Introduction

This page covers only how to install a Netware Printer Queue in Ubuntu.

What is Needed

perl - Larry Wall's Practical Extraction and Report Language, needed for ncp script.

ipx - utilities to configure the kernel ipx interface.

ncpfs - a set of utilities to use resources from NetWare servers, in particular nprint to print to a netware printer queue.

Begin the work

Run Terminal (Applications-> Accessories -> Terminal)

Command> gksu nautilus

Create script file 'ncp' using gedit in /usr/lib/cups/backend directory.

Note that first line of this file should be following: #! /usr/bin/perl -w

NCP script

Create the script /usr/lib/cups/backend/ncp 

  • #
#! /usr/bin/perl -w
#
# NCP backend for CUPS
#
# Copyright (C) 2001 Sergey Vlasov <vsu@altlinux.ru>
#
#   This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it
#   under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free
#   Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option)
#   any later version.
#
#   This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but
#   WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY
#   or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU General Public License
#   for more details.
#
#   You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
#   along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
#   Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place - Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307, USA.
#

use strict;

########################################################################
# Configurable parameters
########################################################################

# nprint program name (you may want to put the full pathname here)
my $NPRINT = "nprint";

# Home directory (the .nwclient file will be searched there)
my $NCP_HOME = "/root";

########################################################################
# End of configurable parameters
########################################################################



# No arguments means show available devices
if (scalar(@ARGV) == 0) {
    print "network ncp \"Unknown\" \"NetWare Printer via NCP\"\n";
    exit 0;
}

# Check number of arguments
if (scalar(@ARGV) < 5 || scalar(@ARGV) > 6) {
    print STDERR "ERROR: ncp job user title copies options [filename]\n";
    exit 1;
}

my ($job, $user, $title, $copies, $options, $file) = @ARGV;
my $printer = $ENV{"DEVICE_URI"};

# These variables will hold the URI parts
my ($server, $queue, $nwuser, $nwpass);

# Parse the printer URI into parts
for ($printer) {

    # ncp://USERNAME:PASSWORD@SERVER/QUEUE
    m|^ncp://(.+):(.*)@(.+)/(.+)| && do {
        $nwuser = $1;
        $nwpass = $2;
        $server = $3;
        $queue = $4;
        last;
    };

    # ncp://USERNAME@SERVER/QUEUE
    m|^ncp://(.+)@(.+)/(.+)| && do {
        $nwuser = $1;
        $server = $2;
        $queue = $3;
        last;
    };

    # ncp://SERVER/QUEUE
    m|^ncp://(.+)/(.+)| && do {
        $server = $1;
        $queue = $2;
        last;
    };
}

# Check if the URI was parsed correctly
if (not defined $server or not defined $queue) {
    print STDERR "ERROR: malformed printer URI\n";
    exit 1;
}

# Unquote the URI parts (must be done after splitting)
$nwuser =~ s/%([a-fA-F0-9]{2})/chr(hex($1))/ge if defined $nwuser;
$nwpass =~ s/%([a-fA-F0-9]{2})/chr(hex($1))/ge if defined $nwpass;
$server =~ s/%([a-fA-F0-9]{2})/chr(hex($1))/ge if defined $server;
$queue  =~ s/%([a-fA-F0-9]{2})/chr(hex($1))/ge if defined $queue;

# Fixed part of the nprint command
my @command = ($NPRINT, "-S", $server, "-q", $queue, "-N");

# Add "-U USERNAME" if specified
if (defined $nwuser) {
    push @command, "-U";
    push @command, $nwuser;
}

# Add "-P PASSWORD" if specified
if (defined $nwpass) {
    push @command, "-P";
    push @command, $nwpass;
}

# Append the print file name or "-" to read from stdin
if (defined $file) {
    if ($file =~ /^-/) {
        # Avoid file names which look like switches
        $file = "./$file";
    }
    push @command, $file;
} else {
    push @command, "-";
}

# nprint will read $HOME/.nwclient, so need to set it
$ENV{"HOME"} = $NCP_HOME;

# all is ready, run nprint (directly, without using shell)
my $result = system { $command[0] } @command;

# if not ok, print the error message in the format required by CUPS
if ($result != 0) {
    print STDERR "ERROR: nprint exited with status $result\n";
    exit 1;
}

# normal exit
exit 0;

* Don't forget to make the script executable:

  • sudo chmod +x /usr/lib/cups/backend/ncp

Restart CUPS

  • After changing this file, restart CUPS by running ... 
    • sudo /etc/init.d/cups restart

* Create a file ".nwclient" in $NCP_HOME directory (generally /root) with following line:

NETWARE_SERVERNAME/NETWARE_USERNAME PASSWORD

Add a Netware Printer with Gnome menu System

1. Add a printer definition, using Printing (Gnome menu System -> Administration -> Printing).

Select Other printer type.

In the URl: type 

  • ncp://NETWARE_SERVERNAME/PRINTER_Q

If at this point you don't see 'Netware Printer via ncp' then refer to 'NCP Script' above.

Select the relevant printer etc. and you should have a working Netware Printer.

Add a Netware Printer with Cups Web Interface

This needs an Administrator account.

Please refer to NetworkPrintingWithUbuntu -> Ubuntu Client Machine for more info. 

  • # /etc/cups/cupsd.conf
# Simple CUPS configuration file for a pure client machine:
# which has:
# - printers of its own, (and any local printers will be shared?)
# - no need for security within the machine, ie a personal workstation
# - a network connection to a local network, where it will find CUPS-controlled printer servers

# Log general information in error_log - change "info" to "debug" for
# troubleshooting...
LogLevel warning

# Administrator user group...
SystemGroup lpadmin

# Only listen for connections from the local machine.
# These settings are configured in /etc/cups/cups.d/ports.conf so that
# changing them does not require to change this file.
# Listen localhost:631
# Listen /var/run/cups/cups.sock

# This setup also allows access to the "Administrative tasks" system at
# http://localhost:631
# File based on Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger) (Linux version 2.6.12-10-386)
# Server Directives are explained in http://localhost:631/sam.html
    
# 25/04/2006
# DavidTangye@netscape.net
    
ConfigFilePerm 0600
LogLevel info
Printcap /var/run/cups/printcap
RunAsUser Yes
### Listen fails. Use Port
#Listen 127.0.0.1:631
#Listen 10.0.0.0/8:631
#Listen 128.0.0.0/16:631
#Listen 192.168.0.0/24:631
Port 631
    
# Show shared printers on the local network.
# The 'Browsing' setting is configured in /etc/cups/cups.d/browse.conf
# so that changing it does not require to change this file.
# Browsing Off
BrowseOrder allow,deny
BrowseAllow @LOCAL
BrowseAddress @LOCAL
     
# Restrict access to the server...
# <Location />
#  Order allow,deny
#  Allow localhost
#  Allow @LOCAL
#</Location>
<Location />
AuthType None
Order Deny,Allow
Deny From All
Allow From @LOCAL
</Location>
     
<Location /jobs>
AuthType None
Order Deny,Allow
Deny From All
Allow From @LOCAL
</Location>
     
<Location /printers>
AuthType None
Order Deny,Allow
Deny From All
Allow From @LOCAL
</Location>
     
# Restrict access to the admin pages...
#<Location /admin>
#  Order allow,deny
#  Allow localhost
# </Location>
<Location /admin>
AuthType None
Order Deny,Allow
Deny From All
Allow From @LOCAL
</Location>

# Default authentication type, when authentication is required...
DefaultAuthType Basic

# Restrict access to configuration files...
<Location /admin/conf>
  AuthType Basic
  Require user @SYSTEM
  Order allow,deny
  Allow localhost
</Location>

# Set the default printer/job policies...
<Policy default>
  # Job-related operations must be done by the owner or an adminstrator...
  <Limit Send-Document Send-URI Hold-Job Release-Job Restart-Job Purge-Jobs Set-Job-Attributes Create-Job-Subscription Renew-Subscription Cancel-Subscription Get-Notifications Reprocess-Job Cancel-Current-Job Suspend-Current-Job Resume-Job CUPS-Move-Job>
    Require user @OWNER @SYSTEM
    Order deny,allow
  </Limit>

  # All administration operations require an adminstrator to authenticate...
  <Limit Pause-Printer Resume-Printer Set-Printer-Attributes Enable-Printer Disable-Printer Pause-Printer-After-Current-Job Hold-New-Jobs Release-Held-New-Jobs Deactivate-Printer Activate-Printer Restart-Printer Shutdown-Printer Startup-Printer Promote-Job Schedule-Job-After CUPS-Add-Printer CUPS-Delete-Printer CUPS-Add-Class CUPS-Delete-Class CUPS-Accept-Jobs CUPS-Reject-Jobs CUPS-Set-Default>
    AuthType Basic
    Require user @SYSTEM
    Order deny,allow
  </Limit>

  # Only the owner or an administrator can cancel or authenticate a job...
  <Limit Cancel-Job CUPS-Authenticate-Job>
    Require user @OWNER @SYSTEM
    Order deny,allow
  </Limit>

  <Limit All>
    Order deny,allow
  </Limit>
</Policy>

# Include files in /etc/cups/conf.d
Include /etc/cups/cups.d/ports.conf
Include /etc/cups/cups.d/browse.conf

To access the Cups Web Interface goto http://localhost:631/

AccessingNetwareShares CategoryNetworking

NetwarePrintingFromUbuntu (last edited 2009-12-30 07:57:51 by static-mum-59)