Overview

Ubuntu supports network printing, so you can print from either your Ubuntu machine or a Windows machine etc, to another Ubuntu machine that has a printer attached (ie a "print server"). This page covers these scenarios only.

This page does not cover printing from Ubuntu to a printer attached to a Windows machine, ie a Windows print server. The WindowsXPPrinter page addresses this.

Background

Ubuntu uses the Common UNIX Printing System ("CUPS") to handle printing. CUPS uses the Internet Printing Protocol ("IPP") as the basis for managing print jobs and queues. The Line Printer Daemon ("LPD") Server Message Block ("SMB"), and AppSocket (a.k.a. JetDirect) protocols are also supported with reduced functionality. This page describes network printing with CUPS and IPP.

CUPS printer configuration and management is handled by the Printer Admin utility launched from the Gnome menu - System -> Administration -> Printing. In addition CUPS provides command-line commands that are similar to old Berkley and SystemV print commands such as lpq, lpstat etc. Also IPP provides web services so after you have configured CUPS appropriately, you can access the printers and jobs via your web browser.

When a locally attached printer is defined, eg using the Printer Admin utility, that printer is automatically published from this "print server" host to the network, depending on the server directives in the CUPS configuration file. A remote Ubuntu "client" host can then be able to see and use the printer attached to the server. The network printer automatically appears in the client's Printer Admin utility. It simply pops up if CUPS is up and configured correctly and disappears if you stop CUPS at either the Print Server or your local machine.

Ubuntu 7.10

Printer sharing in Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy is very simple. It no longer requires manual editing of config files. I will assume there is a working printer installed and printing on the Ubuntu computer that will be used as the print server.

Ubuntu Print Server

1. On the server machine (the one the printer is attached to) open up printer manager with

   • sudo system-config-printer 

     Or System->Administration->Printing.

2. Under Server Settings check, i.e, turn on, the Share published printers connected to this system.

3. Click on the Apply button;

If the ubuntu print server has a dynamic ip, you can solve it by replacing the numbers in the ipp address by a name. On a local network, you can add the ".local" suffix, for example if your server is called "newton":

•        ipp://newton.local

Ubuntu Client Machine

Now on the client(s) (the one that you want to link to the shared printer that is in server machine):

• 1.Open up the printer manager System->Administration->Printing

  • Or open the Terminal:

    • sudo system-config-printer 

  2.Under the Server Settings check the Show Printers shared by others systems option.

• Click on the Apply button;

Then you can open any document, and try to print it. It should appear in the printer dialogs box the name of the shared Printer.

Ubuntu 7.04

Printer sharing in Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty is very simple. It no longer requires manual editing of config files. I will assume there is a working printer installed and printing on the Ubuntu computer that will be used as the print server.

Ubuntu Print Server

1. On the server machine (the one the printer is attached to) open up printer manager with

   • sudo gnome-cups-manager 

     or System->Administration->Printing.

2. Under Global Settings click on the share printers.

Ubuntu Client Machine

Now on the client(s) open up the printer manager System->Administration->Printing and under the Global Settings check the Detect LAN Printers option.Then go to Printer->Add Printer check the Network Printer option and in the area marked URI write something like

• ipp://192.168.0.1/printers/<name of printer>

where 192.168.0.1 is your servers ip address and <name of printer> is the name you gave the printer when you set it up (usually the model of the printer). Click Next and select the brand,model, and driver just like you did when setting up the printer on the server. Click Next and fill in the name and description like on the server's printer then click Next. There you should now have a networked printer.

WindowsXP Client Machine

1. Open the Control Panel

2. Click Printers and Faxes

3. Click Add a Printer

4. On the first page of the Add Printer Wizard, click Next

5. Choose Add a network Printer

6. Choose Connect to a printer on the internet and type http://SERVER_NAME:631/printers/PRINTER_NAME in the text box and then click next

7. On the next screen, Choose the correct driver for your printer

8. Click ok to finish

9. Right click the printer, choose properties, and then try to print a test page

Ubuntu 6.10

Printer sharing in Edgy is fairly simple ,although it does require opening one .conf file.I will assume there is a working printer connected and printing.

Ubuntu Print Server

First on the server machine (the one the printer is attached to) open up printer manager with

• gnome-cups-manager

or System->Administration->Printing.Under Global Settings click on the share printers. Next we must edit the cups config file like this

• sudo vim /etc/cups/cupsd.conf

You will probably see a section like this:

•  # Only listen for connections from the local machine.
   Listen localhost:631
   Listen /var/run/cups/cups.sock

Add this line to it:

• Listen 192.168.0.1:631

Assuming 192.168.0.1 is your servers ip address. Restart cups with

• sudo /etc/init.d/cupsys restart

Ubuntu Client Machine

Now on the client(s) open up the printer manager System->Administration->Printing and under the Global Settings check the Detect LAN Printers option.Then go to Printer->Add Printer check the Network Printer option and in the area marked URI write something like

• ipp://192.168.0.1/printers/<name of printer>

where 192.168.0.1 is your servers ip address and <name of printer> is the name you gave the printer when you set it up usually the model of the printer.Click Next and select the brand,model, and driver just like you did when setting up the printer on the server.Click Next and fill in the name and description like on the server's printer then click Next. There you should now have a networked printer.

Ubuntu 5.10

• .. print from one Ubuntu desktop ("client") machine to another Ubuntu ("print server") machine that has a printer connected to it.

Currently, with Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger) you need to make changes with an editor to the CUPS configuration file /etc/cups/cupsd.conf for network printing to work. The following are complete working replacement examples that work for a Print Server and for a Client Machine.

Ubuntu Print Server

• This is the machine that has a printer attached to it, that you want to send print jobs to.

• Add a local printer definition, using the Printer Admin utility (Gnome menu System -> Administration -> Printing).

• Reconfigure the CUPS server

  • Cups Server: /etc/cups/cupsd.conf This file is based on that supplied with Ubuntu 5.10. Comment lines have been removed. Copy it onto your system.

        # /etc/cups/cupsd.conf
        # Simple CUPS configuration file for a print server
        # which serves printers within a private local area network.
        # - There is no need for additional security within the print server, ie only authorises people can access the machine.
        
        # This setup also allows access to the CUPS "Administrative tasks" system
        # via your web browser to 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
        Port 631
        Include cupsd-browsing.conf
        BrowseAddress @LOCAL
        BrowseAddress 10.0.0.0/8
        BrowseAddress 172.16.0.0/12
        BrowseAddress 192.168.0.0/16
         
        <Location />
        AuthType None
        Order Deny,Allow
        Deny From All
        Allow From @LOCAL
        Allow From 10.0.0.0/8
        Allow From 172.16.0.0/12
        Allow From 192.168.0.0/16
        </Location>
        
        <Location /jobs>
        AuthType None
        Order Deny,Allow
        Deny From All
        Allow From @LOCAL
        Allow From 10.0.0.0/8
        Allow From 172.16.0.0/12
        Allow From 192.168.0.0/16
        </Location>
        
        <Location /printers>
        AuthType None
        Order Deny,Allow
        Deny From All
        Allow From @LOCAL
        Allow From 10.0.0.0/8
        Allow From 172.16.0.0/12
        Allow From 192.168.0.0/16
        </Location>
        
        <Location /admin>
        AuthType None
        Order Deny,Allow
        Deny From All
        Allow From @LOCAL
        Allow From 10.0.0.0/8
        Allow From 172.16.0.0/12
        Allow From 192.168.0.0/16
        </Location>

    • This config file should be altered if security within your local network is an issue for you. E.g. if you use a poorly-secured wireless network, this could allow access to anyone nearby.

    • Change the network addresses if you are part of a different network, eg on the real internet, and remove unnecessary ones.

    • This config allows you to use a web browser to manage CUPS, eg set up printers, manage jobs, via "http://PRINTSERVERNAME:631/".

• Restart CUPS

  • After changing this file, restart CUPS by running ...

    •       sudo /etc/init.d/cupsys restart

    or use the Services tool under Gnome menu System -> Administration. After CUPS is restarted the printers will immediately be found automatically by machines that are set up as per the next sections.

Ubuntu Client Machine

• This info is current for Ubuntu 5.10 (Breezy Badger)

CategoryNetworking