Linux Printing

[wayneo]

Hi
I am trying to find out how to set up simple dot-matrix printers on Ubuntu linux (lp0) and print
to them from Sco OpenServer. I have managed to set the printer up with CUPS on the linux box, but cannot find any simple help on this on the net. My other printers are currently set up using Sco LPD (Print Servers).
Any assistance with the above would be greatly appreciated...

[banzaikai]

I'm a bit confused here...

Are you asking how to share your printer on the Ubuntu with your SCO boxes, how to access the SCO printers from Ubuntu, or just how to get the darn thing to print in Ubuntu?

I've covered how to get a printer up and running under CUPS before (just search using "banzai" and "CUPS" as your criteria).

Now, if you need to set up your Ubuntu to allow others to print to it, then it's a simple (enough) matter to tell CUPS to share your print queue with various computers (you just have to tell it which are allowed to request jobs).

My best recommendation, however, would be to get a Hawking or TrendNet print server for your network (I use the TrendNet TE100-P2U1P on mine). A good server will have all protocols built-in, so it doesn't matter which computer is sending the job out, the server will figure it out and do its job. The TE100 has 2-USB and 1-Par port per server, and I got it from newegg for about $70 (IIRC).

Coolest thing is that your computers don't all have to be running (lower electric bill).

Dot-matrix? Are you running a POS system or something?

banzai "Are you being served?" kai

[wayneo]

Hi - I am running a POS system and if you could tell me how to "tell CUPS to share your print queue with various computers" , I think my problem would be solved. I am trying to print to Ubunto machines that would each host a dot-matrix(invoice) printer conected to their lp0 port. (The Sco box hosts the POS Software and the linux Pc's are running ubuntu with terminal emulation software connecting to Sco Openserver).
I currentlly have the printers back-ported on dumb terminals running an LPD daemon which works great, but now want to replace some of the workstations with the Ubuntu PC's ..........??
Please advise - Thanks

[Icarus]

If you have cupsd running you can easily manage the printers through a web browser on port 631
http://localhost:631/

[WhiteKnight]

though this is for gentoo, but it might help...

http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/printing-howto.xml

gentoo has great help files :)

[banzaikai]

Okay, now I gotcha... (and guess pretty well, too!)

Now, I couldn't find how to do this under the CUPS localhost:631 GUI, but it can be done easily from RedHat/FC3 printer config's GUI. I'm not familiar with Ubuntu, but maybe it's close enough to RH/FC to apply here. In any case, here goes:

First, since this is POS (for those wondering, it means "Point-Of-Sale" in our case), you'll want to make sure that each workstation has its own name. This may seem silly or trivial, but it'll pay off in spades later. Our example will use a machine named "Station1". We'll also assume that the main computer is named "SCO".

Configure your printer normally under CUPS by using the "Add Printer" routine, and setup as a Local printer on /dev/lp0 (or lp1, lp2, etc.). You may need to install the Foomatic drivers if you've got one of those special POS type printers from Citizen, Sharp, Epson, Symbol, etc. If you need to print barcodes, then try out the "Zebra" driver for any thermal transfer types.

Once saved, go ahead and do a test print to make sure the driver is the right one. If all goes well, then all we need to do is turn on "Sharing". In the RH/FC GUI, you just click on the printer, select "Edit", go to the "Queue Options" tab, select the "Sharing" button on the bottom, and check the box for "This queue is available to other computers", and then type in the "Allowed Hosts" info (in our case, this'd be "SCO"). For good measure, and extra insurance in case of printer jams, you may want to put "Station2", "Station3", etc, in there so the other stations can use another printer without having to swap them out. If this is a private network (NO internet connection), then it's okay to use "ALL" for "Allow Hosts".

Now you know why we're using different names for our machines - to keep 'em straight. And to keep 'em honest: we can log who sent what to whom...

Now, on the SCO side, we just need to set the printer up as a different URI under the LPD. Each printer will be set to something like:

lpd://hostname:631/queuename

where queuename is the actual printer you set up under CUPS. So, if you did have the Zebra printer, it'd be:

lpd://station1:631/zebra

or, if station1 is at address 192.168.0.101,

lpd://192.168.0.101:631/zebra

Again, I didn't find how to to this (GUI-wise) via CUPS, but in the link above (in WhiteKnight's post), it does show how to edit the config file (steps 5 and 8), and in there it shows the "Allow Hosts". Just edit those to what you have.

banzai "CUPS runneth over" kai