Using printer from linux computer

[timinak]

I've got a mac mini with lion as OS.
Printers on the local network here are connected to a computer booted
into an ubuntu 10.04 linux OS. I am not sure how to access the computer.
I would welcome URLs to a HOWTO.
thanks
tim

 

[gsahli]

On the server (linux), use a browser and go to http://localhost:631
Go to Printers tab. Copy down the exact queue names of the printers. And now note the IP address of this ubuntu server (right-click on the internet connection icon on the top right bar - connection information.).

On Mac(s), go to Print & Fax, click Add (+). Select IP printing > IPP.
In the dialog box, enter queue name and IP address. Select model. For non-postscript printers, you need to use Gutenprint drivers.

If you don't get it to work, or need help with drivers, come back here.

 

[timinak]

On the server (linux), use a browser and go to http://localhost:631
Go to Printers tab. Copy down the exact queue names of the printers. And now note the IP address of this ubuntu server (right-click on the internet connection icon on the top right bar - connection information.).

Good instructions. Actually, since the linux computer is 192.168.1.5
I just pointed my browser to http://192.168.1.5:631

On Mac(s), go to Print & Fax, click Add (+). Select IP printing > IPP.
In the dialog box, enter queue name and IP address. Select model. For non-postscript printers, you need to use Gutenprint drivers.

I choose auto-select and got the following message:
'The selected printer software isn't from the manufacturer and may not
let you use all the features of your printer.
Does that mean that I need Gutenprint drivers?
If so, where do I get them?

If you don't get it to work, or need help with drivers, come back here.

Hopefully the info above can tell
you whether I need the Gutenprint.
thanks
tim

 

[gsahli]

You need to tell me the printer models. Mac printer drivers aren't as straightforward as Windows drivers. For many non-postscript printers, the manufacturers have created USB-only or Bonjour-only drivers. Apple calls these drivers "monolithic" drivers because they bypass the multiple connection protocols supported by CUPS.

Gutenprint drivers are open-source drivers included in OS X (and in linux, too).
You can update Gutenprint from:
Gutenprint for Mac OS X

 

[gsahli]

Forgot to mention - you have another option for driver on clients. Use generic postscript on the clients and the Ubuntu server will do the postscript translation.

 

[timinak]

You need to tell me the printer models.

For now : HP deskjet 3320 and Canon BJC-240

Mac printer drivers aren't as straightforward as Windows drivers. For many non-postscript printers, the manufacturers have created USB-only or Bonjour-only drivers. Apple calls these drivers "monolithic" drivers because they bypass the multiple connection protocols supported by CUPS.

Understood.

Gutenprint drivers are open-source drivers included in OS X (and in linux, too).
You can update Gutenprint from:
Gutenprint for Mac OS X

Thank you.

 

[timinak]

Forgot to mention - you have another option for driver on clients. Use generic postscript on the clients and the Ubuntu server will do the postscript translation.

I'll try that.

 

[timinak]

No luck here. I've not been able to find a driver even with gutenprint. I let
Lion do the selection, it just came up with Generic Postscript Printer, but
when I go to Add, I get an error message:

Unable to verify the printer on your network. Unable to connect to '192.168.1.5'
due to an error. Would you like to still to create the que?

And if I do continue, subsequent attempts to print fail.
Don't quite understand why the printer setup can't connect, because
at the same time, I am connected to the host computer via finder.
Not sure where to go from here.... And no explanation from the Add Printer
dialogue what the error is. And I don't see anyway to access a log.

 

[gsahli]

Access logs in Console Utility.

Because there is a print server in the way, the usual Mac OS X browse functions don't always work. Especially, finding printer models. select manually.

deskjet 3320 not yet available in Gutenprint.
But is available in the three-part hpijs driver set:
macosx/hpijs | The Linux Foundation
Canon BJC-240 is available in Gutenprint.

 

[timinak]

Access logs in Console Utility.

Because there is a print server in the way, the usual Mac OS X browse functions don't always work. Especially, finding printer models. select manually.

deskjet 3320 not yet available in Gutenprint.
But is available in the three-part hpijs driver set:
macosx/hpijs | The Linux Foundation
Canon BJC-240 is available in Gutenprint.

Thanks. Yes, the BJC-240 driver is available and I could easily find it,
but I get the same Unable to verify the printer .... error message.
Both printers are on shares, we presume that the cups URL at
192.16.1.5:631 can see them, but (presumably) Lion does not?
I note that finder does not see the shared printers either.
thanks
tim

 

[gsahli]

we presume that the cups URL at
192.16.1.5:631 can see them, but (presumably) Lion does not?

Sorry - not sure what you mean by that.

On Ubuntu, you went to System > Administration > Printing, and enabled sharing? And enabled Server > Settings > publish shared printer?

 

[timinak]

Sorry - not sure what you mean by that.

:Blushing: Never mind. Brain fart!

On Ubuntu, you went to System > Administration > Printing, and enabled sharing? And enabled Server > Settings > publish shared printer?

Yes. That has been done and this (Canon) printer is being used by other
linux boxes here. If I go ahead and add the printer and go to print, I
get a conversion to PDF, choose print again, and get an error message that
the URI is incorrect or no longer exists.
FYI:
The URI for the printer can be obtained from Cups as in
http://192.168.1.5:631, choose 'Printers' and then select the printer itself.
But for the life of me I can't see where to enter the printer URI in the
Lion->System Preferences->Printers window. Furthermore, I can't see
how to edit an installed printer.
Thanks again
Tim

 

[timinak]

I will add that by going the following route:
System Preferences
Print &Scan
+
Windows (instead of IP)
workgroup
I can see both of my other computers
I choose
barbara (the 'print server')
Where I can see both of the printers.
choose
Canon-BJC-240
Which places the print name in the Name: field below.
Enter for Location: barbara
and from the dropdown list choose the printer model.
Click on Add and Lion appears
to install without any error message.
But when I go to print I get a

Cannot connect to printer

message in the Job Info section of the queue window.
It is not sending authentication?

 

[gsahli]

What you're saying still doesn't quite sound right.
"The URI for the printer can be obtained from Cups as in
http://192.168.1.5:631, choose 'Printers' and then select the printer itself.
But for the life of me I can't see where to enter the printer URI in the
Lion->System Preferences->Printers window."

I guess you don't understand that Print & Fax/scan on OS X enables you to enter the queue name and the IP address, but fills in all the rest of the URI automatically?
so, IPP filled in means
ipp://192.168.1.5:631/printers/queue_name on the client.

Is this still not clear?

 

[timinak]

What you're saying still doesn't quite sound right.
.....
I guess you don't understand that Print & Fax/scan on OS X enables you to enter the queue name and the IP address, but fills in all the rest of the URI automatically?
so, IPP filled in means
ipp://192.168.1.5:631/printers/queue_name on the client.

Is this still not clear?

It is. Yet I am getting error messages complaining that the URI is non-existant. That is why I raised the question.
Please see the method I outlined in the post that I made following the post
that you are referring to above.

 

[gsahli]

Sorry, I can't keep up...
What you're saying just doesn't add up for me. Can you maybe go into more detail on what exactly you are doing on the server first, then on the Mac clients?
(I don't discount the possibility that either the server or the Mac client has a software problem.)
If you insist on entering a URI manually, you can do that on the client(s) with a browser pointed at localhost:631

 

[timinak]

Sorry, I can't keep up...
What you're saying just doesn't add up for me. Can you maybe go into more detail on what exactly you are doing on the server first, then on the Mac clients?
(I don't discount the possibility that either the server or the Mac client has a software problem.)
If you insist on entering a URI manually, you can do that on the client(s) with a browser pointed at localhost:631

http://localhost:631 is the URL for the mac's CUPS server for those who don't know....
and being more familiar with CUPS myself, that is the route I will take.
gsahli, I appreciate the help. I will take it from here.
regards
tim