look through the list to see if rc.cups is listed EXATCTY (except for the date) like this:

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 3949 Aug 25 2003 rc.cups

If it is then CUPS is starting at boot. If on the other hand it looks like this:

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 3949 Aug 25 2003 rc.cups

Then issue the following command:

chmod 755 /etc/rc.d/rc.cups

CUPS will now start every time you boot.

BTW make sure that rc.lprng has the -rw-r--r-- if you want to use CUPS. It ain't a good idea to use both CUPS and LPR.

HTH,
MMYoung

[MMYoung]

Setting up a printer using http://localhost:631 (CUPS Admin Page)

First off, I'd make sure that you are using the latest version of CUPS. Easiest way to update I've found so far is to use Swaret. I absolutly LOVE that tool. On to setting up your printer...

If you are using KDE then open Control Center and select Peripherals and then Printers and at the bottom make sure that the "Print System currently used" is set to CUPS. I don't use GNOME so I'm not sure how you would do that if that is your WM of choice.

Open a web browser, doesn't matter which one, and in the address bar type in http://localhost:631 . This will open up the CUPS Admin Page.

Now click on the Manage Printers link and then click on the Add Printer button. You will be asked for a user name and password. Put in root for the user and then the root password and click on OK.

Now in the top blank just type in something simple for the printer name, ie mine is epson870, and click continue. Now where it says AppSocket/HP JetDirect click the upside down triangle and, in your case, select parallel port #1 (or whichever Pport it's on). It should have your printer listed out beside it, but then again it might not either. Click continue. At the next page select EPSON. Scroll down until you find your printer, I checked and EPSON Stylus COLOR 440 is listed, select it and click on continue. DONE! Your printer is now set up and ready to use in Slack.

You can even click on your printer name (it's a link) and it will show you how it's set up and you can print a test page out to make sure it's working.

[aj2004]

first off, when i open the kde printer manager and try to 'add printer/class', and click next, all my choices (local/network/serial/other) are grayed out. second, when i go to http://localhost:631, i don't have the choice of 'manage printers' and/or adding a printer. i can only view the status of them(of which there are none installed). this may be because: i did ./configure in the cups dir, then i did 'make' then i did 'make install' without any error messages. but when i typed 'cups' it says command not found. soooo, i did './cups.sh start' and it said "scheduler started". it seems that CUPS should've installed it's executable into a PATH dir such as /bin or /usr/bin or something so i could just type 'cups'. and it also seems like it should HAVE an executable instead of some script.

when i opened up printer manager and tried installing my printer, everything seemed fine until the last step. it tries to print a test page and i get this error message: "lp -P 'epson' blah blah... lp: -P is not a valid option". ummm, when i type 'man 1 lpr' it says right there that -P prints to named printer. i guess lp and lpr are different. i'll keep fiddling with it and see if anything productive happens.

i've read how CUPS is pretty good... imo, it is (or i am) too retarded to set up.

[aj2004]

i installed my printer with the LPRng/lpr or whatever and typed the following command:

lpr -d 'epson' '/root/a.txt'
-or-
lp -d 'epson' '/root/a.txt'

with or without the quotes, i get this error message:

"lp: Unable to print file '/root/a.txt': the requested resource was not found on this server"

what's the dilly yo?

[aj2004]

can someone tell me how to install CUPS properly? i downloaded the file: cups-1.0.5-source.tar.bz2 from [some website] and i think i installed it wrong. also, i downloaded: foomatic-db-current.tar.gz and tried installing it, but the foomatic executable "cannont be found". it can't be found with 'whereis foomatic' either.

[aj2004]

why must i have bad luck??? i just downloaded and installed the latest version of CUPS.... and... guess what... (what?) by golly, it works ... but, for right now, the test page it printed is the text/code version of the postscript image it was supposed to print. that will hopefully be fixed by me... hopefully. thanks for all your help :)

[MMYoung]

Originally posted by MMYoung
First off, I'd make sure that you are using the latest version of CUPS. Easiest way to update I've found so far is to use Swaret.
;)

Do you have Swaret? If not I would suggest that you get it as soon as you can, might save you some headaches (take it from one who knows!) You can get it HERE (http://www.swaret.org). After you download it open a terminal su to root and type:
installpkg /path/to/swaret-x.x.x-noarch-x.gz press enter and it's installed. I think the latest version is 1.6.2-1 so the file is swaret-1.6.2-noarch-1.gz. After you install it you will have to rename the /etc/swaret.conf.new to /etc/swaret.conf and you're ready to use swaret.

Now that you have CUPS working, kinda, make SURE that lprng isn't starting when you reboot and that CUPS is starting by following the directions in my first post.

That's the elegance of Slackware, it's actually MUCH easier to manage than it's reputation once you start to understand it. To start or stop services from starting at boot in Slackware all you to do is make their script file either executable or read-only. How much easier can that be.

Want a service to run at boot, log in as root and type:
chmod 755 /etc/rc.d/rc.servicename

Don't want it any longer, log in as root and type:
chmod 644 /etc/rc.d/rc.servicename

HTH,
MMYoung