Configuring Printers with PrinterDrake

Abstract

This tool allows you to configure a newly installed printer on your machine, or to configure your machine to act as a server for a printer which has just been connected to your local network.

[Tip]Tip

If you have just installed a printer that was not available when you installed Mandrakelinux, make sure it is correctly connected and powered on before launching the configuration tool.

Initial Configuration

When you first launch the PrinterDrake tool, it can be in one of three states:

There is no printer directly connected to the computer.

Figure 2.9. Activate Printing

Activate Printing

The tool did not detect any local printers. However you are offered the possibility to print on network printers. Press the Yes button in this case.

Figure 2.10. Activating Network Printers

Activating Network Printers
  • Select the Local CUPS printing system option if you wish to configure your machine to act as a printer server for a network printer connected to your local network.

    Needed software will be installed and then the main configuration interface (Figure 2.12, “Managing Printers”) appears. Click on the Add Printer button to install the network printer.

  • Select the Remote server option if you wish to be able to print on printers served by another CUPS printer server on the network. Your applications will have access to all public printers served by that server immediately. You only need to provide the hostname or IP address of that server in the field below.

    When this is done, the main configuration interface (Figure 2.12, “Managing Printers”) appears. The Configured on other machines tab will be filled with the available network printers.

A new printer has been detected

If a printer had already been configured previously, the new one will be installed automatically. Otherwise a confirmation dialog appears.

Figure 2.11. A New Printer is Detected

A New Printer is Detected

Simply confirm the automatic installation of the new printer. The main configuration interface (Figure 2.12, “Managing Printers”) then appears. Make sure to check the printer parameters to fit your needs (the section called “Reconfiguring an Existing Printer”).

A printer had been already configured at system installation time

In this case, the main configuration interface (Figure 2.12, “Managing Printers”) appears. Make sure to check that the printer parameters fit your needs (the section called “Reconfiguring an Existing Printer”).

The Printers Management Interface

Figure 2.12. Managing Printers

Managing Printers
[Warning]Warning

If your printer has been automatically added you should now verify its configuration. Select it in the list, click the Edit button and check the Printer options.

The printer configuration tool (Figure 2.12, “Managing Printers”) has two tabs. The first one for locally connected printers (Configured on this machine), the other one for printers available on the local network (Configured on other machines). Then six buttons at the top give access to all the available maintenance tasks:

  • Add printer: launches the printer configuration wizard described below.

  • Set as default: sets the selected printer as the default printer when no specific printer is chosen at printing time. A cross appears in the Def. column of that printer.

  • Edit: opens the printer configuration dialog (see the section called “Reconfiguring an Existing Printer”).

  • Delete: removes the selected printer from the available printer pool.

  • Refresh: updates the printers list with possible new or removed printers, especially for networked printers.

  • Configure CUPS: (if a local network exists) by default, your system will be totally open. It will use all of the network's available printers and share all of its local printers with the local network. Click this button if you do not want to access network printers, or if you want to restrict access to your local printers. This dialog will also let you configure the access to servers outside the local network.

[Note]Note

The Options->Expert mode menu check-box will add extra features to the tool. See the section called “Expert Mode”.

The Printer Configuration Wizard

Click the Add printer button and the configuration wizard will come up. To go from one step to another, click on OK or Next ->. Use Cancel to abort the installation.

Figure 2.13. Auto-Detecting Printers

Auto-Detecting Printers

The first screen allows you to enable the auto-detection of locally connected printers, network printers, and finally printers served by SMB (Windows®) servers. First try to activate auto-detection for the printer types you are looking for. The next step will show which printer(s) was/were detected. If the one you want to set up is listed, select it, click on OK, confirm the printer model, and go to Figure 2.19, “Test the Printer”. If the detected printer is not the correct one check the Manual configuration box and go to Figure 2.18, “Choosing a Name for your Printer”. If auto-detection fails, remove the check mark from all check boxes, click on Next and follow the instructions below.

Figure 2.14. The Printer Port

The Printer Port

First, you need to determine which port your printer is connected to: either a parallel or a USB port.

Figure 2.15. Multi-Function Device

Multi-Function Device

You will then be asked whether your printer is a multi-function device from HP or Sony. If so, additional packages will be installed on your system and you will be told how to scan and access photo memory cards with your device.

Figure 2.16. Choosing the Printer Model

Choosing the Printer Model

In the next step you will see the list of supported printers. It is a tree view with the manufacturer's name first and then the printer's model. Select the printer you have or a compatible one (Figure 2.16, “Choosing the Printer Model”) if yours is not specifically listed.

If you want to install the driver supplied by your printer's manufacturer, click on the Install a manufacturer-supplied PPD file button and select the medium containing the PPD file and browse to it. Accept subsequent dialogs to use your chosen PPD file.

Figure 2.17. Configuring the Printer's Options

Configuring the Printer's Options

After that, the options associated with the chosen printer will be shown (Figure 2.17, “Configuring the Printer's Options”). It is important you choose the proper settings (such as paper size, media source, etc.) currently installed on the printer. If the settings you choose are not correct, printing may fail to work.

[Note]Note

For settings referring to printout quality, bear in mind that higher quality levels may make the printing operation slower, and may also consume more ink.

Figure 2.18. Choosing a Name for your Printer

Choosing a Name for your Printer

You then need to provide a name for your printer to easily identify it. Optionally, you can also supply a Printer description and a physical Location (Figure 2.18, “Choosing a Name for your Printer”).

[Note]Note

If you already have one or more configured printers, you will be asked whether the printer you are configuring will be the default printer for applications on your system. If you say No, the previous default printer will be retained.

Figure 2.19. Test the Printer

Test the Printer

Finally, you will be asked whether or not you want to test the printer. Two test pages are available (Figure 2.19, “Test the Printer”) so you can adjust the parameters according to your needs. It is advisable to print at least one test page so you can immediately correct the parameters if something goes wrong. The printer should begin to print almost immediately.

Congratulations, you are ready to print! If you're not satisfied with your test page, answer the appropriate question with No and you are lead to the printer configuration menu (Figure 2.20, “Modifying an Existing Printer”) in order to correct the settings. See the the section called “Reconfiguring an Existing Printer” section.

Your printer will now appear in the list of available printers in the main window (Figure 2.12, “Managing Printers”).

Reconfiguring an Existing Printer

Double-clicking on a printer's name in the list, or clicking on the Edit button, displays a menu where you can choose actions to take on the selected printer, as shown in Figure 2.20, “Modifying an Existing Printer”. Each option gives access to a particular step of the wizard we described above (the section called “The Printer Configuration Wizard”) during our example of how to configure a new printer. One difference will be that the current settings will be predefined in all fields, and you may update them where required.

Figure 2.20. Modifying an Existing Printer

Modifying an Existing Printer

There are a few additional options:

  1. Disable printer. Use this option to remove that printer from the printers available to the system users. You might need that to temporarily disable a printer that is under maintenance so that users do not try to use it in the meanwhile. When a printer is disabled, that option changes to Enable printer.

  2. Learn how to use this printer. Displays information on how to use a particular model of printer. In the case of a multi-function device from HP, information about scanning and photo memory card access is also displayed.

  3. Remove printer. Use this option to delete that printer's configuration from the system.

Select an option in the dialog and then click on the Do it! button.

Expert Mode

Abstract

The expert mode (activated by selecting Options->Expert mode from the menu) basically has three additional features:

  • Choose a Different Driver to the Default One for a Printer. Generally speaking, there are different drivers available for the same printer. In expert mode, a third level appears in the printer model selection list (Figure 2.16, “Choosing the Printer Model”) which allows you to change the driver for each printer.

  • Install Many Kinds of Remote Printers. This feature allows you to print on remote printers using the LPD protocol, printers on Windows® servers which require authorization, or other arbitrary printer types.

[Note]Note

If PrinterDrake is in expert mode, it does not automatically configure new local printers on startup. Use the Add printer button to configure the printer.

If you start the new printer wizard in expert mode, there is an additional step at the beginning.

Figure 2.21. Configuring a Remote Printer

Configuring a Remote Printer

Five different connection types are available:

  • Local printer. A printer directly connected to a parallel or USB port on your computer. In most cases, the printer model will be auto-detected.

  • Printer on remote lpd server. A printer already served by another machine on a lpd server.

  • Network printer (TCP/socket). A printer directly connected to your local network. The network can be scanned and printer models automatically detected provided the Printer auto-detection box is checked.

  • Printer on SMB/Windows 95/98/NT server. Relevant for printers already connected to a computer running an OS which serves printers with the SMB protocol, including Samba printers (the necessary Samba components will be automatically installed in this case). The network can be scanned provided the Printer auto-detection box is checked. However, the printer model will have to be entered manually.

  • Enter a printer device URI. This option allows you to directly enter the printer's Universal Resource Identifier (URI) on your network. It can be used for any of the above remote connections and more. This is useful when your system administrator provides you directly with the printer's URI.